s hind feet beside
her, thrusting his inquisitive nose between the bars, and wagging his
tasselled tail in lively approval of the scene before them.

They were looking down a long avenue that stretched for nearly a quarter
of a mile between rows of stately old locust-trees.

At the far end they could see the white pillars of a large stone house
gleaming through the Virginia creeper that nearly covered it. But they
could not see the old Colonel in his big chair on the porch behind the
cool screen of vines.

At that very moment he had caught the rattle of wheels along the road,
and had picked up his field-glass to see who was passing. It was only
a coloured man jogging along in the heat and dust with a cart full of
chicken-coops. The Colonel watched him drive up a lane that led to the
back of the new hotel that had just been opened in this quiet country
place. Then his glance fell on the two small strangers coming through
his gate down the avenue toward him. One was the friskiest dog he had
ever seen in his life. The other was a child he judged to be about five
years old.

Her shoes were covered with dust, and her white sunbonnet had slipped
off and was hanging over her shoulders. A bunch of wild flowers she had
gathered on the way hung limp and faded in her little warm hand. Her
soft, light hair was cut as short as a boy's.

There was something strangely familiar about the child, especially in
the erect, graceful way she walked.

Old Colonel Lloyd was puzzled. He had lived all his life in
Lloydsborough, and this was the first time he had ever failed to
recognize one of the neighbours' children. He knew every dog and horse,
too, by sight if not by name.

Living so far from the public road did not limit his knowledge of what
was going on in the world. A powerful field-glass brought every passing
object in plain view, while he was saved all annoyance of noise and
dust.

"I ought to know that child as well as I know my own name," he said to
himself. "But the dog is a stranger in these parts. Liveliest thing I
ever set eyes on! They must have come from the hotel. Wonder what they
want."

He carefully wiped the lens for a better view. When he looked again he
saw that they evidently had not come to visit him.

They had stopped half-way down the avenue, and climbed up on a rustic
seat to rest.

The dog sat motionless about two minutes, his red tongue hanging out as
if he were completely exhausted.

Suddenly he g