s going to give him
to Beth, she thought it a very nice idea."

"You are very generous, Harvey, and both Beth and I appreciate your
present. I love dogs almost as much as Beth does, but I don't know how
we can repay you."

"Mother says that you more than repay me by letting Beth play with me.
You know I haven't any sisters."

"Well, you and Beth must be careful not to get into mischief. She may
play by the water this morning, but I don't care to have her go rowing.
The river is too rough to-day."

"We won't go rowing, mamma."

Thereupon they hurried with Don down to the river.

The wind was quite high, which made the water choppy. The waves were
white-capped in many places.

"Now, Beth, you just watch and see Don perform."

Harvey held in his hand a good-sized stick, which he threw as far as
possible out into the water.

[Illustration: Harvey. (Illustration missing from book)]

Away bounded Don after it. He easily breasted the waves, and returned
in triumph with the stick.

He did this time and again, much to Beth's delight.

"Say, Beth, let's try him from the end of the wharf. I wonder if he
would dare jump in from there."

"I don't like to try. He might drown."

Harvey laughed the idea to scorn, and took a stick out to the end of
the wharf. Beth and Don accompanied him. Don seemed anxious to have
the stick thrown, for he watched it with glistening eyes. Harvey threw
it. Don immediately jumped after it, and succeeded in swimming to
shore with it. By this time, he was probably tired, for he did not
return to the children, but lay down on the bank for a rest.

The boat had been left outside the boat house, tied to a stake of the
wharf. Harvey eyed it longingly.

"I wish we could go rowing, Beth."

"So do I, but mamma said I couldn't. You wouldn't have me disobey her,
would you?"

"Nobody has asked you to, has there? Say, Beth, she never said for you
not to sit in the boat, did she?"

"No, but----"

"She said you couldn't row. Now, sitting in a boat that's tied isn't
rowing, is it?"

"No, but----"

"Oh, come on, Beth. It's perfectly safe when it's tied."

She hesitated. Harvey was too much of a diplomat not to press his
advantage.

"Now, Beth, I think you might. I wouldn't ask you to do anything your
mamma didn't like. She won't mind, I know."

Still Beth was undecided.

"And, Beth, you ought to want to please me after I gave you Don."

This argument appealed to he