‘I have come home,’ is what Tippy’s bark said, though no one understood him at the time.
And the next moment Tippy was racing around the house to the back porch and then to the front of the house again, barking all the while.
‘It is Tippy! It is Tippy come home! Mother, here is Tippy come home!’ cried Sally, flinging open the front door and darting down the steps only to bump into Andy, who had run all the way round the house after Tip, as fast as he could run.
But Sally was too excited to notice a bump. She sat flat on the ground and took Tip into her lap for one great hug. Tilly Maud was completely forgotten. No one gave her a thought.
Then Sally stood up and looked at Andy, and Andy looked at her, while Tip jumped about and barked and rushed at Sally to lick her hands and then at Andy to lick his hands.
‘I do hope you will be friends,’ was what Tippy’s face said as he jumped from one to the other and barked and barked again.
Sally didn’t understand it. She only knew that Tip had come home. Andy didn’t understand it. He only saw that the little brown dog, of whom he was so fond, now found himself among old friends.
But as Mrs. Waters and Mrs. Thomas talked together, they understood what had happened without any trouble at all.
Poor Andy! His face grew doleful as his mother explained that Tip was Sally’s dog. He winked and blinked and swallowed hard.
But a moment later he was able to say quite cheerfully, ‘Anyway, my spots are gone and I am going to the beach this afternoon.’