"I'm afraid it won't," answered Bob; "I don't know what Mrs. Winter will do about it, because I'm sure she can't afford Stray a new collar."
"A big dog like that ought to have a really strong collar made of the very best leather," Tom said, "but leather's gone up in price a lot because of the war. A new collar would cost a good bit. What are you staring at, youngster?" he asked, addressing Jackie, who was looking at him very seriously.
"At you," the little boy answered promptly. "You're Tom Smith, aren't you, the boy who threw the stone at Stray and hurted him? Did you really do it on purpose—to hurt him? Oh, how could you have been so cruel!"
"Look here, don't let's say any more about it," Tom said, reddening. "I shan't do it again; Bob knows that. Do you like sweets?"
He produced a small packet of sweets as he spoke, and would have pressed it into Jackie's hand, but the little boy's good will was not to be bought.
"No, thank you," Jackie said, "unless you are sorry that you hurted Stray. Are you?"
"Of course I am!"
Jackie glanced at Bob, who gave him a nod; then he accepted the sweets, and after that Tom Smith walked home with them.
"I really don't know what's come over him," Bob remarked to Mrs. Winter, when discussing Tom's changed behaviour with her that evening; "and wasn't it strange of him to make me promise not to tell father that he'd hurt poor Stray?"
"He evidently has a great admiration for your father," Mrs. Winter answered, "and would not care to have his bad opinion. There must be good in the boy or he would not feel like that."