"Hello, Beth, don't make a noise. I've just whistled for it." Her eyes snapped. "I just guess I'll make all the noise I want to, so there; and I hope I'll scare the horrid old 'gator away," she concluded, bursting into tears. Harvey, in his surprise, dropped the meat which he held, and walked over to comfort her. She, however, turned on him like a veritable little shrew. "Go away, Harvey Baker. I hate both you and your 'gator. That's what makes me cry." He could not fathom her meaning. He thought, perhaps, she was cross because of the affair of yesterday. "Was your mamma very angry? Stop crying and I'll go with you and tell her it's----" "It's not that. Your 'gator----" She could not finish because of sobs. Harvey waited for her tears to subside, but at last grew desperate. "Can't you tell me what's the matter, Beth?" "Your horrid old 'gator--it--has eaten--my Fritz." "I don't believe it." "My dog's gone and----" "I'm very sorry, Beth, that Fritz is gone; but I don't believe the 'gator ate him." "No, you're not sorry. You were just going to feed that horrid beast, and after it had eaten my Fritz, too." "I didn't know about Fritz; but please don't blame me, Beth, even if the 'gator did eat him." He tried to take her hand, but she pulled it away. "I want my dog," she said angrily. "O Beth, only like me again, and I'll promise never to feed the 'gator as long as I live." She was too grieved over the loss of Fritz to accept any such promise. Harvey would have searched with her for Fritz, but she was so hurt that she wished to be alone. In fact, she was very cool towards him for many a day thereafter. A week passed; then two, and nothing was heard of Fritz. The feeling grew with Beth that the 'gator really had made way with her pet. She grieved more and more as time passed and nothing was heard of her dog. At first, she was inclined to be very bitter towards Harvey, but she could not hold a grudge long against any one. Then, as she acknowledged, she was not sure the 'gator had eaten Fritz. One day, about three weeks after the loss of Fritz, Harvey walked into the Davenports' house, leading a handsome, big black dog. The minute that the dog saw Beth, he bounded away from Harvey, and up to her. He licked her hand, and was altogether so affectionate that he won her heart immediately. "Oh, what a beautiful fellow. Where did you get him? Is he yours, Harvey?" The boy's eyes were very bright as he answered: