ust have some clothes, anyway. Come with me, and we'll see
what we can do for you," said Mrs. Davenport.

Beth felt that she had won. In her joy she cried:

"Here, Fritz, you stay with me."

Fritz gladly obeyed. His hungry little stomach craved some of the
chicken a la Creole which was being passed to Beth. As she started to
put some of it into her mouth, she felt something pawing her lap.
Fritz was making his wants known. Needless to say, he got some chicken
from her, and from that time on these two became fast friends.

CHAPTER III

Beth's First Fishing Lesson

On Monday morning, Gustus came to Beth, bringing a cat with three
kittens. The cat was of only a common breed, but Beth was delighted
with the present.

Gustus was no longer ragged, but he looked very comical. There had
been no boy's clothes in the house for him, and so Mrs. Davenport had
fitted him out in an old suit of her husband's until another could be
had. Of course, everything was much too large for Gustus, but he was
as proud as Lucifer. He strutted up and down before Beth with his
hands in his pockets and Fritz as usual tagging at his heels.

"Missy, I looks like de quality now shure, don't I?" he asked, grinning
from ear to ear; and, not waiting for an answer, he added, "Yo'se been
powerful good to me, missy, an' I'm goin' to give yo' Fritz, too."

Such generosity quite overcame Beth. "But, Gustus, I couldn't think of
taking him away from you."

"Don't yo' worry, missy," he answered with a chuckle. "Yo' ain't
takin' him 'way from me. I'se yo'r niggah now. Yo' owns Fritz an' me."

Beth hardly knew what to say. She thought it would be wrong to "own"
Gustus. Slave days were a thing of the past. However, his devotion
made her feel self-important.

"Well, Gustus, you must be a good boy," was all she could think to say.

"Yes, 'deed, missy. Come with me, an' I'll show yo' a bird's nest."

"I can't, Gustus. Mamma told me I must play indoors unless it clears.
You know she's gone to town with Marian to see about a school for her.
I'm not to go until next winter.

"I went to school once for a little while," she continued presently.
"It happened this way: Marian attended a private school kept by a poor
lady that mamma felt sorry for. Marian was not well, so mamma let me
go in her place, so the lady wouldn't lose money. They didn't think
I'd study hard, but, Gustus, I like to know things, and learning to
read was a grea