g St. Bernard dog belonging to Uncle Ike. At Uncle
Ike's special request Swiss had not been banished to the barn or the
wood-shed, but had been allowed to sleep on a pallet in the corner of
the large room referred to.

Swiss was a great favorite with Mandy, and he was a great friend of
hers, for Swiss was very particular about his food, and he had found
Mandy to be a much better cook than Uncle Ike had been; besides the
fare was more bounteous at the Pettengill homestead than down at the
chicken coop, and Swiss had gained in weight and strength since his
change of quarters.

After breakfast Uncle Ike came into the kitchen and received a warm
welcome from Swiss. Uncle Ike told Mandy and Mrs. Crowley the well-known
story of the rescues of lost travellers made by the St. Bernard dogs on
the snow-clad mountains of Switzerland. When Mrs. Crowley learned that
Swiss had come from a country a great many miles farther away from
America than Ireland was, he rose greatly in her estimation and she made
no objection to his occupying a warm corner of the kitchen.

About noon, when the storm was at its very worst, Mandy, who was looking
out of the kitchen window, espied something black in the road about
halfway between Deacon Mason's and the Pettengill house. She called Mrs.
Crowley to the window and asked her what she thought it was.

"That's aisy," said Mrs. Crowley, "It's a man coming down the road."

"What can bring a man out in such a storm as this?" asked Mandy.

"Perhaps he is going for the docther," remarked Mrs. Crowley.

"Then he would be going the other way," asserted Mandy.

"He's a plucky little divil anyway," said Mrs. Crowley.

"That's so," said Mandy. "He is all right as long as he keeps on his
feet, but if he should fall down--"

At that moment the man did fall down or disappear from sight. Mandy
pressed her face against the window pane and looked with strained eyes.
He was up again, she could see the dark clothing above the top of the
snow.

What was that! A cry? The sound was repeated.

"I do believe the man is calling for help," cried Mandy.

[Illustration: "MRS. PUTNAM'S ANGER, UPON DISCOVERY OF LINDY'S
PARENTAGE." (ACT III.)]

She rushed to the kitchen door and opened it. A gust of snow swept into
the room, followed by a stream of cold, chilling air. Swiss awoke from
his nap and lifted, his head. Despite the storm, Mandy stood at the door
and screamed "Hello!" with her sharp, strident voice. Could