d, lifted her head. At
sight of the figure leaning above her adored master, the lip curled
back from her white teeth. Far down in her throat a growl was born.
Then she recognized the intruder as the man who had petted her and fed
her that evening. The growl died in her throat, giving place to a
welcoming thump or two of her bushy tail. Dick stirred uneasily.

Patting the puppy lightly on her upraised head, Hazen picked up Lass in
his arms and tiptoed out of the room with her. Mistaking this move for
a form of caress, she tried to lick his face. The man winced.

Downstairs and out into the street Hazen bore his trustful little
burden, halting only to put on his hat, and for a whispered word with
his wife. For nearly a mile he carried the dog. Lass greatly enjoyed
the ride. She was pleasantly tired, and it was nice to be carried thus,
by some one who was so considerate as to save her the bother of walking.

At the edge of the town, Hazen set her on the ground and at once began
to walk rapidly away in the direction of home. He had gone perhaps
fifty yards when Lass was gamboling merrily around his feet. A kick
sent the dismayed and agonized puppy flying through the air like a
whimpering catapult, and landed her against a bank with every atom of
breath knocked out of her. Before she had fairly struck ground,--before
she could look about her,--Hazen had doubled around a corner and had
vanished.

At a run, he made for home, glad the unpleasant job was over. At the
door his wife met him.

"Well," she demanded, "did you drown her in the canal, the way you
said?"

"No," he confessed sheepishly, "I didn't exactly drown her. You see,
she nestled down into my arms so cozy and trusting-like, that I--well,
I fixed it so she'll never show up around here again. Trust me to do a
job thoroughly, if I do it at all. I--"

A dramatic gesture from Mrs. Hazen's stubby forefinger interrupted him.
He followed the finger's angry point. Close at his side stood Lass,
wagging her tail and staring expectantly up at him.

With her keen power of scent, it had been no exploit at all to track
the man over a mile of unfamiliar ground. Already she had forgiven the
kick or had put it down to accident on his part. And at the end of her
eager chase, she was eager for a word of greeting.

"I'll be--" gurgled Hazen, blinking stupidly.

"I guess you will be," conceded his wife. "If that's the 'thorough' way
you do your jobs at the factory--"

"Say