Comstock.
"Began early this morning," said Billy. "All Snap's fault, too."
"What has poor Snap been doing?" demanded Mrs. Comstock, her eyes
beginning to twinkle.
"Digging for woodchucks, like he always does. He gets up at two o'clock
to dig for them. He was coming in from the woods all tired and covered
thick with dirt. I was going to the barn with the pail of water for
Uncle Wesley to use in milking. I had to set down the pail to shut the
gate so the chickens wouldn't get into the flower beds, and old Snap
stuck his dirty nose into the water and began to lap it down. I knew
Uncle Wesley wouldn't use that, so I had to go 'way back to the cistern
for more, and it pumps awful hard. Made me mad, so I threw the water on
Snap."
"Well, what of it?"
"Nothing, if he'd stood still. But it scared him awful, and when he's
afraid he goes a-humping for Aunt Margaret. When he got right up against
her he stiffened out and gave a big shake. You oughter seen the nice
blue dress she had put on to go to Onabasha!"
Mrs. Comstock and Philip laughed, but Elnora put her arms around the
boy. "Oh Billy!" she cried. "That was too bad!"
"She got up early and ironed that dress to wear because it was cool.
Then, when it was all dirty, she wouldn't go, and she wanted to real
bad." Billy wiped his eyes. "That ain't all, either," he added.
"We'd like to know about it, Billy," suggested Mrs. Comstock, struggling
with her face.
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