Peggy sniffed a ruse. She came forward, spread her feet a bit, rolling her hands nervously in her apron. She hated an everlasting show of feelings, but sometimes it was difficult for her to crush the emotions which had so often stirred in her breast since the girl came to live with them. "I might as well tell you one thing right now, Jinnie Grandoken," she said. "You brought that pup into this house an' you'll take him out, or he won't get took; see?" There was a certain tone in Peg's voice the girl had heard before. "Then he won't get kicked out 't all, Peg," she said, with a petulant, youthful smile. "I just won't do it! Lafe can't, and if you don't----" Mrs. Grandoken made a deep noise in her throat. "You're a sassy brat," said she, "that's what you are! An' if Lafe don't just about beat the life out of you when I tell him about this, I will, with my own hand, right before his eyes. That's what----" Jinnie interrupted her eagerly. "Lafe won't beat me," she answered, "but I'll let you make me black and blue, Peg, if I can keep the puppy. Matty used to beat me fine, and she was a good bit stronger'n you." Peggy's eyes drew down at the corners, and her lip quivered. "Keep him if you want to, imp of Satan, but some day----here, see if the beast'll eat this bit of meat." Jinnie placed the shivering dog on the floor, and Peg put a piece of meat under his nose. In her excitement, Jinnie rushed away to Lafe. Peg's mumble followed her even through the closed door. "Cobbler, oh, dear good Lafe," cried the girl, "the dog's living! Peg says I can keep 'im, and I'm goin' to fiddle for him to-night. Do you think he'll forget all about his hurt if I do that, Lafe?" At that moment, shamed that she had given in to the importunate Jinnie, Mrs. Grandoken opened the shop door, shoving the half wet dog inside. "Here's your pup, kid," she growled, "an' y'd best keep him from under my feet if you don't want him stepped on." The cobbler smiled his slow, sweet smile. "Peg's heart's bigger'n this house," he murmured. "Bring him here, lassie." The girl, dog in arms, stood at the cobbler's side. "What're you goin' to name him?" asked Lafe, tenderly. "I dunno, but he's awful happy, now he's going to stay with us." "Call 'im 'Happy Pete'," said the cobbler, smiling, "an' we'll take 'im into our club; shall we, kid?" So Happy Pete was gathered that day into the bosom of the "Happy in Spite." CHAPTER XI WHAT HAPPENED TO JINNIE With a sigh Jinnie allowed Lafe to buckle the shortwood strap to her shoulder. Oh, how many days she had gone through a similar operation with a similar little sigh! It was a trying ordeal, that of collecting and selling kindling wood, for the men of Paradise Road took the best of the shortwood to be found in the nearer swamp and marsh lands, and oftentimes it was nearly noon before the girl would begin her sale. But the one real happiness of her days lay in dropping the pennies she earned into Peg's hand.