s the congratulatory interview between Mrs. Sniffie
and the mistress of her undying affections. The long-eared, plumy,
young setter-mother stood licking the back of Rose Mary's neck as she
sat on the barn floor with all five of the young tumblers in her lap,
with Tobe and Stonie hanging rapturously over her and them, while
Uncle Tucker was expatiating on some points that had made themselves
evident even at this very early stage of the existence of the little
dog babies.

"They ain't not a single stub nose in the bunch, Uncle Tuck, not a one
and everybody's of thems toes stick way apart," exclaimed the General,
his cheeks red with joyous pride.

"Watch 'em, Miss Ro' Mary; watch 'em smell Sniffie when I call her
over here," exclaimed Tobe as he held out the pan to Mrs. Sniffer and
thus coaxed her from the side of Rose Mary and the small family. And,
sure enough, around squirmed every little white and yellow bunch and
up went every little new-born nose as it sniffed at the recession of
the maternal fount. One little precocious even went so far as to
attempt to set his wee fore paddies against Rose Mary's knee and to
stiffen a tiny plume of a tail, with a plain instinct to point the
direction of the shifting base of supplies. Rose Mary gave a cry of
delight and hugged the whole talented family to her breast, while
Stonie and Tobe yelled and danced as Uncle Tucker turned with evident
emotion to Everett to claim his congratulations.

"Never saw anything like it in my life," Everett assured him with the
greatest enthusiasm, and, as he spoke, he laughed down into Rose
Mary's lifted blue eyes that were positively tender with pride over
the puppies in her arms. "It's a sight worth losing the tale of a
dream for--taken all together."

"And all the others--I'll show you," and, gathering her skirts
basketwise, Rose Mary rose to her feet and led the way across the
barn, with Sniffer snuffing along at the squirming bundle in her
skirts, that swung against the white petticoat ruffling around her
slim ankles. With the utmost care she deposited the puppies in an
overturned barrel, nicely lined with hay, that Stonie and Tobe had
been preparing. "They are lovely, Sniffie," she said softly to the
young mother, who jumped in and huddled down beside the babies as her
mistress turned to leave them with the greatest reluctance.

And it was well that the strata of Everett's enthusiasm lay near the
surface and was easily workable, for in th