Sukie 



heart ; besides, you have had to deal with 

 boys in the house before. I'm sure Master 

 Fred and Harry here " 



" Master Harry and Fred ! " cried Sukie, 

 turning suddenly on me with a wonderful 

 thrill and glow in the dear old face. "Why, 

 when I think of them beside these brats, I 

 could kiss the ground they trod on ! If 

 ^/lese are boys, they werent boys, that's all 

 I can say. Master Harry and Fred indeed ! 

 O Miss Mary ! " 



"It is very good of you to speak so, 

 Sukie," I said, a little shamefacedly, for 

 there rose before me in painful clearness a 

 vision of Sukie, a few years before, going 

 down the street on her weekly visit to her 

 little old cobbler, with a large label bidding 

 the public " Beware of the Dog" pinned 

 to her unconscious back ; and I bethought 

 me of the terrible time when Fred and I 

 leapt out upon her, from behind the door, 

 so that she fell down, and, to our horror, 

 cut her cheek. 



" I fear it is only because it was so long 

 ago that you think we were so much 

 better," I added. 



" No, no. Master Harry," said she 

 softly, and shaking her head, " I remember 

 well enough, I does, and it's just all the 

 difference in the world." 



