LITTLE BEN'S PETS. 29

mother were already promising them- We are sure, no matter how much
selves the pleasure of making three other money Mr. Trixton had, he must have
little boys the happy possessors each of been a very unhappy old man. Indeed it
one of them. seemed to make him cross and unhappy
 Why, mother," Bennie had said, to see other people enjoying themselves.
" Don't you know how delighted I was Snap had ventured into his yard occa-
with Snap; we can't keep four dogs, of sionally, in search of amusement, while
course, and I know Charlie and Dick her little master was away at school.
and Harry would be crazy over them. She was a great terror to all the cats in
How soon will they be big enough to the neighborhood, and was very fond of
give away ?" chasing them over the fences, in spite
 And every day after that, the three of Bennie's repeated charges to the con-
expectant masters-to-be paid a visit to trary.
Snap and her puppies, eagerly watching One day, the butcher's boy brought
for the time when they might call them home a slice of beefsteak for Mr. Trix-
their own ; so that Snap was at length ton's dinner; and, after ringing the bell
left forlorn, and days went by before she several times and receiving no answer,
became resigned to her loss. he left the basket on the door-step and
 But we must tell you of the cruel fate went away.
which awaited poor Snap, who was now Snap was out in the yard, and had
three years old. watched the whole proceeding from her
 Next door to Bennie's father, lived a station on the high door-step, which
rich, miserly old man, who had no wife overlooked the old man's grounds; and
or children to make him happy and good- we are quite ashamed to tell you what
tempered. He lived all alone by him- happened, as soon as the boy was safely
self, and always wore so stern and for- out of sight.
bidding a look upon his face, that he had With one bound, Snap cleared the
well-nigh driven everybody from his door. low railing, and began to examine cu-
Boys and girls shrunk from meeting him, riously the contents of the basket. The
and every animal seemed to feel instinct- smell of the steak, of which she was es-
ively that he was no friend of theirs. pecially fond, was altogether too great a
 The neighbors said that old Mr. Trix- temptation even for so honorable a dog
ton had stores of gold and silver hidden as Snap
away in his house. I suppose they came We hope all the little boys who read
to think so, because he wore such poor our story will learn to keep their curiosity
clothes and never went anywhere. The within bounds, and not to run into temp-
house was very gloomy and dark at night, station, which may result as disastrously
with only a feeble candle-light struggling for them as it did this time for poor little
out through one of the windows. Snap.