THE Poe

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Ht is Harold’s own Dog. He is very sensible and obedient. Once
we lost him.

We were staying in London for a few weeks, and we had brought Hector
up with us. One day Harold and I took him into the square, having promised
Mamma that we would take care of him, and not let him get through the railings.
We played and ran races with Hector till we were tired; then we sat down under
a tree, and told him to lie down at my feet. For some time he lay quite still,
for he was as much out of breath as we were. By-and-bye Harold took a
book out of his pocket and began to read, and I leaned over him and read also;
and the story was so very pretty that I forgot all about Hector, till Nurse came
to tell us that it was dinner-time. ‘But where is Hector, Miss Milly?” said
she. Ah! he was gone. He had stolen away, and we could not find him any-
where.

Mamma was very sorry and Harold cried sadly for his dog. Papa told people
through the newspapers that he would give a great deal of money to any one who
brought Hector back; but no one did bring him. At last, one day, as Nurse
and Baby, Harold and I, were coming out of the Soho Bazaar, a dog came
jumping and fawning on us, and we knew that he was Hector. A dirty man
ran up, and said,

“That is my dog.”

Nurse. answered, “Call him, and see if he will come to you.”

And the man called, “Di! Di!” But, of course, Hector would not go to
him.

Then Nurse stopped a policeman, and while she was speaking to him, the
dirty man ran away. We carried Hector home between us, and never let him

go out without a string after that day.
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