Under the Lilacs Page 17

  CHAPTER XVII

  BETTY'S BRAVERY

  "Celia, I've a notion that we ought to give Ben something. A sort ofpeace-offering, you know; for he feels dreadfully hurt about oursuspecting 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 hisfeelings. Can you suggest any thing?"

  "Cuff-buttons. I saw some jolly ones over at Berryville, oxidizedsilver, with dogs' heads on them, yellow eyes, and all as natural ascould be. Those, now, would just suit him for his go-to-meeting whiteshirts,--neat, appropriate, and in memoriam."

  Miss Celia could not help laughing, it was such a boyish suggestion; butshe agreed to it, thinking Thorny knew best, and hoping the yellow-eyeddogs would be as balm to Ben's wounds.

  "Well, dear, you may give those, and Lita shall give the little whipwith a horse's foot for a handle, if it is not gone. I saw it at theharness shop in town; and Ben admired it so much that I planned to giveit to him on his birthday."

  "That will tickle him immensely; and if you'd just let him put browntops to my old boots, and stick a cockade in his hat when he sits upbehind the phaeton, he'd be a happy fellow," laughed Thorny, who haddiscovered 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 beabsurd in a small country place like this. His blue suit and straw hatplease me better for a boy; though a nicer little groom, in livery orout, 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 yousay 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 tobegin when vacation is over. An education is the best present we canmake 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 taughtall 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 doingit 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 forgivesme a bit."

  "He will in time, and if you are kind and patient, he will be glad tohave you help him. I shall make it a sort of favor to me on his part, tolet you see to his lessons, now and then. It will be quite true, for Idon'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 longedto 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 andarithmetic 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 ofwords. Shall I get the books when I buy the other things? Can I go thisafternoon?"

  "Yes, here is the list; Bab gave it to me. You can go if you will comehome early and have your tooth filled."

  Gloom fell at once upon Thorny's beaming face, and he gave such a shrillwhistle 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 willbe. Dr. Mann is ready at any time; and, once over, you will be at peacefor months. Come, my hero, give your orders, and take one of the girlsto support you in the trying hour. Have Bab; she will enjoy it, andamuse you with her chatter."

  "As if I needed girls round for such a trifle as that!" returned Thornywith a shrug, though he groaned inwardly at the prospect before him, asmost 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 thechicken for me,--a real little lady, and as nice and purry as akitten."

  "Very well; ask her mother, and take good care of her. Let her tuck herdolly in, and she will be contented anywhere. There's a fine air, andthe awning is on the phaeton, so you won't feel the sun. Start aboutthree, 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 indisgrace, and been unusually meek; Ben let her "severely alone," whichmuch afflicted her, for he was her great admiration, and had beenpleased 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 thebarn, trying to keep her balance standing on the donkey's back, andleaping the lodge gate at a bound; Ben vouchsafed no reward by a look, asmile, a word of commendation; and Bab felt that nothing but Sancho'sreturn would ever restore the broken friendship.

  Into faithful Betty's bosom did she pour forth her remorsefullamentations, often bursting out with the passionate exclamation, "If Icould only find Sanch, and give him back to Ben, I wouldn't care if Itumbled down and broke all my legs right away!" Such abandonment of woemade a deep impression on Betty; and she fell into the way of consolingher sister by cheerful prophecies, and a firm belief that the organ-manwould yet appear with the lost darling.

  "I've got five cents of my berry money, and I'll buy you an orange if Isee any," promised Betty stepping to kiss Bab, as the phaeton came tothe door, and Thorny handed in a young lady whose white frock was sostiff with starch that it crackled like paper.

  "Lemons will do if oranges are gone. I like 'em to suck with lots ofsugar," answered Bab, feeling that the sour sadly predominated in hercup just now.

  "Don't she look sweet, the dear!" murmured Mrs. Moss, proudly surveyingher youngest.

  She certainly did, sitting under the fringed canopy with "Belinda," allin her best, upon her lap, as she turned to smile and nod, with a faceso bright and winsome under the little blue hat, that it was no wondermother and sister thought there never was such a perfect child as "ourBetty."

  Dr. Mann was busy when they arrived, but would be ready in an hour; sothey did their shopping at once, having made sure of the whip as theycame along. Thorny added some candy to Bab's lemon, and Belinda had acake, which her mamma obligingly ate for her. Betty thought thatAladdin's palace could not have been more splendid than the jeweller'sshop where the canine cuff-buttons were bought; but when they came tothe book-store, she forgot gold, silver, and precious stones, to revelin picture-books, while Thorny selected Ben's modest school outfit.Seeing her delight, and feeling particularly lavish with plenty of moneyin his pocket, the young gentleman completed the child's bliss bytelling her to choose whichever one she liked best out of the pile ofWalter Crane's toy-books lying in bewildering colors before her.

  "This one; Bab always wanted to see the dreadful cupboard, and there's apicture of it here," answered Betty, clasping a gorgeous copy of"Bluebeard" to the little bosom, which still heaved with the rapture oflooking at that delicious mixture of lovely Fatimas in pale azure gowns,pink Sister Annes on the turret top, crimson tyrants, and yellowbrothers with forests of plumage blowing wildly from theirmushroom-shaped caps.

  "Very good; there you are, then. Now, come on, for the fun is over andthe grind begins," said Thorny, marching away to his doom, with histongue in his tooth, and trepidation in his manly breast.

  "Shall I shut my eyes and hold your head?" quavered devoted Betty, asthey went up the stairs so many reluctant feet had mounted before them.

  "Nonsense, child, never mind me! You look out of window and amuseyourself; we shall not be long, I guess;" and in went Thorn silentlyhoping that the dentist had been suddenly called away, or some personwith an excruciating toothache would be waiting to take ether, and sogive our young man an excuse for postponing his job.

  But no; Dr. Mann was quite at leisure, and, full of smili
ng interest,awaited his victim, laying forth his unpleasant little tools with theexasperating alacrity of his kind. Glad to be released from any share inthe operation, Betty retired to the back window to be as far away aspossible, and for half in hour was so absorbed in her book that poorThorny might have groaned dismally without disturbing her.

  "Done now, directly, only a trifle of polishing off and a look round,"said Dr. Mann, at last; and Thorny, with a yawn that nearly rent himasunder, called out,--

  "Thank goodness! Pack up, Bettykin."

  "I'm all ready!" and, shutting her book with a start, she slipped downfrom the easy chair in a great hurry.

  But "looking round" took time; and, before the circuit of Thorny's mouthwas satisfactorily made, Betty had become absorbed by a more interestingtale than even the immortal "Bluebeard." A noise of children's voices inthe narrow alley-way behind the house attracted her attention; the longwindow 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 ofexcited boys peeping between the bars of another gate further down.

  "What's the matter?" she asked of two small girls, who stood close byher, 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 theinvitation to the stranger.

  The thought of a cat in trouble would have nerved Betty to face a dozenboys; so she followed at once, meeting several lads hurrying away onsome important errand, to judge from their anxious countenances.

  "Hold tight, Jimmy, and let 'em peek, if they want to. He can't hurtanybody now," said one of the dusty huntsmen, who sat on the wide copingof the wall, while two others held the gate, as if a cat could onlyescape 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 upperpart of the gate.

  "No; it 's only an ugly old dog!" responded Susy, losing all interest atonce, and descending with a bounce.

  "He's mad! and Jud's gone to get his gun, so we can shoot him!" calledout one mischievous boy, resenting the contempt expressed for theircapture.

  "Ain't, neither!" howled another lad from his perch. "Mad dogs won'tdrink; 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 muzzleon, and the police will kill him if Jud don't," answered the sanguinaryyouth who had first started the chase after the poor animal, which hadcome limping into town, so evidently a lost dog that no one felt anyhesitation in stoning him.

  "We must go right home; my mother is dreadful 'fraid of mad dogs, and sois yours," said Susy; and, having satisfied their curiosity, the youngladies prudently retired.

  But Betty had not had her "peep," and could not resist one look; for shehad heard of these unhappy animals, and thought Bab would like to knowhow 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 outwhile he panted, as if exhausted by fatigue and fear, for he still castapprehensive glances at the wall which divided him from his tormentors.

  "His eyes are just like Sanch's," said Betty to herself, unconscious thatshe spoke aloud, till she saw the creature prick up his cars and halfrise, as if he had been called.

  "He looks as if he knew me, but it isn't our Sancho; he was a lovelydog." Betty said that to the little boy peeping in beside her; butbefore he could make any reply, the brown beast stood straight up withan inquiring bark, while his eyes shone like topaz, and the short tailwagged excitedly.

  "Why, that's just the way Sanch used to do!" cried Betty, bewildered bythe familiar ways of this unfamiliar-looking dog.

  As if the repetition of his name settled his own doubts, he leapedtoward the gate and thrust a pink nose between the bars, with a howl ofrecognition as Betty's face was more clearly seen. The boys tumbledprecipitately from their perches, and the little girl fell back alarmed,yet could not bear to run away and leave those imploring eyes pleadingto 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 didall it could to emphasize the sound, while the eyes were so full of dumblove and joy, the child could not refuse to believe that this ugly straywas their own Sancho strangely transformed.

  All of a sudden, the thought rushed into her mind, how glad Ben wouldbe!--and Bab would feel all happy again. "I must carry him home."

  Never stopping to think of danger, and forgetting all her doubts, Bettycaught the gate handle out of Jimmy's grasp, exclaiming eagerly: "He isour dog! Let me go in; I ain't afraid."

  "Not till Jud comes back; he told us we mustn't," answered theastonished Jimmy, thinking the little girl as mad as the dog.

  With a confused idea that the unknown Jud had gone for a gun to shootSanch, 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 be nofurther question; for, though the creature rushed at her as if about todevour 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 welcomewhich he could not utter. An older and more prudent person would havewaited to make sure before venturing in; but confiding Betty knew littleof the danger which she might have run; her heart spoke more quicklythan her head, and, not stopping to have the truth proved, she took thebrown 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 thewall.

  "Darling doggy, where have you been so long?" she cried, the great thingsprawling across her lap, as if he could not get near enough to hisbrave 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 tothese tender inquiries; for never would the story of his wrongs beknown, and never could the glory of his doggish beauty be restored.Betty was trying to comfort him with pats and praises, when a new faceappeared at the gate, and Thorny's authoritative voice called out,--

  "Betty Moss, what on earth are you doing in there with that dirtybeast?"

  "It's Sanch, it's Sanch! Oh, come and see!" shrieked Betty, flying up tolead forth her prize. But the gate was held fast, for some one said thewords, "Mad dog," and Thorny was very naturally alarmed, because he hadalready seen one. "Don't stay there another minute. Get up on that benchand I'll pull you over," directed Thorny, mounting the wall to rescuehis charge in hot haste; for the dog did certainly behave queerly,limping hurriedly to and fro, as if anxious to escape. No wonder, whenSancho heard a voice he knew, and recognized another face, yet did notmeet as kind a welcome as before.

  "No, I'm not coming out till he does. It is Sanch, and I'm going totake him home to Ben," answered Betty, decidedly, as she wet herhandkerchief in the rain water to bind up the swollen paw that hadtravelled 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 putSancho through his little performance, as the surest proof that she wasright. 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 itup, and, dropping down, hid his face in his paws, as he always did whenany of his tricks failed. The act was almost pathetic now, for one ofthe paws was bandaged, and his whole attitude expressed the humiliationof a broken spirit.

  That touched Thorny, and, quite convinced both of the dog's sanity andidentity, he sprung down from the wall with Ben's own whistle, whichgladdened Sancho's longi
ng ear as much as the boy's rough caressescomforted his homesick heart.

  "Now, let's carry him right home, and surprise Ben. Won't he bepleased?" said Betty, so in earnest that she tried to lift the big brutein spite of his protesting yelps.

  "You are a little trump to find him out in spite of all the horridthings that have been done to him. We must have a rope to lead him, forhe's got no collar and no muzzle. He has got friends though, and I'dlike to see any one touch him now. Out of the way, there, boy!" Lookingas commanding as a drum-major, Thorny cleared a passage, and with onearm about his neck, Betty proudly led her treasure magnanimouslyignoring his late foes, and keeping his eye fixed on the faithful friendwhose tender little heart had known him in spite of all disguises.

  "I found him, sir," and the lad who had been most eager for theshooting, stepped forward to claim any reward that might be offered forthe now valuable victim.

  "I kept him safe till she came," added the jailer Jimmy, speaking forhimself.

  "I said he wasn't mad," cried a third, feeling that his discriminationdeserved approval.

  "Jud ain't my brother," said the fourth, eager to clear his skirts fromall offence.

  "But all of you chased and stoned him, I suppose? You'd better look outor you'll get reported to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty toAnimals."

  With this awful and mysterious threat, Thorny slammed the doctor's gatein 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 theygreeted one another cordially, nose to nose, instead of shaking hands.Then the dog nestled into his old place under the linen duster with agrunt of intense content, and soon fell fast asleep, quite worn out withfatigue. No Roman conqueror bearing untold treasures with him, everapproached the Eternal City feeling richer or prouder than did MissBetty as she rolled rapidly toward the little brown house with thecaptive won by her own arms. Poor Belinda was forgotten in a corner,"Bluebeard" was thrust under the cushion, and the lovely lemon wassqueezed before its time by being sat upon; for all the child couldthink of was Ben's delight, Bab's remorseful burden lifted off, "Ma's"surprise, and Miss Celia's pleasure. She could hardly realize the happyfact, and kept peeping under the cover to be sure that the dear dingybunch at her feet was truly there.

  "I'll tell you how we'll do it," said Thorny, breaking a long silence asBetty composed herself with an irrepressible wriggle of delight afterone of these refreshing peeps. "We'll keep Sanch hidden, and smuggle himinto Ben's old room at your house. Then I'll drive on to the barn, andnot say a word, but send Ben to get something out of that room. You justlet him in, to see what he'll do. I'll bet you a dollar he won't knowhis own dog."

  "I don't believe I can keep from screaming right out when I see him, butI'll try. Oh, won't it be fun!"--and Betty clapped her hands in joyfulanticipation of that exciting moment.

  A nice little plan, but Master Thorny forgot the keen senses of theamiable animal snoring peacefully among his boots; and, when theystopped 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 dogwas out of the phaeton like a bombshell, and the approaching boy wentdown as if shot, for Sancho gave one leap, and the two rolled over andover, with a shout and a bark of rapturous recognition.

  "Who is hurt?" asked Mrs. Moss, running out with floury hands upliftedin alarm.

  "Is it a bear?" cried Bab, rushing after her, beater in hand, for adancing bear was the delight of her heart.

  "Sancho's found! Sancho's found!" shouted Thorny, throwing up his hatlike a lunatic.

  "Found, found, found!" echoed Betty, dancing wildly about as if she toohad lost her little wits.

  "Where? how? when? who did it?" asked Mrs. Moss, clapping her dustyhands delightedly.

  "It isn't; it's an old dirty brown thing," stammered Bab, as the dogcame uppermost for a minute, and then rooted into Ben's jacket as if hesmelt a woodchuck, and was bound to have him out directly.

  Then Thorny, with many interruptions from Betty, poured forth thewondrous tale, to which Bab and his mother listened breathlessly, whilethe 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 distinguishingherself.

  "Who cut his tail off?" demanded Ben, in a menacing tone, as he cameuppermost in his turn, dusty, red and breathless, but radiant.

  "The wretch who stole him, I suppose; and he deserves to be hung,"answered Thorny, hotly.

  "If ever I catch him, I'll--I'll cut his nose off," roared Ben, withsuch a vengeful glare that Sanch barked fiercely; and it was well thatthe unknown "wretch" was not there, for it would have gone hardly withhim, since even gentle Betty frowned, while Bab brandished theegg-beater menacingly, and their mother indignantly declared that "itwas too bad!"

  Relieved by this general outburst, they composed their outragedfeelings; and while the returned wanderer went from one to another toreceive a tender welcome from each, the story of his recovery was morecalmly told. Ben listened with his eye devouring the injured dog; andwhen Thorny paused, he turned to the little heroine, saying solemnly, ashe laid her hand with his own on Sancho's head,

  "Betty Moss, I'll never forget what you did; from this minute half ofSanch 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 chubbycheck.

  Betty was so deeply touched by this noble bequest, that the blue eyesfilled and would have overflowed if Sanch had not politely offered histongue like a red pocket-handkerchlef, and so made her laugh the dropsaway, while Bab set the rest off by saying gloomily,--

  "I mean to play with all the mad dogs I can find; then folks will thinkI'm smart and give me nice things."

  "Poor old Bab, I'll forgive you now, and lend you my half whenever youwant it," said Ben, feeling at peace now with all mankind, including,girls who tagged.

  "Come and show him to Celia," begged Thorny, eager to fight his battlesover again.

  "Better wash him up first; he's a sight to see, poor thing," suggestedMrs. Moss, as she ran in, suddenly remembering her muffins.

  "It will take a lot of washings to get that brown stuff off. See, hispretty, pink skin is all stained with it. We'll bleach him out, and hiscurls 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 tasselthat would never wave proudly in the breeze again.

  "I'll buy him a new one. Now form the procession and let us go instyle," said Thorny, cheerily, as he swung Betty to his shoulder andmarched away whistling "Hail! the conquering hero comes," while Ben andhis Bow-wow followed arm-in-arm, and Bab brought up the rear, banging ona milk-pan with the egg-beater.