Part 34 (2/2)

She smiled upon him gloriously, and used that emphatic e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n that always horrified Ruth:

”You bet!”

”You're a good pal, Aggie,” said the boy, with feeling.

”And since that morning I first saw you and we both tumbled out of the peach tree,” Agnes declared solemnly--”do you remember, Neale?”

”I should say I did!”

”Well, I _thought_ you were awfully nice then. _Now_, I know you are.”

So, perhaps Agnes and Neale were growing up, too.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE MAD DOG SCARE

The primary and grammar grades, and the high school, were in beautiful brick buildings side by side at this end of Milton. The little folk had a large play yard, as well as bas.e.m.e.nt recreation rooms for stormy weather. The Parade Ground was not far away, and the munic.i.p.ality of Milton did not ornament the gra.s.s plots there with ”Keep Off the Gra.s.s”

signs.

No automobiles were allowed through the street where the schools were at the hours when the children were going to or coming from school.

Besides, two big policemen--the very tallest men on the force--were stationed at the crossings on either side to guide the school children through the danger zone.

However, Tess usually waited for Dot after school so that the smallest Corner House girl should not have to walk home alone. It happened one afternoon during these first few weeks of school, while Tess was waiting with some of her cla.s.smates for the smaller girls, that Sammy Pinkney, Iky Goronofsky, and half a dozen other boys of Tess' age, came whooping around from the boys' entrance to the school, chasing a small, disreputable dog that ran zigzag along the street, acting very strangely.

”Oh, Tess!” cried Alfredia Blossom, the colored girl, ”see those boys chasin' that poor dog. I declar'! ain't they jest the wust--”

”Oh, dear me, Alfredia!” urged Tess, gravely, ”_do_ remember what Miss s.h.i.+pman tells you. 'Worst,' not 'wust.'”

”I'm gwine to save dat dog!” gasped Alfredia, too disturbed by the circ.u.mstances to mind Tess' instructions.

She darted out ahead of the boys. Sammy Pinkney yelled at the top of his voice:

”Let that dog alone, 'Fredia Blossom! You want to catch hydrophobia?”

”Wha' dat?” demanded Alfredia, stopping short and her eyes rolling.

”That dog's mad! If he bites you you'll go mad, too,” declared Sammy, coming puffing to the spot where the little girls were a.s.sembled.

At this startling statement some of the girls screamed and ran back into the yard. There they met the smaller girls coming forth, and for a time there was a hullabaloo that nearly deafened everybody on the block.

Said Sammy with disgust:

”Hoh! if hollerin' did any good, those girls would kill all the mad dogs in the State.”

As it was, the police officer at the corner used his club to kill the unfortunate little animal that had caused all the excitement. The S. P. C. A. wagon came and got the poor dead dog, and the doctors at the laboratory examined his brain and sent word to the newspapers that the animal had actually been afflicted with rabies.

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