A NEW PASSENGER
PUSS, JUNIOR, waved his paw to the old sailor, who put his pipe back in his mouth and smoked away contentedly under the shady tree. All of a sudden a pretty little girl jumped out from behind a stone wall.
"Bobby Shafto's gone to sea,
Silver buckles on his knee;
He'll come back and marry me,
Pretty Bobby Shafto.
Bobby Shafto's fat and fair,
Combing down his yellow hair;
He's my love for aye and ere,
Pretty Bobby Shafto."
"Hello," said Puss when she had finished her song.
"Did you just get off that pretty ship," she asked.
"Yes, Miss," replied Puss.
"Was Bobby Shafto on board?"
"I didn't see him," replied Puss. "Did you expect him?"
"I don't know," replied the little girl, "but I run down to look every time a ship comes to the old dock. And I always ask the old sailor who sits on the bench over there if he has seen my Bobby."
"You're looking for your Bobby, and I'm searching for my daddy," said Puss, sadly. And then he told the little girl how discouraged he was because in all his travels he had not yet found him.
And then, all of a sudden, they heard a voice calling, "All aboard!"
"Goodness!" exclaimed Puss, "I must hurry; the ship's going to sail. Good-by!" and off he ran to the dock as fast as he could.
"Wait for me," called out the little girl, "I guess I'll go, too. I may find Bobby Shafto."
"Hurry, hurry!" cried Puss, looking back. "I'll run ahead and ask the Captain to wait."
And it was lucky he did, for the gang-plank was being hauled in just as he arrived. "Wait for us!" he shouted.
"Why, I don't see anybody else," said the Captain, as Puss stepped aboard.
"Yes, there is," answered Puss, "There she comes!"
And in another minute, with her bonnet strings streaming in the wind, the little girl came running down the dock.
"Thank you for waiting," she cried, turning to the Captain. "I'd have been so disappointed if you had left me behind."
And then she stood close to Puss as the good ship left the dock. "Good luck, my little skipper," shouted the old sailor.
"Good-by," cried Puss, waving his cap to the old salt.