"This is Lad," introduced the Mistress. "I hope you don't mind
our bringing him. I can promise he won't be a bit of trouble to
anybody. We didn't mean to bring him. It just happened. This was
the way:--"

While she was recounting the adventure to Mrs. Harmon, their host
drew the Master to one side.

"Say, old man," began Harmon, with visible discomfort, "please
don't misunderstand me or anything. But I'm a little bothered
about just what to do. This is the idea: There was a mad dog
scare here in Daylight Park, last month, when a Pom puppy snapped
at some kids that were teasing it. Then, a day or so later, a
Persian cat had fits and chased old Mrs. Cratchitt across a lawn
and gave her a spell of palpitation of the heart. And the next
day an Angora goat that the Varian children had as a pet got
loose and chewed up several hundred dollars' worth of lingerie
off a line. Then the Clives' spaniel took to barking under
Rutherford Garretse's study window. And ---"

"You needn't be afraid of Lad's doing any of those fool things,"
bragged the Master. "He behaves as well as any human. Better than
most of them. He--"

"That isn't the point," said his host, with growing uneasiness.
"You see, Daylight Park is run as a club. Home government and all
that sort of thing. Well, these livestock fracases raised such a
row that the club's Board of Governors has passed an ordinance,
forbidding the keeping of any pet animals in the whole park.
Nothing bigger than a canary bird can be harbored here. It's a