am and not a bit better girl"

"Come, come, don't pout, Kitty," said her father, stroking her hair;
"your time will come. Harry's and Archie's too, and even little Sophie's,"
he added, catching the household pet up in his arms, to give her a hug and
kiss.

It was not until after tea that Mr. Ross missed his dog. "Where's Ranger?"
he asked of one of the servants.

"Dade, sir, I don't know," she answered. "Sure he went to the picnic wid
the rest of the childer, an' it's meself as hasn't seen him since."

"Harry," stepping out on the porch where the children, except the very
little ones, who had already been sent up to bed, were sitting listlessly
about, too weary with the day's sports to care for anymore active
amusement, "where's Ranger?"

"Ranger?" cried Harry with a start, "why sure enough, I haven't seen him
since he came home! and I don't think he came with us either."

"No, he didn't," said several young voices.

"I wonder where he can be," pursued Harry. "Shall I go and look for him,
papa?"

Mr. Ross was about to say yes, when his eye fell upon the face of his
youngest son who, he noticed, looked very red and somewhat troubled. "What
do you know about it, Archie?" he asked; "can you tell us what has become
of Ranger?"