Beautiful Joe [40]
She tried to, but she could not.
Dogs can see fun in things as well as people can, and I buried my muzzle in the
hearth-rug, so that she would not see how I was curling up my lip and smiling at
her.
"You are a good dog," she said, slowly. "You are" then she stopped, and could
not think of anything else to say to me. I got up and stood in front of her, for
a well-bred dog should not lie down when a lady speaks to him. I wagged my body
a little, and I would gladly have said something to help her out of her
difficulty, but I couldn't. If she had stroked me it might have helped her; but
she didn't want to touch me, and I knew she didn't want me to touch her, so I
just stood looking at her.
"Mrs. Morris," she said, turning from me with a puzzled face, "I don't like
animals, and I can't pretend to, for they always find me out; but can't you let
that dog know that I shall feel eternally grateful to him for saving not only
our property for that is a trifle but my darling daughter from fright and
annoyance, and a possible injury or loss of life?"
"I think he understands," said Mrs. Morris. "He is a very wise dog." And smiling
in great amusement, she called me to her and put my paws on her lap. "Look at
that lady, Joe. She is pleased with you for driving Jenkins away from her house.
You remember Jenkins?"
I barked angrily and limped to the window.
"How intelligent he is," said Mrs. Drury. "My husband has sent to New York for a
watchdog, and he says that from this on our house shall never be without one.
Now I must go. Your dog is happy, Mrs. Morris, and I can do nothing for him,
except to say that I shall never forget him, and I wish he would come over
occasionally to see us. Perhaps when we get our dog he will. I shall tell my
cook whenever she sees him to give him something to eat. This is a souvenir for
Laura of that dreadful night. I feel under a deep obligation to you, so I am
sure you will allow her to accept it." Then she gave Mrs. Morris a little box
and went away.
When Miss Laura came in, she opened the box, and found in it a handsome diamond
ring. On the inside of it was engraved: "Laura, in memory of December 20th, 18 .
From her grateful friend, Bessie."
The diamond was worth hundreds of dollars, and Mrs. Morris told Miss Laura that
she had rather she would not wear it then, while she was a young girl. It was
not suitable for her, and she knew Mrs. Drury did not expect her to do so. She
wished to give her a valuable present, and this would always be worth a great
deal of money.
CHAPTER XV OUR JOURNEY TO RIVERDALE
EVERY other summer, the Morris children were sent to some place in the country,
so that they could have a change of air, and see what country life was like. As
there were so many of them they usually went different ways.
The summer after I came to them, Jack and Carl went to an uncle in Vermont, Miss
Laura went to another in New Hampshire, and Ned and Willie went to visit a
maiden aunt who lived in the White Mountains.
Mr. and Mrs. Morris stayed at home. Fairport was a lovely place in summer, and
many people came there to visit.
The children took some of their pets with them, and the others they left at home
for their mother to take care of. She never allowed them to take a pet animal
anywhere, unless she knew it would be perfectly welcome. "Don't let your pets be
a worry to other people," she often said to them, "or they will dislike them and
you too."
Miss Laura went away earlier than the others, for she had run down through the
spring, and was pale and thin. One day, early in June, we set out. I say "we,"
for after my adventure with Jenkins, Miss Laura said that I should never be
parted from her. If any one invited her to come and see them and didn't want me,
she would stay at home.
The whole family went to the station to see us off. They put a chain on my
collar and took me to the baggage office and got two tickets for me. One was
tied to my collar and the other Miss Laura put
Dogs can see fun in things as well as people can, and I buried my muzzle in the
hearth-rug, so that she would not see how I was curling up my lip and smiling at
her.
"You are a good dog," she said, slowly. "You are" then she stopped, and could
not think of anything else to say to me. I got up and stood in front of her, for
a well-bred dog should not lie down when a lady speaks to him. I wagged my body
a little, and I would gladly have said something to help her out of her
difficulty, but I couldn't. If she had stroked me it might have helped her; but
she didn't want to touch me, and I knew she didn't want me to touch her, so I
just stood looking at her.
"Mrs. Morris," she said, turning from me with a puzzled face, "I don't like
animals, and I can't pretend to, for they always find me out; but can't you let
that dog know that I shall feel eternally grateful to him for saving not only
our property for that is a trifle but my darling daughter from fright and
annoyance, and a possible injury or loss of life?"
"I think he understands," said Mrs. Morris. "He is a very wise dog." And smiling
in great amusement, she called me to her and put my paws on her lap. "Look at
that lady, Joe. She is pleased with you for driving Jenkins away from her house.
You remember Jenkins?"
I barked angrily and limped to the window.
"How intelligent he is," said Mrs. Drury. "My husband has sent to New York for a
watchdog, and he says that from this on our house shall never be without one.
Now I must go. Your dog is happy, Mrs. Morris, and I can do nothing for him,
except to say that I shall never forget him, and I wish he would come over
occasionally to see us. Perhaps when we get our dog he will. I shall tell my
cook whenever she sees him to give him something to eat. This is a souvenir for
Laura of that dreadful night. I feel under a deep obligation to you, so I am
sure you will allow her to accept it." Then she gave Mrs. Morris a little box
and went away.
When Miss Laura came in, she opened the box, and found in it a handsome diamond
ring. On the inside of it was engraved: "Laura, in memory of December 20th, 18 .
From her grateful friend, Bessie."
The diamond was worth hundreds of dollars, and Mrs. Morris told Miss Laura that
she had rather she would not wear it then, while she was a young girl. It was
not suitable for her, and she knew Mrs. Drury did not expect her to do so. She
wished to give her a valuable present, and this would always be worth a great
deal of money.
CHAPTER XV OUR JOURNEY TO RIVERDALE
EVERY other summer, the Morris children were sent to some place in the country,
so that they could have a change of air, and see what country life was like. As
there were so many of them they usually went different ways.
The summer after I came to them, Jack and Carl went to an uncle in Vermont, Miss
Laura went to another in New Hampshire, and Ned and Willie went to visit a
maiden aunt who lived in the White Mountains.
Mr. and Mrs. Morris stayed at home. Fairport was a lovely place in summer, and
many people came there to visit.
The children took some of their pets with them, and the others they left at home
for their mother to take care of. She never allowed them to take a pet animal
anywhere, unless she knew it would be perfectly welcome. "Don't let your pets be
a worry to other people," she often said to them, "or they will dislike them and
you too."
Miss Laura went away earlier than the others, for she had run down through the
spring, and was pale and thin. One day, early in June, we set out. I say "we,"
for after my adventure with Jenkins, Miss Laura said that I should never be
parted from her. If any one invited her to come and see them and didn't want me,
she would stay at home.
The whole family went to the station to see us off. They put a chain on my
collar and took me to the baggage office and got two tickets for me. One was
tied to my collar and the other Miss Laura put