"The dog didn't eat it!""Sally didn't take it!""How do you know?""She never would have put it back.""Who did?""Can't tell, but I forgive 'em.""What shall we do now?" asked Betty, feeling asif it would be very difficult to settle down to a quiettea-party after such unusual excitement.

 

　　"Eat that cake up just as fast as ever we can", andBab divided the contested delicacy with one chop ofthe big knife, bound to make sure of her own shareat all events.

 

　　It did not take long, for they washed it down withsips of milk, and ate as fast as possible, glancinground all the while to see if the queer dog wascoming again.

 

　　"There! now I'd like to see any one take my cakeaway," said Bab, defiantly crunching her half of thepie-crust B.

 

　　"Or mine either," coughed Betty, choking over araisin that wouldn't go down in a hurry.

 

　　"We might as well clear up, and play there hadbeen an earthquake," suggested Bab, feeling thatsome such convulsion of Nature was needed to explainsatisfactorily the demoralized condition of herfamily.

 

　　"That will be splendid. My poor Linda wasknocked right over on her nose. Darlin' child, cometo your mother and be fixed," purred Betty, liftingthe fallen idol from a grove of chickweed, and tenderlybrushing the dirt from Belinda's heroically smilingface.

 

　　"She'll have croup to-night as sure as the world.

 

　　We'd better make up some squills out of this sugarand water," said Bab, who dearly loved to dose thedollies all round.

 

　　"P'r'aps she will, but you needn't begin to sneezeyet awhile. I can sneeze for my own children, thankyou, ma'am," returned Betty, sharply, for her usuallyamiable spirit had been ruffled by the late occurrences.

 

　　"I didn't sneeze! I've got enough to do to talkand cry and cough for my own poor dears, withoutbothering about yours," cried Bab, even more ruffledthan her sister.

 

　　"Then who did? I heard a real live sneeze justas plain as anything," and Betty looked up to thegreen roof above her, as if the sound came from thatdirection.

 

　　A yellow-bird sat swinging and chirping on the talllilac-bush, but no other living thing was in sight.

 

　　Birds don't sneeze, do they?" asked Betty, eyinglittle Goldy suspiciously.

 

　　"You goose! of course they don't.""Well. I should just like to know who is laughingand sneezing round here. "May be it is the dog,"suggested Betty looking relieved.

 

　　"I never heard of a dog's laughing, except MotherHubbard's. This is such a queer one, may be he can,though. I wonder where he went to?" and Bab tooka survey down both the side-paths, quite longing tosee the funny poodle again.

 

　　"I know where I 'm going to," said Betty, pilingthe dolls into her apron with more haste than care.

 

　　"I'm going right straight home to tell Ma all aboutit. I don't like such actions, and I 'm afraid to stay.""I ain't; but I guess it is going to rain, so I shallhave to go any way," answered Bab, taking advantageof the black clouds rolling up the sky, for she scornedto own that she was afraid of any thing.

 

　　Clearing the table in a summary manner by catching upthe four corners of the cloth, Bab put therattling bundle into her apron, flung her childrenon the top and pronounced herself ready to depart.

 

　　Betty lingered an instant to pick up and endsthat might be spoilt by the rain, and, when she turnedfrom taking the red halter off the knocker, two lovelypink roses lay on the stone steps.

 

　　"Oh, Bab, just see! Here's the very ones wewanted. Wasn't it nice of the wind to blow 'emdown? " she called out, picking them up and runningafter her sister, who had strolled moodily along, stilllooking about for her sworn foe, Sally Folsom.

 

　　The flowers soothed the feelings of the little girls,because they had longed for them, and bravely resistedthe temptation to climb up the trellis and helpthemselves, since their mother had forbidden suchfeats, owing to a fall Bab got trying to reach a honeysucklefrom the vine which ran all over the porch.

 

　　Home they went and poured out their tale, to Mrs.

 

　　Moss's great amusement; for she saw in it only someplaymate's prank, and was not much impressed bythe mysterious sneeze and laugh.

 

　　"We'll have a grand rummage Monday, and findout what is going on over there," was all she said.

 

　　But Mrs. Moss could not keep her promise, for onMonday it still rained, and the little girls paddled offto school like a pair of young ducks, enjoying everypuddle they came to, since India-rubber boots madewading a delicious possibility. They took theirdinner, and at noon regaled a crowd of comrades withan account of the mysterious dog, who appeared tobe haunting the neighborhood, as several of the otherchildren had seen him examining their back yardswith interest. He had begged of them, but to nonehad he exhibited his accomplishments except Baband Betty; and they were therefore much set up, andcalled him "our dog" with an air. The cake transactionremained a riddle, for Sally Folsom solemnlydeclared that she was playing tag in Mamie Snow'sbarn at that identical time. No one had been nearthe old house but the two children, and no one couldthrow any light upon that singular affair.

 

　　It produced a great effect, however; for even"teacher" was interested, and told such amazingtales of a juggler she once saw, that doughnuts wereleft forgotten in dinner-baskets, and wedges of pieremained suspended in the air for several minutes ata time, instead of vanishing with miraculous rapidityas usual. At afternoon recess, which the girls hadfirst, Bab nearly dislocated every joint of her littlebody trying to imitate the poodle's antics. She hadpractised on her bed with great success, but thewood-shed floor was a different thing, as her kneesand elbows soon testified.

 

　　"It looked just as easy as any thing; I don't seehow he did it," she said, coming down with a bumpafter vainly attempting to walk on her hands.

 

　　"My gracious, there he is this very minute! " criedBetty, who sat on a little wood-pile near the door.

 

　　There was a general rush, -- and sixteen small girlsgazed out into the rain as eagerly as if to beholdCinderella's magic coach, instead of one forlorndog trotting by through the mud.

 

　　"Oh, do call him in and make him dance!" criedthe girls, all chirping at once, till it sounded as if aflock of sparrows had taken possession of the shed.

 

　　"I will call him, he knows me," and Bab scrambledup, forgetting how she had chased the poodleand called him names two days ago.

 

　　He evidently had not forgotten, however; for,though he paused and looked wistfully at them, hewould not approach, but stood dripping in the rain,with his frills much bedraggled, while his tasselledtail wagged slowly, and his pink nose pointed suggestivelyto the pails and baskets, nearly empty now.

 

　　"He's hungry; give him something to eat, andthen he'll see that we don't want to hurt him,"suggested Sally, starting a contribution with her lastbit of bread and butter.

 

　　Bab caught up her new pail, and collected all theodds and ends; then tried to beguile the poor beastin to eat and be comforted. But he only came asfar as the door, and, sitting up, begged with suchimploring eyes that Bab put down the pail and steppedback, saying pitifully, --"The poor thing is starved; let him eat all hewants, and we won't touch him."The girls drew back with little clucks of interestand compassion; but I regret to say their charitywas not rewarded as they expected, for, the minutethe coast was clear, the dog marched boldly up,seized the handle of the pail in his mouth, and wasoff with it, galloping down the road at a great pace.

 

　　Shrieks arose from the children, especially Bab andBetty, basely bereaved of their new dinner-pail; butno one could follow the thief, for the Ben rang, andin they went, so much excited that the boys rushedtumultuously forth to discover the cause.

 

　　By the time school was over the sun was out, andBab and Betty hastened home to tell their wrongs andbe comforted by mother, who did it most effectually.

 

　　"Never mind, dears, I'll get you another pail, ifhe doesn't bring it back as he did before. As it istoo wet for you to play out, you shall go and seethe old coach-house as I promised, Keep on yourrubbers and come along."This delightful prospect much assuaged their woe,and away they went, skipping gayly down the gravelledpath, while Mrs. Moss followed, with skirts welltucked up, and a great bunch of keys in her hand;for she lived at the Lodge, and had charge of thepremises.

 

　　The small door of the coach-house was fastenedinside, but the large one had a padlock on it; andthis being quickly unfastened, one half swung open,and the little girls ran in, too eager and curious evento cry out when they found themselves at last inpossession of the long-coveted old carriage. A dusty,musty concern enough; but it had a high seat, adoor, steps that let down, and many other charmswhich rendered it most desirable in the eyes ofchildren.

 

　　Bab made straight for the box and Betty for thedoor; but both came tumbling down faster than theywent up, when from the gloom of the interior camea shrill bark, and a low voice saying quickly, "Down,Sancho! down!""Who is there?" demanded Mrs. Moss, in a sterntone, backing toward the door with both childrenclinging to her skirts.

 

　　The well-known curly white head was popped outof the broken window, and a mild whine seemed tosay, "Don't be alarmed, ladies; we won't hurt you."Come out this minute, or I shall have to comeand get you," called Mrs. Moss, growing very braveall of a sudden as she caught sight of a pair of small,dusty shoes under the coach.

 

　　"Yes, 'm, I'm coming, as fast as I can," answered ameek voice, as what appeared to be a bundle of ragsleaped out of the dark, followed by the poodle, whoimmediately sat down at the bare feet of his ownerwith a watchful air, as if ready to assault any one whomight approach too near.

 

　　"Now, then, who are you, and how did you gethere?" asked Mrs. Moss, trying to speak sternly,though her motherly eyes were already full of pity, asthey rested on the forlorn little figure before her.