Miss Avery's
arms. "She says she isn't going to bother with him any longer--and
he's getting old--and he's to be killed. And that gobbler is the only
friend I have in the world except you. Oh, I can't _stand_ it, Miss
Avery."

Next day Aunt Augusta told him the gobbler had been sold and taken
away. And Jims flew into a passion of tears and protest about it and
was promptly incarcerated in the blue room. A few minutes later a
sobbing boy plunged through the trees--and stopped abruptly. Miss
Avery was reading under the beech and the Black Prince was snoozing on
her knee--and a big, magnificent, bronze turkey was parading about on
the lawn, twisting his huge fan of a tail this way and that.

"_My_ gobbler!" cried Jims.

"Yes. Martha went to your uncle's house and bought him. Oh, she didn't
betray you. She told Nancy Jane she wanted a gobbler and, having seen
one over there, thought perhaps she could get him. See, here's your
pet, Jims, and here he shall live till he dies of old age. And I have
something else for you--Edward and Martha went across the river
yesterday to the Murray Kennels and got it for you."

"Not a dog?" exclaimed Jims.

"Yes--a dear little bull pup. He shall be your very own, Jims, and I
only stipulate that you reconcile the Black Prince to him."

It was something of a task but Jims succeeded. Then followed a month
of perfect happiness. At least three afternoons a week they contrived
to be together. It was all too good to be true, Jims felt. Something
would happen soon to spoil it. Just _suppose_ Aunt Augusta grew
tender-hearted and ceased to punish! Or suppose she suddenly
discovered that he was growing too big to be shut up! Jims began to
stint himself in eating lest he grew too fast. And then Aunt Augusta
worried about his loss of appetite and suggested to Uncle Walter that
he should be sent to the country till the hot weather was over. Jims
didn't want to go to the country now because his heart was elsewhere.
He must eat again, if he grew like a weed. It was all very harassing.

Uncle Walter looked at him keenly.

"It seems to me you're looking pretty fit, Jims. Do you want to go to
the country?"

"No, please."

"Are you happy, Jims?"

"Sometimes."

"A boy should be happy all the time, Jims."

"If I had a mother and someone to play with I would be."

"I have tried to be a mother to you, Jims," said Aunt Augusta, in an
offended tone. Then she addressed Uncle Walter. "A younger woma