A Little Florida Lady Part 19

"Yes, you--really."

Beth could not believe it for a while. When she did realize that Harvey was truly in earnest, she gave one long gasp of delight. Then she surprised both herself and Harvey by throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

Harvey, boylike, was a little embarra.s.sed, but he did not object, however.

"Harvey, you're the nicest boy living. I don't know how to thank you."

He looked very much pleased. "Do you really like him, Beth?"

"Like him!----" She could not think of words strong enough to tell how much she liked him.

"Is he as nice as Fritz? Do you forgive me now?"

She immediately felt guilty, for it was a fact that she had not been friendly towards Harvey since the disappearance of Fritz.

"He's a thousand times nicer, but perhaps you're just giving him to me because you think you ought to. Maybe the 'gator didn't eat Fritz after all."

"I'm not giving him to you because of Fritz. You may keep Don even if Fritz comes back."

"Is Don his name?"

"I call him Don because he came off a Spanish vessel, and he seems to like the name, but you can call him anything you wish."

"It's a pretty name, and I shall call him Don. Shan't I, Don?"

The dog looked up at her with his intelligent eyes to see what his new mistress wished. She threw her arms about his neck and kissed him.

"Don, I love you, I love you. You're my dog now. Harvey has given you to me."

Harvey felt a little jealous to see lavished on a dog caresses, such as had been given to him only once. He tried to distract Beth's attention.

"Say, Beth, you just ought to see him in the water. He loves the water."

"Does he? Let's go down to the river."

This was just what Harvey wished, and therefore he readily consented.

The two started ahead. Don followed majestically.

Mrs. Davenport saw them from the window, and stopped them.

"Where are you going, Beth?"

"Down to the river with Harvey, mamma. Just see what he gave me."

Beth led Don up to the window where her mother was.

"Why, you nice dog, you. He is a beauty. Where did you get him, Harvey? He must be a very valuable dog."

Thereupon the history of Don's discovery was repeated to Mrs. Davenport.

"Harvey ought to keep him himself," she declared.

"But I wish Beth to have him, Mrs. Davenport. Father said I might do what I wished with Don, and when I told mother I was going to give him to Beth, she thought it a very nice idea."

"You are very generous, Harvey, and both Beth and I appreciate your present. I love dogs almost as much as Beth does, but I don't know how we can repay you."

"Mother says that you more than repay me by letting Beth play with me.

You know I haven't any sisters."

"Well, you and Beth must be careful not to get into mischief. She may play by the water this morning, but I don't care to have her go rowing.

The river is too rough to-day."

"We won't go rowing, mamma."

Thereupon they hurried with Don down to the river.

The wind was quite high, which made the water choppy. The waves were white-capped in many places.

"Now, Beth, you just watch and see Don perform."

Harvey held in his hand a good-sized stick, which he threw as far as possible out into the water.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Harvey. (Ill.u.s.tration missing from book)]

Away bounded Don after it. He easily breasted the waves, and returned in triumph with the stick.

He did this time and again, much to Beth's delight.

"Say, Beth, let's try him from the end of the wharf. I wonder if he would dare jump in from there."

"I don't like to try. He might drown."

Harvey laughed the idea to scorn, and took a stick out to the end of the wharf. Beth and Don accompanied him. Don seemed anxious to have the stick thrown, for he watched it with glistening eyes. Harvey threw it. Don immediately jumped after it, and succeeded in swimming to sh.o.r.e with it. By this time, he was probably tired, for he did not return to the children, but lay down on the bank for a rest.

The boat had been left outside the boat house, tied to a stake of the wharf. Harvey eyed it longingly.

"I wish we could go rowing, Beth."

"So do I, but mamma said I couldn't. You wouldn't have me disobey her, would you?"

"n.o.body has asked you to, has there? Say, Beth, she never said for you not to sit in the boat, did she?"

"No, but----"

"She said you couldn't row. Now, sitting in a boat that's tied isn't rowing, is it?"

"No, but----"