th him.

"No news of Snowfoot?" she said, walking to the gate as the wagon
stopped.

"Not a bit. But I've had good luck, after all. For here is--who do you
suppose? Vinnie Dalton! Vinnie, this is the friend you have heard me
speak of, Mrs. Annie Felton Lanman."

Vinnie went out of the wagon almost into the arms of Annie; so well had
both been prepared by Jack to know and to love each other.

Of course the young girl received a cordial welcome; and to her the
little cottage seemed the most charming in the world. It contained few
luxuries, but everything in it was arranged with neatness and taste, and
exhaled an atmosphere of sweetness and comfort which mere luxury can
never give.

"Lion has been watching for you with the anxiety of a lover all the
afternoon," Mrs. Lanman said to Jack, as, side by side, with Vinnie
between them, they walked up the path to the door. "And he is jealous
because you don't give him more attention."

"Not jealous; but he wants to be introduced to Vinnie. Here, old
fellow!"

Vinnie was delighted to make acquaintance with the faithful dog, and
listened eagerly to Annie's praise of him as they entered the house.

"He is useful in doing our errands," said Mrs. Lanman. "If I wish to
send him to the grocery for anything, I write my order on a piece of
paper, put it into a basket, and give the basket to him, just lifting my
finger, and saying, 'Go to the grocery, go to the grocery,' twice; and
he never makes a mistake. To-day, Jack, for the first time, he came home
without doing his errand."

"Why, Lion! I'm surprised at you!" said Jack; while Lion lay down on the
floor, looking very much abashed.

"I sent him for butter, which we wanted to use at dinner. As I knew,
when he came back, that the order, which I placed in a dish in the
basket, had not been touched, I sent him again. 'Don't come home,' I
said, 'till somebody gives you the butter.' He then went, and didn't
return at all. So, as dinner-time came, I sent my brother to look after
him. He found the grocery closed, and Lion waiting with his basket on
the steps."

"The grocer is sick," Jack explained; "his son had gone to town with me;
and so the clerk was obliged to shut up the store when he went to
dinner." And he praised and patted Lion, to let him know that they were
not blaming him for his failure to bring the butter.

"One day," said Annie, "he had been sent to the butcher's for a piece of
meat. On his way home he saw a smal