s talk
among his companions run upon the same theme. At length, while
prosecuting his inquiries, he happened to learn that a little boy who
attended his school, owned just such a collar as he wanted, and had no
dog to wear it. Here was a chance for a speculation. Oscar lost no
time in seeing this boy, and in getting his lowest price for the
collar, which was fifty cents. This was much less than the price at
the shops, and Oscar thought his father might be induced, by this fact,
to let him have the money to purchase it; but Mr. Preston did not think
Tiger needed any such appendage, and Oscar's request was again denied.

Oscar now set his wits to work to devise a way of buying the collar,
without his father's aid. He looked over the little collection of
"goods and chattels," which he called his own, to see what there was he
could exchange for the article he wanted. His eye soon fell upon a
brass finger ring, and his plan was quickly formed. The ring had been
tumbled about among his playthings for a year or two, and was now dull
and dingy; but he remembered that he once cleaned and polished it, so
that it looked very much like gold, so long as the lustre lasted. He
subjected it to this process again, and it soon looked as well as the
plain gold ring he wore upon his finger, which it somewhat resembled in
size and color. Substituting it for the gold ring, he wore it to
school that afternoon; and a little negotiation, after school was
dismissed, settled the business--the coveted dog-collar was his!
Indeed, so craftily did he conduct the bargain, that he made the other
boy throw in a pretty ivory pocket-comb to boot! The little boy who
was thus cruelly deceived, supposed he was buying the ring that Oscar
usually wore; and, in truth, Oscar did give him to understand, in the
course of the barter, that it was fine gold, a point on which the other
boy did not appear to have much doubt.

Oscar did not dare to tell any one what a good bargain he had made, for
fear that the other boy would hear of it. Tiger appeared with a
handsome collar around his neck the next morning; and all the
explanation any one could get from his young master was, that he
"traded for it."

A week or two elapsed before Oscar's victim discovered the imposition
that had been practiced upon him. The ring, which had been proudly
worn, at length began to look dim and brassy; and on being submitted to
careful inspection, it was pronounced by compete