IN MISS AMELIA'S MEADOW 221 



" It would be neighbor-like to stop in and see 

 Uncle Hiram, either going or coming, wouldn't 

 it? " he asked, and gave one of my curls a pull. 



" We didn't think you wanted us," I said. 



" Sometimes children don't know as much as 

 dogs," he said. " Uncle Hiram's bark is worse 

 than his bite." 



He began running his fingers through his beard 

 and smiling a little, so I said we could make him 

 a visit then, because Miss Amelia didn't know we 

 were coming, and that if we went there later in the 

 afternoon it would make no difference. Tommy 

 stayed a little behind while Philip and I walked 

 beside Uncle Hiram. 



He lives all alone, and cooks the things he has 

 to eat. Grandmother says he won't let any women 

 in his house, because he doesn't know how sen- 

 sible they are. We all followed him through 

 the front door, and when we got inside Peter 

 jumped up and began to make quite a fuss with 

 Tommy. 



" Uncle Hiram, what do you mean by keeping 

 my dog shut up here? " Tommy asked. He was 

 very angry, for Peter had been away from his 

 home three whole days. 



"Where are any doors shut here?" Uncle 

 Hiram asked, and kept stroking his beard. 



" You know he's my dog, and you should send 

 him home," Tommy said. 



" He'd come back again. I tell him he's a run- 



