The next moment, screams of hysterical laughter were heard from the parlor, and Mr. Carter opened the kitchen door, saying,—
"Just see here a minute."
The boys ran into the next room, and Bess followed, to find Mrs. Carter lying back in her chair, while tears of mirth ran down her cheeks. Before her sat Fuzz, the image of dejection and shame, with the long, soft locks about his nose and mouth smeared and stiffened with the fast-drying molasses until they resembled so many dingy spines. As the boys came in, with a sheepish wag of his tail, he sat up straight and deprecatingly waved two little forepaws, one of which was caught and held fast in the missing dish of candy.
As soon as any one could speak, the mystery was explained. Fuzz had teased to go out of doors, and his master, not thinking of the candy, had let him have his own way. He found the candy, promenaded across the small platter once or twice, and then settled himself for a feast, unmindful of the fact that, while he was eating, one paw, resting on the soft candy in the little dish, was rapidly sinking down into it. By the time his appetite was satisfied, the cold had hardened the candy until the foot was held fast. Just then he heard Bert coming out, and, with a startled yelp and a clatter, Master Fuzz guiltily fled, plate and all, to the front steps, where his master had let him in. While Bess and the boys finished the candy, now almost too hard to pull, Mrs. Carter took the dog in hand and, after many trials, succeeded in freeing him from his trap.
Then five sticky but very happy lads, each with a piece of adhesive candy, settled themselves around the fire once more, with Bess in their midst.
"Only half an hour more we can stay," sighed Ted, who was luxuriously seated in the wood-basket. "It's been an immense lark, Miss Bess!"
"Yes," said Phil, trying to let go of his candy, while he put on the slipper that Rob had just knocked from his toe where he was balancing it, "this is the best fun I've had since Christmas."
"Is it still snowing?" asked Bess.
"Yes," said Bert. "It will spoil all the skating. The snow has held off so long, but it has come to stay."
"It will be just dandy coasting, though," said Ted.