Phyllis had a cat that had in Tip an admirer of unspeakable devotion.
One friendly glance, one touch of her velvet paw, was reward enough for hours
of gazing, or the choicest morsels of his dinner.

A rival interfered, a poor little kitten, the only one Phyllis nad spared. No
more attention for Tip, not even a turn of the head or a glance as he passed
by, and as day after day went on with no change, the dog could bear it no
longer.

Suddenly,” without warning, he sprang forward, seized the kitten by the
neck and dashed like lightning from the yard, and before the cries of puss could
summon help Tip had reached the wharf and dropped his luckless rival into the
water.

We boys, though forced to confess that snatching an only child from its
mother wasn’t the truest spirit of knighthood, were all ready to pat Tip in
secret for his brilliant stroke. But father took no such view of the case. Tip
had committed robbery and murder to make room for his own selfish interests,
and should be horsewhipped. We went away that we might not witness his
disgrace nor hear his cries.

We made secret plans for comforting Tip, but he was not to be found, and
morning failed to discover him. Had he turned his back on us forever? was
the question we were asking each other, when a school-mate called over the
fence: “Saw your dog at your Cousin Tenbrook’s an hour ago.”

“At Cousin Tenbrook’s! I guess not! We took him there last summer,
when we went to the country, and he wouldn't stay aday! Hecame back and
Sat on the steps and lived on stray crusts till we came home.”

The boy was telling the truth, and we were starting to bring Tip home
when father stopped us. Tip was feeling his disgrace, and ought to feel it,
and we should let him alone. Ina fortnight, with tail erect and amid shouts of
welcome, Tip stalked into the yard.

It was not long before he redeemed his character, and did it, aS we
thought, a thousand times over.

We had him out walking with us, when a runaway horse appeared, dashing
at fearful speed, dragging behind him an elegant sleigh containing a child.

Some people stood out of the way as the sleigh sped down the street,
others stepped nearer and brandished their arms and shouted. Tip stood
beside us, his eyes fixed upon the approaching animal. Nearer, nearer! but not
a hair of Tip’s tail stirred until the sleigh was almost opposite us. Then with
a bound he reached the. horse’s side, and, seizing the bridle, hung with his
whole weight upon the bit.

The horse, frantic as he had seemed a moment before, hesitated, and in
a moment stood still. vu L