Beautiful Joe [36]
I were soon at the front door, and he rang the bell and gave me in
charge of the maid who opened it. The girl listened to his message for Mrs.
Drury, then she walked upstairs, smiling and looking at me over her shoulder.
There was a trunk in the upper hall, and an elderly woman was putting things in
it. A lady stood watching her, and when she saw me, she gave a little scream,
"Oh, nurse! look at that horrid dog! Where did he come from? Put him out,
Susan."
I stood quite still, and the girl who had brought me upstairs, gave her Jack's
message.
"Certainly, certainly," said the lady, when the maid finished speaking. "If he
is one of the Morris dogs, he is sure to be a well-behaved one. Tell the little
boy to thank his mamma for letting Laura come over, and say that we will keep
the dog with pleasure. Now, nurse, we must hurry: the cab will be here in five
minutes."
I walked softly into a front room, and there I found my dear Miss Laura. Miss
Bessie was with her, and they were cramming things into a portmanteau. They both
ran out to find out how I came there, and just then a gentleman came hurriedly
upstairs, and said the cab had come.
There was a scene of great confusion and hurry but in a few minutes it was all
over. The cab had rolled away, and the house was quiet.
"Nurse, you must be tired, you had better go to bed," said Miss Bessie, turning
to the elderly woman, as we all stood in the hall. "Susan, will you bring some
supper to the dining-room, for Miss Morris and me? What will you have, Laura?"
"What are you going to have?" asked Miss Laura, with a smile.
"Hot chocolate and tea biscuits."
"Then I will have the same."
"Bring some cake too, Susan," said Miss Bessie, "and something for the dog. I
dare say he would like some of that turkey that was left from dinner."
If I had had any ears I would have pricked them up at this, for I was very fond
of fowl, and I never got any at the Morrises', unless it might be a stray bone
or two.
What fun we had over our supper! The two girls sat at the big dining table, and
sipped their chocolate, and laughed and talked, and I had the skeleton of a
whole turkey on a newspaper that Susan spread on the carpet. I was very careful
not to drag it about, and Miss Bessie laughed at me till the tears came in her
eyes. "That dog is a gentleman," she said; "see how he holds bones on the paper
with his paws, and strips the meat off with his teeth. Oh, Joe, Joe, you are a
funny dog! And you are having a funny supper. I have heard of quail on toast,
but I never heard of turkey on newspaper."
"Hadn't we better go to bed?" said Miss Laura, when the hall clock struck
eleven.
"Yes, I suppose we had," said Miss Bessie.
"Where is this animal to sleep?"
"I don't know," said Miss Laura; "he sleeps in the stable at home, or in the
kennel with Jim."
"Suppose Susan makes him a nice bed by the kitchen stove?" said Miss Bessie.
Susan made the bed, but I was not willing to sleep in it. I barked so loudly
when they shut me up alone, that they had to let me go upstairs with them.
Miss Laura was almost angry with me, but I could not help it. I had come over
there to protect her, and I wasn't going to leave her, if I could help it.
Miss Bessie had a handsomely furnished room with a soft carpet on the floor, and
pretty curtains at the windows. There were two single beds in it, and the two
girls dragged them close together so that they could talk after they got in bed.
Before Miss Bessie put out the light, she told Miss Laura not to be alarmed if
she heard any one walking about in the night, for the nurse was sleeping across
the hall from them, and she would probably come in once or twice to see if they
were sleeping comfortably.
The two girls talked for a long time, and then they fell asleep. Just before
Miss Laura dropped off, she forgave me, and put down her hand for me to lick as
I lay on a fur rug close by her bed
I was very tired, and I had a very soft and pleasant bed, so
charge of the maid who opened it. The girl listened to his message for Mrs.
Drury, then she walked upstairs, smiling and looking at me over her shoulder.
There was a trunk in the upper hall, and an elderly woman was putting things in
it. A lady stood watching her, and when she saw me, she gave a little scream,
"Oh, nurse! look at that horrid dog! Where did he come from? Put him out,
Susan."
I stood quite still, and the girl who had brought me upstairs, gave her Jack's
message.
"Certainly, certainly," said the lady, when the maid finished speaking. "If he
is one of the Morris dogs, he is sure to be a well-behaved one. Tell the little
boy to thank his mamma for letting Laura come over, and say that we will keep
the dog with pleasure. Now, nurse, we must hurry: the cab will be here in five
minutes."
I walked softly into a front room, and there I found my dear Miss Laura. Miss
Bessie was with her, and they were cramming things into a portmanteau. They both
ran out to find out how I came there, and just then a gentleman came hurriedly
upstairs, and said the cab had come.
There was a scene of great confusion and hurry but in a few minutes it was all
over. The cab had rolled away, and the house was quiet.
"Nurse, you must be tired, you had better go to bed," said Miss Bessie, turning
to the elderly woman, as we all stood in the hall. "Susan, will you bring some
supper to the dining-room, for Miss Morris and me? What will you have, Laura?"
"What are you going to have?" asked Miss Laura, with a smile.
"Hot chocolate and tea biscuits."
"Then I will have the same."
"Bring some cake too, Susan," said Miss Bessie, "and something for the dog. I
dare say he would like some of that turkey that was left from dinner."
If I had had any ears I would have pricked them up at this, for I was very fond
of fowl, and I never got any at the Morrises', unless it might be a stray bone
or two.
What fun we had over our supper! The two girls sat at the big dining table, and
sipped their chocolate, and laughed and talked, and I had the skeleton of a
whole turkey on a newspaper that Susan spread on the carpet. I was very careful
not to drag it about, and Miss Bessie laughed at me till the tears came in her
eyes. "That dog is a gentleman," she said; "see how he holds bones on the paper
with his paws, and strips the meat off with his teeth. Oh, Joe, Joe, you are a
funny dog! And you are having a funny supper. I have heard of quail on toast,
but I never heard of turkey on newspaper."
"Hadn't we better go to bed?" said Miss Laura, when the hall clock struck
eleven.
"Yes, I suppose we had," said Miss Bessie.
"Where is this animal to sleep?"
"I don't know," said Miss Laura; "he sleeps in the stable at home, or in the
kennel with Jim."
"Suppose Susan makes him a nice bed by the kitchen stove?" said Miss Bessie.
Susan made the bed, but I was not willing to sleep in it. I barked so loudly
when they shut me up alone, that they had to let me go upstairs with them.
Miss Laura was almost angry with me, but I could not help it. I had come over
there to protect her, and I wasn't going to leave her, if I could help it.
Miss Bessie had a handsomely furnished room with a soft carpet on the floor, and
pretty curtains at the windows. There were two single beds in it, and the two
girls dragged them close together so that they could talk after they got in bed.
Before Miss Bessie put out the light, she told Miss Laura not to be alarmed if
she heard any one walking about in the night, for the nurse was sleeping across
the hall from them, and she would probably come in once or twice to see if they
were sleeping comfortably.
The two girls talked for a long time, and then they fell asleep. Just before
Miss Laura dropped off, she forgave me, and put down her hand for me to lick as
I lay on a fur rug close by her bed
I was very tired, and I had a very soft and pleasant bed, so