Carolyn May had permission from Aunty Rose to go calling that afternoon. Freda Payne, whom she liked very much, lived up the road beyond the schoolhouse, and she had invited the little city girl to come to see her. Of course, Prince had to be included in the invitation. Freda fully understood that, and Carolyn May took him on his leash. They saw Miss Minnie at her desk when they went past the schoolhouse. She was correcting written exercises. Carolyn May secretly hoped that her own was much better than she feared it was. Not far beyond the schoolhouse Prince began to growl, and the hairs stiffened on his neck. “Whatever is the matter with you, Prince?” demanded Carolyn May. In a moment she saw the cause of the dog’s continued agitation. A roughly dressed, bewhiskered man sat beside the road eating a lunch out of a newspaper. He leered at Carolyn May and said: “I guess you got a bad dog there, ain’t ye, little girl?” “Oh, no! He’s us’ally very polite,” answered Carolyn May. “You _must_ be still, Prince! You see,” she explained, “he doesn’t like folks to wear old clothes. If—if you had on your Sunday suit, I’m quite sure he would not growl at you.” “He wouldn’t, hey?” said the man hoarsely, licking his fingers of the last crumbs of his lunch. “An’ suppose a feller ain’t got no Sunday suit?” “Why, then, I s’pose Prince wouldn’t _ever_ let you come into our yard—if he was loose.” “Don’t you let him loose now, little girl,” said the fellow, getting up hurriedly, and eyeing the angry dog askance. “Oh, no, sir. We’re going visiting up the road. Come away, Prince. I won’t let him touch you,” she assured the man. The latter seemed rather doubtful of her ability to hold the dog long, and he hobbled away towards the schoolhouse. Prince really objected to leaving the vicinity, and Carolyn May scolded him all the way up the road to Freda’s house. Carolyn May had a very pleasant call—Freda’s mother even approved of Prince—and it was an hour before the two started for home. In sight of the schoolhouse Prince gave evidence again of excitement. “I wonder what is the matter with you now,” Carolyn May began, when suddenly she sighted what had evidently so disturbed the dog. A man was crouching under one of the schoolhouse windows, bobbing up now and then to peer in. It was the man whom they had previously seen beside the road. “Hush, Prince!” whispered little Carolyn May, holding the dog by the collar. She, too, could see through the open window. Miss Minnie was still at her desk. She had finished correcting the pupils’ papers. Now she had her bag open and was counting the money Mr. Brady had given her. “O-o-oh!” breathed Carolyn May, clinging to the eager dog’s collar. The man at the window suddenly left his position and slipped around to the door. In a moment he appeared in the schoolroom before the startled teacher. Miss Minnie screamed. The man, with a rough threat, darted forward to seize her purse.