32 Make-Beleve

which she referred. For while the dog
was still but young he had contracted a |
most grievous sickness. For the sake of
his mistress the little creature had received
more attention than many a dying child is
blessed with in that village of hard-living
fisher-folk. But all the care bestowed
upon him had been useless, and so at last
the Vet had come while Doris lay asleep
and taken Chrestmas away to cure him of
all pain. The child had said but little
when the news was broken to her in the
morning, but before the hour of Junch a
new grave had appeared in the little
cemetery under the elder-topped hedge
(where one canary and a pair of white rats
lay already), and from that day it had
never lacked flowers when flowers were
obtainable. The Visitor understood.
“Yes,” he said, “I shall never forget
Christmas. And the doll?”

Doris showed him a limp, white bundle
lying at her feet. ‘I spoke to the
Gardener,” she said, ‘““and he has made a