s shoulder; then he approached Clematis.

"Good ole doggie," he said, huskily. "Hyuh, Clem! Hyuh, Clem!"

Clematis moved sidelong, retreating with his head low and his tail
denoting anxious thoughts.

"Hyuh, Clem!" said William, trying, with only fair success, to keep his
voice from sounding venomous. "Hyuh, Clem!"

Clematis continued his deprecatory retreat.

Thereupon William essayed a ruse--he pretended to nibble at something,
and then extended his hand as if it held forth a gift of food. "Look,
Clem," he said. "Yum-yum! Meat, Clem! Good meat!"

For once Clematis was half credulous. He did not advance, but he
elongated himself to investigate the extended hand, and the next instant
found himself seized viciously by the scruff of the neck. He submitted
to capture in absolute silence. Only the slightest change of countenance
betrayed his mortification at having been found so easy a gull; this
passed, and a look of resolute stoicism took its place.

He refused to walk, but offered merely nominal resistance, as a formal
protest which he wished to be of record, though perfectly understanding
that it availed nothing at present. William dragged him through the long
hall and down a short passageway to the cellar door. This he opened,
thrust Clematis upon the other side of it, closed and bolted it.

Immediately a stentorian howl raised blood-curdling echoes and resounded
horribly through the house. It was obvious that Clematis intended to
make a scene, whether he was present at it or not. He lifted his voice
in sonorous dolor, stating that he did not like the cellar and would
continue thus to protest as long as he was left in it alone. He added
that he was anxious to see Flopit and considered it an unexampled
outrage that he was withheld from the opportunity.

Smitten with horror, William reopened the door and charged down the
cellar stairs after Clematis, who closed his caitiff mouth and gave way
precipitately. He fled from one end of the cellar to the other and back,
while William pursued; choking, and calling in low, ferocious tones:
"Good doggie! Good ole doggie! Hyuh, Clem! Meat, Clem, meat--"

There was dodging through coal-bins; there was squirming between
barrels; there was high jumping and broad jumping, and there was a final
aspiring but baffled dash for the top of the cellar stairs, where the
door, forgotten by William, stood open. But it was here that Clematis,
after a long and admirable exhibition of ing