"Who were they, Father? Were they boys you knew?" asked Peggy.
Mr. Lee laughed down the length of the table and Peggy caught the answering smile in her mother"s eyes.
"Oh, I know--I know! It was you, Daddy," she cried, running from her chair to kiss the back of his head.
"Come, dear, sit down! William, if you were that sort of a boy what can we expect of Billy? Hark--isn"t that his whistle?" She stepped eagerly to the door, the girls close behind her.
"He"s all right--he always whistles when he"s happy!"
"It is he!" cried Mrs. Lee, going down the steps. "And what in the world is he bringing with him!"
For Billy, covered with dust, guiding his bicycle with one hand, was walking leisurely up the road leading with an air of pride edged slightly by a disturbing doubt, a dirty, weary-eyed dog!
"A dog--of all things!" cried Barbara,
"_Where"d_ you get it?" demanded Peggy eagerly.
The family stood on the bottom step and eyed Billy"s treasure. The dog seemed to have no doubt as to his welcome, for in his desire to greet his adopted family he strained at the slender leash with which Billy held him.
"Whose dog is it, Billy," asked Mrs. Lee.
"I bought him for a dollar!" Billy glanced questioningly at his mother.
He had heard her declare ever so often that she would not allow a long-haired dog in the house! And this new pet had a very long, s.h.a.ggy, dirty hide! Peggy was on her knees with both arms around the dog"s neck.
"Just see him shake hands!" Alice was crying.
But the quiet of Mrs. Lee"s manner disturbed Billy. "I think you"d better come into the house and see if Nora has saved you any supper.
After you have finished we will hear about the dog."
"Let me hold him, please, Billy!" begged Peggy. Keineth stood a little apart. She was not yet sure that she wanted a closer acquaintance with the newcomer. She had known few dogs; her father had always warned her to leave the stray dogs that she met on the street quite alone--and she had detested Aunt Josephine"s silky poodle! But this poor sc.r.a.p was wagging his stubby tail and looking at her in a coaxing manner that said plainly, "Let"s be friends!"
Within the house Billy was cramming down biscuits and chicken gravy with an enjoyment that covered the concern he felt at his mother"s att.i.tude. When he could speak for the food in his mouth he told her of the crowds at the fair. But with the last mouthful of custard pie bolted he went straight to the point: "Can I keep him, Mother?"
She rose and, with Billy following, went out upon the veranda. At sight of his new master the dog broke away from Peggy and leaped upon him, his big paws on Billy"s shoulders.
"Can"t I keep him, Mummy?" he asked, pleadingly, looking from his mother to his father.
"Mummy, this is such a lovely dog--" implored Alice, the June bugs forgotten.
"And we"ll take care of him," added Peggy.
Billy put one arm around the dog"s neck.
"I guess when you hear the story "bout him you"ll let him stay," he said solemnly.
"Tell us, son," Mr. Lee joined in for the first time.
So Billy stood before them to plead for his dog.
"Jim and I got to the Fair, "nd he told me to wait outside and he"d scout around and see if he couldn"t find his uncle who had a show inside, "cause Jim thought maybe his uncle could get us in for nothing and we"d have more money to spend. It was awful hot and I went over and sat under the trees across the road and watched the people come. All of a sudden I heard a dog cry, and over near one of the other trees was a man that looked like a tramp trying to make a dog go ahead and kicking him awful "cause the dog wouldn"t go! The dog would cry and then the man"d kick him again and swear awful. Well, I was mad--I gave that whistle that Rex used to know and the dog sort of listened, then I whistled harder and the dog made a jump and broke his string and ran like a flash right to me just"s if he knew I was a friend! The man came after him, swearing harder than ever. But I just took the dog and stood right up and I said to him: "You don"t know how to treat a dog!" I thought maybe he"d hit me, he looked so mad, but I went on talking real fast. I said, "He"s a lot like a dog I know--what"ll you sell him for?"
Because I"d sort o" decided he"d stolen him and might be glad to get rid of him, you see! And the man said, "How much"ll you give?" and I told him I"d give a dollar, and he reached out for the string and said, "That ain"t enough," and I said, "That"s all I"ve got," and just that minute a policeman came along towards us and he said quick, "He"s yours," and I gave him my dollar and you ought to have seen him beat it!"
Upon the rest of the story Billy touched lightly--how, his dollar gone, he had had no money with-which to buy his way into the fair; how Jim, returning from an unsuccessful search for the uncle and finding Billy and the dog under the tree, had, disgusted by Billy"s extravagance, left him there, bidding him wait! But later Jim had relented and had treated Billy to an ice-cream cone from the tent near the gate. Then Jim had started for home and Billy had walked the five miles between Middletown and Overlook, pushing the bicycle and leading the tired dog.
"And I never saw the Fair at all," he finished, breathless from his story.
"Well, Mother--don"t you think Billy deserves the dog?" said Mr. Lee when Billy had finished. And Keineth whispered, "Goody, goody!"
Mrs. Lee laughed. "I will say that he may stay here on trial--while we"re in the country. But, oh, dear--I had hoped we"d never have another dog--and of all things, a long-haired dog!"
"Jim Archer said he was an Airedale," broke in Billy, proudly stroking the dirty head. "Pretty cheap for a dollar, I think!"
"Let"s name him," cried Alice eagerly. "I think you"d better bathe him first," chuckled Mr. Lee. Then, turning to his wife, "You know I think it is a valuable dog! The fellow must have stolen him!"
In triumph Billy and Peggy led the newcomer towards the pump for his bath, while Keineth went in search of soap and a sponge. Over the bath they discussed names and, as it looked as though they could not agree, they decided that, because Keineth was a visitor, she should select the name.
And after a little thought she called him Pilot.
"Pilot Lee," said Peggy, squeezing a spongeful of water over the dog"s head.
An hour later a very tired boy was sleeping soundly, while on the floor beside his cot lay the dog--his warm muzzle faithfully snuggled against Billy"s dusty shoe.
CHAPTER VI
THE MUSIC THE FAIRIES PUT IN HER FINGERS
On the shaded corner of the wide veranda Mrs. Lee sat making b.u.t.tonholes in a blouse for Billy, humming as she worked. Occasionally she patted the crisp cloth in her hand as though she loved this task of st.i.tching for her youngsters. About her quiet reigned; broken now and then by Peggy"s bird in its cage and the far-off sound of the gasoline mower on the golf course.
Suddenly Barbara came around the corner of the house, like a rose, in her fresh pink gingham. In her hand she swung a putter.
"Off for the golf links, dear?" Mrs. Lee asked, glancing with pride over the straight, slim figure of the girl.
"Yes, Mother, Carol Day and I play off our match this afternoon. If I beat her I"ll win those candlesticks--"
"They will look very pretty on your dresser," smiled Mrs. Lee. "I know what you mean, Mother--that I"m just playing for the candlesticks alone and I"m not at all, for when I do win one I sort of hate taking a prize. But I would like to beat Carol because she does play such a good game!"
"That"s the spirit, Bab. Where are the little girls?"
"That"s what I wanted to talk to you about, Mother," Barbara, balancing herself on the arm of a chair, tapped her toe with the putter. "Peggy and Alice have gone off to Molly Sawyer"s and they"ve left Keineth home. I don"t think they"re treating her a bit nicely!"
"Why didn"t she go with them?"
"I don"t think Peggy asked her to go. She and Molly were going to play tennis on the Sawyer courts with Joan Crate, a girl that"s out here from town, and Keineth felt left out. Peggy told her she couldn"t play well enough to play with them and that it spoiled a game playing with beginners, anyway!"
Mrs. Lee st.i.tched in silence. Barbara went on: