Part 30 (2/2)
From the first day of Sonya's advent in his life, Lad had constituted hi heart had gone out to children; as to everything weak and defenseless Not always had his treat of loving chivalry and devotion But Sonya was an exception Whenever she could steal avoice and ready fist, she would seek out Lad
She was as gentle with the grand old dog as other children had been rough She loved to cuddle down close beside hiy neck; and croon queer little high-voiced songs to hiive to hi Lad's rare ra made a pretty picture of utter chumshi+p
To nobody save the Mistress and the Master had Laddie ever given his heart so coh she was, today, Sonya set down her basket of peaches and, with a shy glance of appeal at the two hue to stroke Lad's head and to accept in delight his proffered paw Then, guiltily, she caught up her basket and sped on to the kitchen
Lad, slowly and with difficulty, got to his feet and followed her Atheir way to the orchard, side by side; the child slackening her eager steps in order to keep pace with the aged dog
”I e could arrange to take her away from that brute of a father of hers, and keep her here,” said the Mistress ”It's horrible to think of such a helpless wisp of a baby being beaten and ht And then she and Laddie love each other so They--”
”What can we do?” asked the Master, hopelessly ”I've spoken to the village authorities about it But it seems the law can't interfere; unless brutal cruelty can be proved or unless the parents are unfit to bring up the child”
”Brutal cruelty?” echoed the Mistress ”What could be more brutal than the way he beats her? Why, last week there was a bruise on her arht to punish her If we got the she hurt her arm on a fence picket and that he never harms her No, there's no sort of cure for the rotten state of affairs”
But the Master was ood cure indeed for it
And that cure was being applied at the moment he denied its existence
Sonya had disappeared from view over the crest of the lawn: Down into the orchard she went, Lad at her side; to where Ruloff aiting for her to lug another full basket back to the house
”Move!” he ordered, as she drew near ”Don't crawl! Move, or I'll make you move”
This threat he voiced very bravely indeed He ell out of sight of the house The superintendent and the two otheron the far side of the hill It seemed an eminently safe time to exercise his parental authority And, hand uplifted, he took a threatening step toward the little girl
Sonya cowered back inthe iesture Lad read it as clearly as did the child
As Sonya shrank away froainst her side Lad's coldhand
Then, as Ruloff advanced, Lad took one irl; his dark eyes sternly on the s Deep in his throat a groas born
Ruloff checked hiy brute And at the sae of the hill, on his way to the orchard The Slav picked up a filled basket and shoved it at Sonya
”Ju Be back here in one h of enorratitude to Lad, the child set forth on her errand Yet, even at risk of a sharper rebuke, she accommodated her pace to Lad's stately slow steps
Hitherto she had loved the dog for no special reason except that her heart somehoent out to him But now she had a practical cause for her devotion Lad had stood between her and a fist blow He had risked, she knew not what, to defy her all-terrible father and to protect her froht, she set down her basket, and flung both puny arratitude
Her squeeze alled the weak old collie But there was love in it And because of that, he reveled in the hurt
”You won't let hi's ear ”You won't let him I'd never be afraid of hi!”
Lad, highly pleased, licked her wizened little face and, sitting down, insisted on shaking hands with her He realized he had done so quite wonderful and had made this little chum of his proud of hi and gay again;--until his next strenuous effort to walk fast
All night, in her sleep, in the stiflingly hot loft of her father's hovel, which served her and the five other Ruloff children as a dorht y shoulder pressed so protectingly against her side; and of the reassuring thrust of Lad's muzzle into her cupped palh she could still feel the friendly contact