out of the question for her to hide her thoughts or feelings like a fine
lady. Her bright eyes were moist and her red cheeks paler than their
wont, as she said, with her lips quivering, "Oh, Mr. Langdon, them boys
'll be the death of ye, if ye don't take caar!"

"Why, what's the matter, my dear?" said Mr. Bernard.--Don't think there
was anything very odd in that "my dear," at the second interview with a
village belle;--some of these woman-tamers call a girl "My dear," after
five minutes' acquaintance, and it sounds all right as they say it. But
you had better not try it at a venture.

It sounded all right to Alminy, as Mr. Bernard said it.--"I 'll tell ye
what's the mahtterr," she said, in a frightened voice. "Ahbner 's go'n'
to car' his dog, 'n' he'll set him on ye'z sure 'z y' 'r' alive. 'T's
the same cretur that haaf eat up Eben Squires's little Jo, a year come
nex' Faast day."

Now this last statement was undoubtedly overcolored; as little Jo Squires
was running about the village,--with an ugly scar on his arm, it is true,
where the beast had caught him with his teeth, on the occasion of the
child's taking liberties with him, as he had been accustomed to do with a
good-tempered Newfoundland dog, who seemed to like being pulled and
hauled round by children. After this the creature was commonly muzzled,
and, as he was fed on raw meat chiefly, was always ready for a fight,
which he was occasionally indulged in, when anything stout enough to
match him could be found in any of the neighboring villages.

Tiger, or, more briefly, Tige, the property of Abner Briggs, Junior,
belonged to a species not distinctly named in scientific books, but well
known to our country-folks under the name "Yallah dog." They do not use