out of those bites now?" he said, after he had stopped laughing.

"Oh! hardly. Thousands are bitten every year by angry dogs, and
how few cases of hydrophobia you hear about. They'll limp around a
little while and then forget all about it But Bones wants us to
come over to his house, so if you have no objections we'll just
saunter across lots and see what he's got going."

"Just as you say." remarked Ralph, rising immediately; "though
unless you object I thought of dropping in at the post-office on
the way. There's a mail in, and possibly a letter might come for
me that I could get before the carrier came around."

Frank looked at him with pity in his eyes. He knew how secretly
Ralph was suffering all the pangs that can come with hope long
deferred; and that each day seemed like an eternity to the boy who
was yearning to feel the loving arms of a mother about his neck, a
mother whom he had never known.

"Certainly; that's only a step out of the way. But be careful as
you go, and if you see a brindle pup in a vacant lot run for your
life! They're mighty dangerous, I'm told," at which both boys
laughed again, and the cloud passed from Ralph's rather pale face.

As chance would have it, as they issued from the front door a
vehicle passed the house, and in it were seated Minnie Cuthbert
and Lef Seller, the fellow whom she had more than once declared
she never meant to speak to again. It was Lef's rig, and the
object he had in view in thus deliberately passing Frank's home
was obvious.