Mr. Ford nodded with a satisfied air. “It’s settled then, Drake. We’ll take care of the lad. Captain Evans and I are acquaintances, and I do not think he would object to the arrangement.”
“He’d be that thankful, sir,” said the old man feelingly, but he looked at Mabel, who at once understood.
“There’s the dear doggie, too. Do you mind him, mamma? He is such a darling, and Harold loves him so.”
“Let’s have the whole combination,” laughed Mr. Ford, who loved animals. “He’s a collie, isn’t he? I’ve seen him on the street and he seemed a fine fellow.”
And so it was settled that Harold and Don should enter the family for the time being, and Mabel proceeded, forthwith, to lay her plans and to get her room ready for this newcomer. She took her dolls, her specially girly books, and certain little knicknacks into her sister’s room.
“What do boys like in their rooms?” she asked Alice.
“Oh, all sorts of funny things. Bows and arrows, and guns, and swords, and oars and fishing tackle and such things.”
“Oh!” Mabel opened her eyes at the idea of such queer taste, and she went out of the room wondering how she could supply these things.
Then she remembered that there was in the garret a hammock, which had fallen into disuse; it was something like a net, she reflected, and she dragged it forth. After many efforts, and finally resorting to a chair placed on top of a table, she managed to climb up high enough to drape the hammock in some sort of fashion over the door, viewing the result of her labors with much satisfaction. But she thought the room needed some further decoration, and she returned to the garret. After fumbling around, she discovered a pair of old boxing gloves, and a pair of foils, and at last found leaning against the wall, a dust-covered picture representing a hunting scene.
“There!” she exclaimed, “that is exactly what I want. I wonder if papa will let me have these.”