he paint where the dog used to be."

Stiff and grim, his own man now, her husband faced her.

"Does my boy keep that dog?"

Behind them sounded a low exclamation. At the head of the staircase
stood young Frank, the puppy tucked securely under one arm.

"Nobody's going to take away my little dog that Great-grandfather Wiley
brought me," cried the lad stoutly, black eyes flashing, thin face
determined and unyielding.

"Don't let that dog come near me!" screamed Mrs. Frank and went into a
genuine attack of hysteria. "He isn't _real_!"

Doctor Parris exchanged a look with Miss Beaver, whose face was pale but
contented.

"I always knew you were psychic," he whispered, brows drawn into a
puzzled scowl. "That's how the old gentleman, God rest his wilful soul,
could get through."

"I wondered that he never spoke a single word! Now that it's over, I
think I'm going to faint," decided Miss Beaver shakily.

"Nonsense," snapped the doctor with scant courtesy. "But _she_ is well
scared, thank God. I hardly think she will interfere much in future with
young Frank. And by the looks of him, the boy's father has had his
backbone stiffened considerably."

"That painted dog?" whispered Miss Beaver's tremulous lips.

"Eh? Yes. Ah, yes, the dog," murmured the doctor, too casually.

"You--you--dared!" uttered Miss Beaver incoherently under her breath.

"Not altogether," he protested against her ear.

He pointed upward. Miss Beaver's eyes followed that gesture and met the
admonitory, inscrutable, but very gratified pictured eyes of old Mr.
Wiley.

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OLD MR. WILEY***

******* This file should be named 23379.txt or 23379.zip *******

This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/3/3/7/23379

Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
will be renamed.

Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules,
set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project
Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
charge for the eBooks, un