________________________________________________
_ Celia, I've a notion that we ought to give
Ben something. A sort of peace-offering,
you know; for he feels dreadfully hurt about
our suspecting him," said Thorny, at dinner that day.
"I see he does, though he tries to seem as bright
and pleasant as ever. I do not wonder, and I've been
thinking what I could do to soothe his feelings. Can
you suggest any thing? "
"Cuff-buttons. I saw some jolly ones over at Berryville,
oxidized silver, with dogs' heads on them,
yellow eyes, and all as natural as could be. Those,
now, would just suit him for his go-to-meeting white
shirts, -- neat, appropriate, and in memoriam."
Miss Celia could not help laughing, it was such a
boyish suggestion; but she agreed to it, thinking
Thorny knew best, and hoping the yellow-eyed dogs
would be as balm to Ben's wounds.
"Well, dear, you may give those, and Lita shall
give the little whip with a horse's foot for a handle, if
it is not gone. I saw it at the harness shop in town;
and Ben admired it so much that I planned to give it
to him on his birthday."
"That will tickle him immensely; and if you'd
just let him put brown tops to my old boots, and stick
a cockade in his hat when he sits up behind the phae-
ton, he'd be a happy fellow," laughed Thorny, who
had discovered that one of Ben's ambitions was to be
a tip-top groom."
"No, thank you; those things are out of place in
America, and would be absurd in a small country
place like this. His blue suit and straw hat please
me better for a boy; though a nicer little groom, in
livery or out, no one could desire, and you may tell
him I said so."
"I will, and he'll look as proud as punch; for he
thinks every word you say worth a dozen from any one
else. But won't you give him something? Just some
little trifle, to show that we are both eating humble
pie, feeling sorry about the mouse money."
"I shall give him a set of school-books, and try to
get him ready to begin when vacation is over. An
education is the best present we can make him; and
I want you to help me fit him to enter as well is he
can. Bab and Betty began, little dears, -- lent him
their books and taught all they knew; so Ben got a
taste, and, with the right encouragement, would like
to go on, I am sure."
"That's so like you Celia! Always thinking of
the best thing and doing it handsomely. I'll help
like a house a-fire, if he will let me; but, all day, he's
been as stiff as a poker, so I don't believe he forgives
me a bit."
"He will in time, and if you are kind and patient,
he will be glad to have you help him. I shall make
it a sort of favor to me on his part, to let you see to
his lessons, now and then. It will be quite true, for
I don't want you to touch your Latin or algebra till
cool weather; teaching him will be play to you."
Miss Celia's last words made her brother unbend
his brows, for he longed to get at his books again,
and the idea of being tutor to his "man-servant" did
not altogether suit him.
"I'll tool him along at a great pace, if he will only
go. Geography and arithmetic shall be my share,
and you may have the writing and spelling; it gives
me the fidgets to set copies', and hear children make
a mess of words. Shall I get the books when I buy
the other things? Can I go this afternoon?"
"Yes, here is the list; Bab gave it to me. You can
go if you will come home early and have your tooth
filled."
Gloom fell at once upon Thorny's beaming face, and
he gave such a shrill whistle that his sister jumped in
her chair, as she added, persuasively, --
"It won't hurt a bit, now, and the longer you
leave it the worse it will be. Dr. Mann is ready at
any time; and, once over, you will be at peace for
months. Come, my hero, give your orders, and take
one of the girls to support you in the trying hour.
Have Bab; she will enjoy it, and amuse you with
her chatter."
"As if I needed girls round for such a trifle as
that!" returned Thorny with a shrug, though he
groaned inwardly at the prospect before him, as most
of us do on such occasions. "I wouldn't take Bab
at any price; she'd only get into some scrape, and
upset the whole plan. Betty is the chicken for me, --
a real little lady, and as nice and purry as a kitten."
"Very well; ask her mother, and take good care
of her. Let her tuck her dolly in, and she will be
contented anywhere. There's a fine air, and the
awning is on the phaeton, so you won't feel the sun.
Start about three, and drive carefully."
Betty was charmed to go, for Thorny was a sort of
prince in her eyes; and to be invited to such a grand
expedition was an overwhelming honor. Bab was not
surprised, for, since Sancho's loss, she had felt herself
in disgrace, and been unusually meek; Ben let her
"severely alone," which much afflicted her, for he was
her great admiration, and had been pleased to express
his approbation of her agility and courage so often,
that she was ready to attempt any fool-hardy feat to
recover his regard. But vainly did she risk her neck
jumping off the highest beams in the barn, trying to
keep her balance standing on the donkey's back, and
leaping the lodge gate at a bound; Ben vouchsafed
no reward by a look, a smile, a word of commendation;
and Bab felt that nothing but Sancho's return
would ever restore the broken friendship.
Into faithful Betty's bosom did she pour forth her
remorseful lamentations, often bursting out with the
passionate exclamation, "If I could only find Sanch,
and give him back to Ben, I wouldn't care if I
tumbled down and broke all my legs right away!"
Such abandonment of woe made a deep impression
on Betty; and she fell into the way of consoling her
sister by cheerful prophecies, and a firm belief that
the organ-man would yet appear with the lost darling.
"I've got five cents of my berry money, and I'll
buy you an orange if I see any," promised Betty
stepping to kiss Bab, as the phaeton came to the
door, and Thorny handed in a young lady whose
white frock was so stiff with starch that it crackled
like paper.
"Lemons will do if oranges are gone. I like 'em
to suck with lots of sugar," answered Bab, feeling
that the sour sadly predominated in her cup just
now.
"Don't she look sweet, the dear!" murmured Mrs.
Moss, proudly surveying her youngest.
She certainly did, sitting under the fringed canopy
with "Belinda," all in her best, upon her lap, as she
turned to smile and nod, with a face so bright and
winsome under the little blue hat, that it was no wonder
mother and sister thought there never was such a
perfect child as "our Betty."
Dr. Mann was busy when they arrived, but would
be ready in an hour; so they did their shopping at
once, having made sure of the whip as they came
along. Thorny added some candy to Bab's lemon,
and Belinda had a cake, which her mamma obligingly
ate for her. Betty thought that Aladdin's palace
could not have been more splendid than the jeweller's
shop where the canine cuff-buttons were bought;
but when they came to the book-store, she forgot
gold, silver, and precious stones, to revel in picture-
books, while Thorny selected Ben's modest school
outfit. Seeing her delight, and feeling particularly
lavish with plenty of money in his pocket, the young
gentleman completed the child's bliss by telling her
to choose whichever one she liked best out of the
pile of Walter Crane's toy-books lying in bewildering
colors before her.
"This one; Bab always wanted to see the dreadful
cupboard, and there's a picture of it here," answered
Betty, clasping a gorgeous copy of "Bluebeard" to
the little bosom, which still heaved with the rapture
of looking at that delicious mixture of lovely Fatimas
in pale azure gowns, pink Sister Annes on the turret
top, crimson tyrants, and yellow brothers with forests
of plumage blowing wildly from their mushroom-shaped caps.
Very good; there you are, then. Now, come
on, for the fun is over and the grind begins," said
Thorny, marching away to his doom, with his tongue
in his tooth, and trepidation in his manly breast.
"Shall I shut my eyes and hold your head?"
quavered devoted Betty, as they went up the stairs
so many reluctant feet had mounted before them.
"Nonsense, child, never mind me! You look out
of window and amuse yourself; we shall not be long,
I guess;" and in went Thorn silently hoping that
the dentist had been suddenly called away, or some
person with an excruciating toothache would be waiting
to take ether, and so give our young man an
excuse for postponing his job.
But no; Dr. Mann was quite at leisure, and, full of
smiling interest, awaited his victim, laying forth his
unpleasant little tools with the exasperating alacrity
of his kind. Glad to be released from any share in
the operation, Betty retired to the back window to
be as far away as possible, and for half in hour was
so absorbed in her book that poor Thorny might
have groaned dismally without disturbing her.
"Done now, directly, only a trifle of polishing off
and a look round," said Dr. Mann, at lat; and
Thorny, with a yawn that nearly rent him asunder,
called out, --
"Thank goodness! Pack up, Bettykin."
"I'm all ready!" and, shutting her book with a
start, she slipped down from the easy chair in a great
hurry.
But "looking round" took time; and, before the
circuit of Thorny's mouth was satisfactorily made,
Betty had become absorbed by a more interesting
tale than even the immortal "Bluebeard." A noise
of children's voices in the narrow alley-way behind
the house attracted her attention; the long window
opened directly on the yard, and the gate swung in
the wind. Curious as Fatima, Betty went to look;
but all she saw was a group of excited boys peeping
between the bars of another gate further down.
"What's the matter?" she asked of two small
girls, who stood close by her, longing but not daring
to approach the scene of action.
"Boys chasing a great black cat, I believe,"
answered one child.
"Want to come and see?" added the other,
politely extending the invitation to the stranger.
The thought of a cat in trouble would have nerved
Betty to face a dozen boys; so she followed at once,
meeting several lads hurrying away on some important
errand, to judge from their anxious countenances.
"Hold tight, Jimmy, and let 'em peek, if they want
to. He can't hurt anybody now," said one of the
dusty huntsmen, who sat on the wide coping of the
wall, while two others held the gate, as if a cat could
only escape that way.
"You peek first, Susy, and see if it looks nice,"
said one little girl, boosting her friend so that she
could look through the bars in the upper part of the
gate.
"No; it 's only an ugly old dog!" responded
Susy, losing all interest at once, and descending with
a bounce.
"He's mad! and Jud's gone to get his gun, so we
can shoot him!" called out one mischievous boy,
resenting the contempt expressed for their capture.
"Ain't, neither!" howled another lad from his
perch. "Mad dogs won't drink; and this one is
lapping out of a tub of water."
"Well, he may be, and we don't know him, and he
hasn't got any muzzle on, and the police will kill him if
Jud don't," answered the sanguinary youth who had
first started the chase after the poor animal, which
had come limping into town, so evidently a lost
dog that no one felt any hesitation in stoning him.
"We must go right home; my mother is dreadful
'fraid of mad dogs, and so is yours," said Susy;
and, having satisfted their curiosity, the young ladies
prudently retired.
But Betty had not had her "peep," and could not
resist one look; for she had heard of these unhappy
animals, and thought Bab would like to know how
they looked. So she stood on tip-toe and got a good
view of a dusty, brownish dog, lying on the grass
close by, with his tongue hanging out while he
panted, as if exhausted by fatigue and fear, for he
still cast apprehensive glances at the wall which
divided him from his tormentors.
His eyes are just like Sanch's," said Betty to
herself, unconscious that she spoke aloud, till she saw
the creature prick up his cars and half rise, as if he
had been called.
"He looks as if he knew me, but it isn't our
Sancho; he was a lovely dog." Betty said that to
the little boy peeping in beside her; but before he
could make any reply, the brown beast stood straight
up with an inquiring bark, while his eyes shone like
topaz, and the short tail wagged excitedly.
"Why, that's just the way Sanch used to do!"
cried Betty, bewildered by the familiar ways of this
unfamiliar-looking dog.
As if the repetition of his name settled his own
doubts, he leaped toward the gate and thrust a pink
nose between the bars, with a howl of recognition as
Betty's face was more clearly seen. The boys tumbled
precipitately from their perches, and the little
girl fell back alarmed, yet could not bear to run
away and leave those imploring eyes pleading to her
through the bars so eloquently.
"He acts just like our dog, but I don't see how it
can be him. Sancho, Sancho, is it really you?" called
Betty, at her wits' end what to do.
"Bow, wow, wow!" answered the well-known bark,
and the little tail did all it could to emphasize the
sound, while the eyes were so full of dumb love and
joy, the child could not refuse to believe that this ugly
stray was their own Sancho strangely transformed.
All of a sudden, the thought rushed into her mind,
how glad Ben would be! -- and Bab would feel all
happy again. I must carry him home."
Never stopping to think of danger, and forgetting
all her doubts, Betty caught the gate handle out of
Jimmy's grasp, exclaiming eagerly: "He is our dog!
Let me go in; I ain't afraid."
"Not till Jud comes back; he told us we mustn't,"
answered the astonished Jimmy, thinking the little
girl as mad as the dog.
With a confused idea that the unknown Jud had
gone for a gun to shoot Sanch, Betty gave a desperate
pull at the latch and ran into the yard, bent on saving
her friend. That it was a friend there could he
no further question; for, though the cleature rushed
at her as if about to devour her at a mouthful, it was
only to roll ecstatically at her feet, lick her hands, and
gaze into her face, trying to pant out the welcome
which he could not utter. An older and more prudent
person would have waited to make sure before
venturing in; but confiding Betty knew little of the
danger which she might have run; her heart spoke
more quickly than her head, and, not stopping to have
the truth proved, she took the brown dog on trust,
and found it was indeed dear Sanch.
Sitting on the grass, she hugged him close, careless
of tumbled hat, dusty paws on her clean frock, or a
row of strange boys staring from the wall.
"Darling doggy, where have you been so long?
she cried, the great thing sprawling across her lap, as
if he could not get near enough to his brave little
protector. "Did they make you black and beat you,
dear? Oh, Sanch, where is your tail -- your pretty
tail?"
A plaintive growl and a pathetic wag was all the
answer he could make to these tender inquiries; for
never would the story of his wrongs be known, and
never could the glory of his do-gsh beauty be restored.
Betty was trying to comfort him with pats
and praises, when a new face appeaerd; at the gate,
and Thorny's authoritative voice called out, --
"Betty Moss, what on earth are you doing in there
with that dirty beast?"
"It's Sanch, it's Sanch! Oh, come and see!
shrieked Betty, flying up to lead forth her prize.
But the gate was held fast, for some one said the
words, "Mad dog," and Thorny was very naturally
alarmed, because he had already seen one. "Don't
stay there another minute. Get up on that bench
and I'll pull you over," directed Thorny, mounting
the wall to rescue his charge in hot haste; for the
dog did certainly behave queerly, limping hurriedly
to and fro, as if anxious to escape. No wonder,
when Sancho heard a voice he knew, and recognized
another face, yet did not meet as kind a welcome as
before.
"No, I'm not coming out till he does. It is Sanch,
and I'm going to take him home to Ben," answered
Betty, decidedly, as she wet her handkerchief in the
rain water to bind up the swollen paw that had
travelled many miles to rest in her little hand again.
"You're crazy, child. That is no more Ben's dog
than I am."
"See if it isn't!" cried Betty, perfectly unshaken
in her faith; and, recalling the words of command as
well as she could, she tried to put Sancho through his
little performance, as the surest proof that she was
right. The poor fellow did his best, weary and foot-sore
though he was; but when it came to taking his
tail in his mouth to waltz, he gave it up, and, dropping
down, hid his face in his paws, as he always did when
any of his tricks failed. The act was almost pathetic
now, for one of the paws was bandaged, and his
whole attitude expressed the humiliation of a broken
spirit.
That touched Thorny, and, quite convinced both
of the dog's sanity and identity, he sprung down
from the wall with Ben's own whistle, which gladdened
Sancho's longing ear as much as the boy's rough
caresses comforted his homesick heart.
"Now, let's carry him right home, and surprise
Ben. Won't he be pleased?" said Betty, so in
earnest that she tried to lift the big brute in
spite of his protesting yelps.
"You are a little trump to find him out in spite of
all the horrid things that have been done to him. We
must have a rope to lead him, for he's got no collar
and no muzzle. He has got friends though, and I'd
like to see any one touch him now. Out of the way,
there, boy!" Looking as commanding as a drum-major,
Thorny cleared a passage, and with one arm
about his neck, Betty proudly led her treasure
magnanimously ignoring his late foes, and keeping
his eye fixed on the faithful friend whose tender little
heart had known him in spite of all disguises.
"I found him, sir," and the lad who had been most
eager for the shooting, stepped fowward to claim any
reward that might be offered for the now valuable
victim.
"I kept him safe till she came," added the jailer
Jimmy, speaking for himself.
"I said he wasn't mad", cried a third, feeling that
his discrimination deserved approval.
"Jud ain't my brother," said the fourth, eager to
clear his skirts from all ofi-ence.
"But all of you chased and stoned him, I suppose?
You'd better look out or you'll get reported to the
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals."
With this awful and mysterious threat, Thorny
slammed the doctor's gate in the faces of the mercenary
youths, nipping their hopes in the bud, and teaching
them a good lesson.
After one astonished stare, Lita accepted Sancho
without demur, and they greeted one another cordially,
nose to nose, instead of shaking hands. Then
the dog nestled into his old place under the linen
duster with a grunt of intense content, and soon fell
fast asleep, quite worn out with fatigue.
No Roman conqueror bearing untold treasures
with him, ever approached the Eternal City feeling
richer or prouder than did Miss Betty as she rolled
rapidly toward the little brown house with the captive
won by her own arms. Poor Belinda was forgotten in a
corner, "Bluebeard" was thrust under the
cushion, and the lovely lemon was squeezed before
its time by being sat upon; for all the child could
think of was Ben's delight, Bab's remorseful burden
lifted off, "Ma's" surprise, and Miss Celia's pleasure.
She could hardly realize the happy fact, and kept
peeping under the cover to be sure that the dear
dingy bunch at her feet was truly there.
"I'll tell you how we'll do it," said Thorny, breaking
a long silence as Betty composed herself with an
irrepressible wriggle of delight after one of these
refreshing peeps. "We'll keep Sanch hidden, and
smuggle him into Ben's old room at your house.
Then I'll drive on to the barn, and not say a word,
but send Ben to get something out of that room.
You just let him in, to see what he'll do. I'll bet
you a dollar he won't know his own dog."
"I don't believe I can keep from screaming right
out when I see him, but I'll try. Oh, won't it be
fun!" -- and Betty clapped her hands in joyful
anticipation of that exciting moment.
A nice little plan, but Master Thorny forgot the
keen senses of the amiable animal snoring peacefully
among his boots; and, when they stopped at the
Lodge, he had barely time to say in a whisper,
"Ben's coming; cover Sanch and let me get him in
quick!" before the dog was out of the phaeton like
a bombshell, and the approaching boy went down as
if shot, for Sancho gave one leap, and the two rolled
over and over, with a shout and a bark of rapturous
recognition.
"Who is hurt?" asked Mrs. Moss, running out
with floury hands uplifted in alarm.
"Is it a bear?" cried Bab, rushing after her,
beater in hand, for a dancing bear was the delight of
her heart.
"Sancho's found! Sancho's found!" shouted
Thorny, throwing up his hat like a lunatic.
"Found, found, found!" echoed Betty, dancing
wildly about as if she too had lost her little wits.
"Where? how? when? who did it?" asked Mrs.
Moss, clapping her dusty hands delightedly.
"It isn't; it's an old dirty brown thing," stammered
Bab, as the dog came uppermost for a minute, and
then rooted into Ben's jacket as if he
smelt a woodchuck, and was bound to have him out
directly.
Then Thorny, with many interruptions from Betty,
poured forth the wondrous tale, to which Bab and his
mother listened breathlessly, while the muffins burned
as black as a coal, and nobody cared a bit.
"My precious lamb, how did you dare to do such
a thing?" exclaimed Mrs. Moss, hugging the small
heroine with mingled admiration and alarm.
"I'd have dared, and slapped those horrid boys,
too. I wish I'd gone!" and Bab felt that she had
for ever lost the chance of distinguishing herself.
"Who cut his tail off?" demanded Ben, in a menacing
tone, as he came uppermost in his turn, dusty,
red and breathless, but radiant.
"The wretch who stole him, I suppose; and he de-
serves to be hung," answered Thorny, hotly.
"If ever I catch him, I'll -- I'll cut his nose off,"
roared Ben, with such a vengeful glare that Sanch
barked fiercely; and it was well that the unknown
"wretch" was not there, for it would have gone
hardly with him, since even gentle Betty frowned,
while Bab brandished the egg-beater menacingly,
and their mother indignantly declared that "it was
too bad!"
Relieved by this general outburst, they composed
their outraged feelings; and while the returned
wanderer went from one to another to receive a tender
welcome from each, the story of his recovery was
more calmly told. Ben listened with his eye devouring
the injured dog; and when Thorny paused, he
turned to the little heroine, saying solemnly, as
he laid her hand with his own on Sancho's head,
"Betty Moss, I'll never forget what you did; from
this minute half of Sanch is your truly own, and if I
die you shall have the whole of him," and Ben sealed
the precious gift with a sounding kiss on either chubby
check.
Betty was so deeply touched by this noble bequest,
that the blue eyes filled and vwuld have overflowed
if Sanch had not politely offered his tongue like a
red pocket-handkerchlef, and so made her laugh the
drops away, while Bab set the rest off by saying
gloomily, --
"I mean to play with all the mad dogs I can find;
then folks will think I'm smart and give me nice
things."
"Poor old Bab, I'll foigive you now, and lend you
my half whenever you want it," said Ben, feeling at
peace now with all mankind, including, giris who tagged.
"Come and show him to Celia," begged Thorny,
eager to fight his battles over again.
"Better wash him up first; he's a sight to see,
poor thing," suggested Mrs. Moss, as she ran in,
suddenly remembering her muffins.
"It will take a lot of washings to get that brown
stuff off. See, his pretty, pink skin is all stained with
it. We'll bleach him out, and his curls will grow, and
he'll be as good as ever -- all but -- "
Ben could not finish, and a general wail went up for
the departed tassel that would never wave proudly in
the breeze again.
"I'll buy him a new one. Now form the proccession
and let us go in style," said Thorny, cheerily, as
he swung Betty to his shoulder and marched away
whistling "Hail! the conquering hero comes," while
Ben and his Bow-wow followed arm-in-arm, and Bab
brought up the rear, banging on a milk-pan with the
egg-beater. _
Read next: CHAPTER XVIII. BOWS AND ARROWS
Read previous: CHAPTER XVI. DETECTIVE THORNTON
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