Page:Maud Howe - Atlanta in the South.djvu/234

 use one's heels," echoed the child on the right shoulder, suiting the action to the word.

In a moment the obstreperous rider was landed on a high shelf, from which he was only lifted on parole of good behavior. The puppies were next visited and duly admired. They were the property of the little six-year-old girl.

"Monsieur Feuardent shall have one of the puppies," she cried. "Choose whichever one you want, you can have any of them except the white one, because I named him for papa,—he is so fat; and the spotted one, I gave that one to my big brother; and this one, which is a little lame, I must keep him myself, because no one else will be so kind to him."

"That only leaves Robert the ugly little black fellow. Papa says he is not worth raising; that is the reason you are so generous with him,—Greedy," teased the big brother.

The child began to cry, and presently sobbed out,—

"I am sure I am not greedy, and it is very mean of you to say so. I gave you your first choice, but you shall not have him now. I always liked the spotted one best myself."

"You did n't; you don't know enough," retorted the boy. "It is only because I said he was the best marked, and you only pretended to give me my choice, so as to find out which