"Well, a lot of things happened, and they happened fast! Miss Cymantha Jones, a nervous spinster, was walking home from Widow Markham's house--rather late, but she'd been caring for the widow through a sick spell. And Miss Cymantha saw that calf jumping around among the tombstones and thought it was a ghost! She let out such screams that it brought Charley, the old sexton, running to the door in his night shirt, and he saw the calf, and Miss Cymantha scuttling down the road screaming and holding her skirts high so's she could run faster, and I guess he thought it was the resurrection itself, for what did he do but ring the bell and the folks all thought it was a fire and came rushing out in all kinds of clothes! Then Cy Addington found his precious calf and the neighbors had an indignation meeting right then and there and the ones who had the most clothes on started out to find the offenders and some of the others went in to quiet Miss Cymantha, and a few others put the sexton to bed and locked him in so that he couldn't give any more alarms!" "But what happened to the boys?" "Oh, when the crowd was the most excited they just climbed over a woodshed into the house and by the time the volunteers were lined up to go to find them they were sound asleep!" "Who were they, Father? Were they boys you knew?" asked Peggy. Mr. Lee laughed down the length of the table and Peggy caught the answering smile in her mother's eyes. "Oh, I know--I know! It was you, Daddy," she cried, running from her chair to kiss the back of his head. "Come, dear, sit down! William, if you were that sort of a boy what can we expect of Billy? Hark--isn't that his whistle?" She stepped eagerly to the door, the girls close behind her. "He's all right--he always whistles when he's happy!" "It is he!" cried Mrs. Lee, going down the steps. "And what in the world is he bringing with him!" For Billy, covered with dust, guiding his bicycle with one hand, was walking leisurely up the road leading with an air of pride edged slightly by a disturbing doubt, a dirty, weary-eyed dog! "A dog--of all things!" cried Barbara, "_Where'd_ you get it?" demanded Peggy eagerly. The family stood on the bottom step and eyed Billy's treasure. The dog seemed to have no doubt as to his welcome, for in his desire to greet his adopted family he strained at the slender leash with which Billy held him. "Whose dog is it, Billy," asked Mrs. Lee. "I bought him for a dollar!" Billy glanced questioningly at his mother. He had heard her declare ever so often that she would not allow a long-haired dog in the house! And this new pet had a very long, shaggy, dirty hide! Peggy was on her knees with both arms around the dog's neck. "Just see him shake hands!" Alice was crying. But the quiet of Mrs. Lee's manner disturbed Billy. "I think you'd better come into the house and see if Nora has saved you any supper. After you have finished we will hear about the dog."