ouse, we got a joyful surprise. There was a trunk
standing on the veranda, and as soon as Mrs. Wood saw it, she gave a
little shriek: "My dear boy!"

Mr. Harry was there, sure enough, and stepped out through the open door.
He took his mother in his arms and kissed her, then he shook hands with
Miss Laura and Mr. Maxwell, who seemed to be an old friend of his. They
all sat down on the veranda and talked, and I lay at Miss Laura's feet
and looked at Mr. Harry. He was such a handsome young man, and had such
a noble face. He was older and graver looking than when I saw him last,
and he had a light, brown mustache that he did not have when he was in
Fairport.

He seemed very fond of his mother and of Miss Laura, and however grave
his face might be when he was looking at Mr. Maxwell, it always lighted
up when he turned to them. "What dog is that?" he said at last, with a
puzzled face, and pointing to me.

"Why, Harry," exclaimed Miss Laura, "don't you know Beautiful Joe, that
you rescued from that wretched milkman?"

"Is it possible," he said, "that this well-conditioned creature is the
bundle of dirty skin and bones that we nursed in Fairport? Come here,
sir. Do you remember me?"

Indeed I did remember him, and I licked his hands and looked up
gratefully into his face. "You're almost handsome now," he said,
caressing me with a firm, kind hand, "and of a solid build, too. You
look like a fighter but I suppose you wouldn't let him fight, even if he
wanted to, Laura," and he smiled and glanced at her.

"No," she said; "I don't think I should; but he can fight when the
occasion requires it." And she told him about our night with Jenkins.

All the time she was speaking, Mr. Harry held me by the paws, and
stroked my body over and over again. When she finished, he put his head
down to me, and murmured, "Good dog," and I saw that his eyes were red
and shining.

"That's a capital story, we must have it at the Band of Mercy," said Mr.
Maxwell. Mrs. Wood had gone to help prepare the tea, so the two young
men were alone with Miss Laura. When they had done talking about me, she
asked Mr. Harry a number of questions about his college life, and his
trip to New York, for he had not been studying all the time that he was
away.

"What are you going to do with yourself, Gray, when your college course
is ended?" asked Mr. Maxwell.

"I am going to settle right down here," said Mr. Harry.

"What, be a farmer?" asked his friend.

"