herby," so pleasantly and kindly, that Mr. Leatherby
half made up his mind that it wasn't Paul who did it, after all, but
some of the other boys,--Bob Swift, perhaps, a sly, cunning, crafty
fellow, who was one of Philip's cronies. "It would be just like Bob, but
not at all like Paul, and so I won't say anything to anybody," said the
mild old man to himself.

Miss Dobb's shaggy little poodle came out, barking furiously at Paul as
he passed down the street. Paul gave him a kick which sent him howling
towards the house, saying, "Get out, you ugly puppy!" Miss Dobb heard
him. She came to the door and clasped the poodle to her bosom, saying,
"Poor dear Trippee! Did the bad fellow hurt the dear little Trippee?"
Then she looked savagely at Paul, and as she put out her hand to close
the door, she seemed to clutch at Paul with her long, bony fingers, as
if to get hold of him and give him a shaking.

Trip wasn't hurt much, for he was out again in a few minutes, snapping
and snarling at all passers-by. Just at dark he was missing. Miss Dobb
went to the door and called, "Trip! Trip! Trip!" but he did not come at
her call. She looked up and down the street, but could not see him. The
evening passed away. She went to the door many times and called; she
went to Mr. Shelbarke's and to Mr. Noggin's, but no one had seen Trip.
She went to bed wondering what had become of him, and fearing that
somebody had killed or stolen him.

But in the night she heard him whining at the door. She opened it
joyfully. "Where have you been, you dear little good-for-nothing darling
Trip?" she said, kissing him, finding, as she did so, that all his hair
had been sheared off, except a tuft on the end of his tail. She was so
angry that she could not refrain from shedding tears. The puppy
shivered, trembled, and whined in the cold, and Miss Dobb was obliged
to sew him up in flannel. He looked so funny in his coat, with the tuft
of hair waving on the end of his tail, that Miss Dobb laughed
notwithstanding her anger. In the morning she went out to tell her
neighbors what had happened, and met Philip.

"Good morning. I hope you are well, Miss Dobb," he said politely.

"Yes, I am well, only I am so vexed that I don't know what to do."

"Indeed! What has happened?"

"Why, somebody has sheared all of Trip's hair off, except a tuft on the
end of his tail, which looks like a swab. It is an outrageous insult,
for Trip had a beautiful tail. I would pull every hai