pidly. With such a projectile hurled against a window, the result
could not be in doubt. There was a startling crash. Pieces of glass flew
in all directions, and Hobo, bleeding from several wounds, struggled
through the splintered aperture made by the force of his spring, and
leaped at the young man who had disturbed the peace of the cottage.

For all Hobo's injuries, there was plenty of fight in him yet, and the
consequences might have been serious if Peggy had not arrived upon the
scene at the critical moment. Her stern command, "Down, Hobo! Down,
sir!" emphasized by stamps of her foot had a magical effect. The poor,
bleeding, bewildered creature, who had stopped at nothing to protect a
member of the household which commanded his fealty, recognized in Peggy
the ultimate authority. The tense muscles, bent for a spring, instantly
relaxed. The lip dropped over the bared teeth. With a whimper the poor
brute crouched at Peggy's feet, and Peggy saw with sickened dismay that
the blood was oozing from gashes in the dog's neck.

"Graham!" she gasped. "Oh, Graham! He's hurt! He's bleeding dreadfully!"

Graham's temporary lapse into the sins of his youth was over. He was
again a young college man, and thoroughly ashamed of himself. The
amusement he had found in teasing Ruth suddenly seemed inexplicable, in
view of this tragic culmination. Flushing and awkward, he stood looking
on while Peggy bent over the wounded dog, unable to restrain her tears.
But when she attempted to remove a splinter of glass from the gash for
which it was responsible, Graham uttered a startled protest.

"I wouldn't try that, Peggy. He's likely to bite you."

"Oh, he won't bite me," Peggy returned confidently. "He knows I'm his
friend, don't you, poor old fellow?" Hobo, realizing that the loved
voice was addressing him, even though the trend of the question was
beyond his comprehension, gave a feeble flop of his tail, and raised to
Peggy's face eyes full of loyalty and trust.

The living-room became a hospital forthwith. Those of the girls who were
affected with unpleasant qualms at the sight of blood, fled
precipitately, while the others lent aid to Peggy, who had taken upon
herself the double role of operating surgeon and chief nurse. Several
ugly splinters of glass were removed from the bleeding neck, and the
wounds bathed and bandaged. Graham's usefulness in the operation was
confined to offering advice; for once, when he had extended his hand to