you send him off when he's better, and
not ask me to do it?"

Jinnie cocked her pretty head inquiringly on one side, closed one eye,
and looked at Peg from the other.

Peggy sniffed a ruse. She came forward, spread her feet a bit, rolling
her hands nervously in her apron. She hated an everlasting show of
feelings, but sometimes it was difficult for her to crush the emotions
which had so often stirred in her breast since the girl came to live
with them.

"I might as well tell you one thing right now, Jinnie Grandoken," she
said. "You brought that pup into this house an' you'll take him out,
or he won't get took; see?"

There was a certain tone in Peg's voice the girl had heard before.

"Then he won't get kicked out 't all, Peg," she said, with a petulant,
youthful smile. "I just won't do it! Lafe can't, and if you
don't----"

Mrs. Grandoken made a deep noise in her throat.

"You're a sassy brat," said she, "that's what you are! An' if Lafe
don't just about beat the life out of you when I tell him about this,
I will, with my own hand, right before his eyes. That's what----"

Jinnie interrupted her eagerly. "Lafe won't beat me," she answered,
"but I'll let you make me black and blue, Peg, if I can keep the
puppy. Matty used to beat me fine, and she was a good bit stronger'n
you."

Peggy's eyes drew down at the corners, and her lip quivered.

"Keep him if you want to, imp of Satan, but some day----here, see if
the beast'll eat this bit of meat."

Jinnie placed the shivering dog on the floor, and Peg put a piece of
meat under his nose. In her excitement, Jinnie rushed away to Lafe.
Peg's mumble followed her even through the closed door.

"Cobbler, oh, dear good Lafe," cried the girl, "the dog's living! Peg
says I can keep 'im, and I'm goin' to fiddle for him to-night. Do you
think he'll forget all about his hurt if I do that, Lafe?"

At that moment, shamed that she had given in to the importunate
Jinnie, Mrs. Grandoken opened the shop door, shoving the half wet dog
inside.

"Here's your pup, kid," she growled, "an' y'd best keep him from under
my feet if you don't want him stepped on."

The cobbler smiled his slow, sweet smile.

"Peg's heart's bigger'n this house," he murmured. "Bring him here,
lassie."

The girl, dog in arms, stood at the cobbler's side.

"What're you goin' to name him?" asked Lafe, tenderly.

"I dunno, but he's awful happy, now he's going to stay with us."

"Call 'im 'Happy Pete