A Little Florida Lady

New Pla

itz high or low and sh

e found the former inside the barn leaning up against a partition wall with h

from laughing, but she

t to be working in

. A look of conscious g

th; dat wuz all. I jes' came i

inger at him. "Y

issy Beth. Don't yo' tole on me, a

er duty to lec

hen you do wrong. I do. Jan

Beth. He wuz down by the river

ive. "January, do 'g

tell dey d

if that 'gator ha

river, calling her beloved dog. But no Fritz came bounding at her call. In

ad eaten Fritz. Her resentment rose against the boy and hi

f her mind. She found him, as usual, on the wharf. He was perfectly unconscious of the

make a noise. I've j

e I want to, so there; and I hope I'll scare the horri

e held, and walked over to comfort her. She, howe

ate both you and your 'gato

e thought, perhaps, she was cross

Stop crying and I'll go wi

finish because of sobs. Harvey waited for her

l me what's th

d 'gator-it-has

t belie

's gone

Fritz is gone; but I don't

going to feed that horrid beast, an

me me, Beth, even if the 'gator did eat him." He

dog," she s

nd I'll promise never to feed

would have searched with her for Fritz, but she was so hurt that she wished

t. She grieved more and more as time passed and nothing was heard of her dog. At first, she was inclined to be very bitter towards

ing a handsome, big black dog. The minute that the dog saw Beth, he bounded away from Harvey, and

llow. Where did you get

were very brigh

of him. Then I made inquiries to find out who owned him. For a long time nobody seemed to know anything about him. Finally I met a man down by the market who said he had seen him come off a Spanish vessel that was in port that morning. I asked the man where the vessel was, and he said it had sailed. Then I asked him what I ought to do

me before? You have

about it until I was sure he was mine

ened wide with

lovely dog away! D

person I'm going to

Beth was ashamed to think that she was a little

whom I am goin

can

l I know, and her nam

r eyes had g

you-re

truly in earnest, she gave one long gasp of delight. Then she surprised bo

ittle embarrassed, but h

est boy living. I don't

pleased. "Do you rea

hink of words strong enough t

s Fritz? Do you

fact that she had not been friendly toward

just giving him to me because you think you ought

cause of Fritz. You may keep

n his

nish vessel, and he seems to like the nam

and I shall call hi

eyes to see what his new mistress wished. Sh

you. You're my dog now. H

a dog caresses, such as had been given to him

ht to see him in the wat

t's go down

ey wished, and therefor

ahead. Don follo

them from the windo

e you goi

th Harvey, mamma. Jus

o the window wher

eauty. Where did you get him, Harv

Don's discovery was rep

keep him himsel

might do what I wished with Don, and when I told mother I wa

appreciate your present. I love dogs almost as much

pay me by letting Beth play with m

ief. She may play by the water this morning, but I don't

go rowin

urried with Don

ade the water choppy. The waves

just watch and s

ized stick, which he threw as fa

vey. (Illustration

sily breasted the waves, and ret

and again, much t

e end of the wharf. I wonder if h

e to try. He

ave the stick thrown, for he watched it with glistening eyes. Harvey threw it. Don immediately jumped after it, and succeeded in swim

boat house, tied to a stake of th

could go ro

couldn't. You wouldn't have

e? Say, Beth, she never said for y

, b

Now, sitting in a boat that'

, b

. It's perfectly s

too much of a diplomat n

dn't ask you to do anything your mamm

th was u

to want to please me

to her. She wished to

u really think ma

e jumped down into the b

ates. We're out in a storm, but

t bo

of wood? It carries chests of gold which we are

llant commander took charge on the middle deck. He swayed from side to side. The b

erous, Harvey?" sugges

ain Kidd, and you must never sp

ove around more lively than ever, w

angerous, Har-,

English brig. Ha, ha, mate, the gold is ours. Steady now, mate, she's coming your way. When we are once a

scious of danger. Perhaps the nature of the pirat

r feet. Surely, it was within grasp now. Just as she was about to reach out for

She leaned far out over the water. Sud

try. It's t

for the English boat. A wave at that moment struck the pirate craft, a

dress. For a second or two, it seemed as if the boat would upset. But presently a wet, unhappy

ll mam

er it was al

," and Beth edged

water all over

and circled around to the back e

ed her arms skyward. "Laws a massa"-then she broke into hearty laughter. "I 'lows, Penny,"-the name of the was

to say a word, and rushe

avenport, she considered the situation

le she did sometimes fall into danger, the same thing often occurred when mothers watched a child's every breath. Mrs. Davenport

rt; so, instead of punishing Beth, Mrs. Davenport had a long talk with her that did Beth a world