But Fuzz only gazed fixedly at some distant point of the landscape, and refused to move.
"Come, good little Fuzz; come right in!" And Bess tried to express the idea that some pleasing secret lay hidden behind the door that she held open a crack. Slowly the dog turned the white of one eye towards his mistress; but otherwise he was deaf to her voice. Becoming impatient, she went out on the step.
"Come right here, Fuzz!" she said, very decidedly.
The little animal looked at her for a moment, wagged his brief tail as if to say, "Excuse me," and then darted to the gate, where he stood barking furiously, occasionally turning his head to see if his mistress were still waiting for him. She stepped back into the house and shut the door, with an elaborate care that he should notice the fact. Then she applied her eye to one of the glass panes. The dog trotted to the steps, looked about him, and, seeing that the coast was clear, leisurely came up them and lay down on the mat.
"Now I have him!" thought Bess exultingly, and, suddenly opening the door, she made a quick snatch at the spot where the dog had been,—had been, for at the first click of the latch he was several yards away, barking defiance at some imaginary foe.
"Oh, dear!" sighed Bess, adjusting the folds of her pretty spring suit. "How could Bridget be so careless as to let that dog out when I told her not to?" And again she peered out through the glass, only to see the dog peacefully lying on the lower step, with his little black nose laid up on the one above it.
"Can't you get him to come to you with a piece of bread?" queried Fred's voice from the next room. "I'll go ask Bridget for a piece."
He returned in a moment and offered Bess a thick slice of bread, and then passed his hand approvingly down over her gown.
"How fine you are!" he said. "It is a shame for Fuzz to act so."
"He always does when I want to go away, so I usually shut him into the house. To-day he saw me putting on my hat and suspected a departure, and in some way ran out past Bridget. I am sorry, for I ought to call on Mrs. Walsh."