bruce-第6章

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good　and　plenty；　on　that　deal。



〃My　wife　wanted　to　keep　her；　or　I'd　have　made　a　kick　in　the

courts　for　having　to　pay　two　hundred　dollars　for　a　cheeky；　apple…

…domed；　prick　eared〃



〃Prick…eared！〃　exclaimed　the　foreman；　aghast　at　the　volleyed

sacrilege。　〃Rothsay　Princess　has　the　best　ears　of　any　pup　we've

bred　since　Champion　Rothsay　Chief。　Not　a　flaw　in　that　pup。　She〃



〃Not　a　flaw；　hey！〃　sniffed　the　Master。　〃Come　down　to　the　kennel

and　take　a　look　at　her。　She　has　as　many　flaws　as　a　street…cur　has

fleas。〃



He　led　the　way　to　the　kennel。　At　sight　of　the　stranger　Lass

growled　and　showed　her　teeth。　For　a　collie　mother　will　let　nobody

but　proven　friends　come　near　to　her　newborn　brood。



The　foreman　stared　at　the　hostile　young　mother　for　a　half…minute；

whistling　bewilderedly　between　his　teeth。　Then　he　laughed　aloud。



〃That's　no　more　Rothsay　Princess　than　I　am！〃　he　declared。　〃I　know

who　she　IS；　though。　I'd　remember　that　funny　mask　among　a　million。

That's　Rothsay　Lass！　Though　how　she　got　HERE！



〃We　couldn't　have　shipped　her　by　mistake；　either；〃　he　went　on；

confused。　〃For　we'd　sold　her；　that　same　day；　to　a　kid　in　our

town。　I　ought　to　know。　Because　the　kid　kept　on　pestering　us　every

day　for　a　month　afterward；　to　find　if　she　had　come　back　to　us。　He

said　she　ran　away　in　the　night。　He　still　comes　around；　once　a

week　or　so；　to　ask。　A　spindly；　weak；　sick…looking　little　chap；　he

is。　I　don't　get　the　point　of　this　thing；　from　any　angle。　But　we

run　our　kennels　on　the　square。　And　I　can　promise　the　boss'll

either　send　back　your　check　or　send　Rothsay　Princess　to　you　and

take　Lass　back。〃



Two　days　later；　while　all　The　Place　was　still　mulling　over　the

mystery；　a　letter　came　for　the　Master　from　Lass's　home　town。　It

was　signed　〃Edw'd　Hazen；〃　and　it　was　written　on　the　cheap

stationery　of　his　employer's　bottling　works。　It　read：



Dear　Sir：



〃Six　months　ago；　my　son　bought　a　dog　from　the　Rothsay　Kennels。　It

was　a　she…dog；　and　his　ma　and　I　didn't　want　one　around。　So　I　put

it　aboard　a　freight…car　on　the　sly。　My　boy　went　sick　over　losing

his　dog。　He　has　never　rightly　got　over　it；　but　he　peaks　and　mopes

and　gets　thinner　all　the　time。　If　I　had　known　how　hard　he　was

going　to　take　it；　I　would　of　cut　off　my　hand　before　I　would　of

done　such　a　thing。　And　my　wife　feels　just　like　I　do　about　it。　We

would　both　of　us　have　given　a　hundred　dollars　to　get　the　dog　back

for　him；　when　we　saw　how　bad　he　felt。　But　it　was　too　late。

Somehow　or　other　it　is　most　generally　too　late　when　a　rotten

thing　has　been　done。



〃To…day　he　went　again　to　the　Rothsay　Kennels　to　ask　if　she　had

come　back。　He　has　always　been　hoping　she　would。　And　they　told　him

you　have　her。　Now；　sir；　I　am　a　poor　man；　but　if　one　hundred

dollars　will　make　you　sell　me　that　dog；　I'll　send　it　to　you　in　a

money　order　by　return　mail。　It　will　be　worth　ten　times　that　much；

to　my　wife　and　me；　to　have　Dick　happy　again。　I　inclose　a　stamp。

Will　you　let　me　know？〃



Six　weeks　afterward　The　Place's　car　brought　Dick　Hazen　across　to

receive　his　long…lost　pet。



The　boy　was　thinner　and　shakier　and　whiter　than　when　he　had　gone

to　sleep　with　his　cherished　puppy　curled　against　his　narrow

chest。　But　there　was　a　light　in　his　eyes　and　an　eagerness　in　his

heart　that　had　not　been　there　in　many　a　long　week。



Lass　was　on　the　veranda　to　welcome　him。　And　as　Dick　scrambled　out

of　the　car　and　ran　to　pick　her　up；　she　came　more　than　half…way　to

meet　him。　With　a　flurry　of　fast…pattering　steps　and　a　bark　of

eager　welcome；　she　flung　herself　upon　her　long…vanished　master。

For　a　highbred　collie　does　not　forget。　And　at　first　glimpse　of

the　boy　Lass　remembered　him。



Dick　caught　her　up　in　his　armsa　harder　feat　than　of　yore；

because　of　her　greater　weight　and　his　own　sapped　strength；and

hugged　her　tight　to　his　breast。　Winking　very　fast　indeed　to

disperse　tears　that　had　no　place　in　the　eyes　of　a　self…contained

man　of　twelve；　he　sputtered　rapturously：



〃I　KNEW　I'd　find　you；　LassieI　knew　it　all　the　time；even　the

times　when　I　was　deadsure　I　wouldn't！　Gee；　but　you've　grown；

though！　And　you're　beautifuler　than　ever。　Isn't　she；　Miss？〃　he

demanded；　turning　to　the　Mistress　with　instinctive　knowledge　that

here　at　least　he　would　find　confirmation。　〃Indeed　she　is！〃　the

Mistress　assured　him。



〃And　see　how　glad　she　is　to　be　with　you　again！　She〃



〃And　Dad　says　she　can　stay　with　me；　for　keeps！〃　exulted　Dick。　〃He

says　he'll　put　a　new　lock　on　the　cellar　door；　so　she　can't　ever

push　out　again；　the　way　she　did；　last　time。　But　I　guess　she's　had

her　lesson　in　going　out　for　walks　at　night　and　not　being　able　to

find　her　way　back。　She　and　I　are　going　to　have　the　dandiest　times

together；　that　ever　happened。　Aren't　we；　Lass？　Is　that　her　little

boy？〃　he　broke　off；　in　eager　curiosity；　as　the　Master　appeared

from　the　kennels；　carrying　Bruce。



The　puppy　was　set　down　on　the　veranda　floor　for　Dick's

inspection。



〃He's　cunning；　isn't　he？　Kind　of　like　a　Teddy　Bear；the　sort

kids　play　with。　But；〃　with　a　tinge　of　worry；　〃I'm　not　sure　Ma

will　let　me　keep　two。　Maybe〃



〃Perhaps；〃　suggested　the　Mistress；　〃perhaps　you'd　like　us　to　keep

little　Bruce；　to　remember　Lass　by？　We'll　try　to　make　him　very

happy。〃



〃Yes'm！〃　agreed　Dick；　in　much　haste；　his　brow　clearing　from　a

mental　vision　of　Mrs。　Hazen's　face　when　she　should　see　him　return

with　twice　as　many　dogs　as　he　had　set　out　for。　〃Yes'm。　If　you

wouldn't　mind；　very　much。　S'pose　we　leave　it　that　way？　I　guess

Bruce'll　like　being　with　you；　Miss。　II　guess　pretty　near

anybody　would。　You'llyou'll　try　not　to　be　too　homesick　for

Lass；　won't　you？〃



On　the　steps　of　the　veranda　the　downy　and　fat　puppy　watched　his

mother's　departure　with　no　especial　interest。　By　the　Mistress's

wish；　Mr。　Hazen　had　not　been　required　to　make　any　part　of　his

proffered　hundred…dollar　payment　for　the　return　of　his　boy's　pet。

All　the　Mistress　had　stipulated　was　that　Lass　might　be　allowed　to

remain　at　The　Place　until　baby　Bruce　should　no　longer　need　her。



〃Bruce；〃　said　the　Mistress　as　the　car　rolled　up　the　drive　and　out

of　sight；　〃you　are　the　sole　visible　result　of　The　Place's

experiment　in　raising　prize　collies。　You　have　a　tremendous

responsibility　on　those　fat　little　shoulders　of　yours；to　live

up　to　it　all。〃



By　way　of　showing　his　scorn　for　such　trifles　as　a　〃tremendous

responsibility；〃　Bruce　proceeded　to　make　a　ferocious　onslaught　at

the　Mistress's　temperamental　gray　Persian　kitten；　〃Tipperary；〃

which　was　picking　a　mincing　way　across　the　veranda。



A　howl　of　pain　and　two　scratches　on　his　tiny　nose　immediately

followed　the　attack。　Tipperary　then　went　on　with　her　mincing

promenade。　And　Bruce；　with　loud　lamentations；　galloped　to　the

shelter　of　the　Mistress's　skirt。



〃Poor　little　chap！〃　soothed　the　Mistress；　picking　him　up　and

comforting　him。　〃Responsibility　isn't　such　a　joke；　after　all；　is

it；　Baby？〃







CHAPTER　II。　The　Pest



Thackeray；　as　a　lad；　was　dropped　from　college　for　laziness　and

for　gambling。　Bismarck　failed　to　get　a　University　degree；　because

he　lacked　power　to　study　and　because　he　preferred　midnight　beer

to　midnight　oil。　George　Washington；　in　student　days；　could　never

grasp　the　simplest　rules　of　spelling。　The　young　Lincoln　loved　to

sprawl　in　the　shade　with　fish…pole　or　tattered　book；　when　he

should　have　been　working。



Now；　these　men　were　giantsphysically　as　well　as　mentally。　Being

giants；　they　were　by　nature　slow　of　development。



The　kitten；　at　six　months　of　age；　is　graceful　and　compact　and　of

perfect　poise。　The　lion…cub；　at　the　same　age；　is　a　gawky　and

foolish　and　ill…knit　mass　of　legs　and　fur；　deficient　in　sense　and

in　symmetry。　Yet　at　six　years；　the　lion　and　the　cat　are　not　to　be

compared　for　power　or　beauty　or　majesty　or　brain；　or　along　any

other　lines。



The　foregoing　is　not　an　essay　on　the　slow　development　of　the

Great。　It　is　merely　a　condensation　of　the　Mistress's　earnest

arguments　aga