"Well, perhaps when Mazie gets a little older, so I could trust her around a dog. As she is now, she'd just as soon pull a dog's tail as not, or put her hand in his mouth, and she might be bitten. You wouldn't want your little sister to be bitten, would you?"
"No, mother! Course not! Henry's dog doesn't bite. And if I could have him I'd take care of Mazie so she wouldn't pull his tail, or anything! Please, mother!"
Mrs. Dalton shook her head.
"You might think you could look after Mazie," she said with a smile, "but I'd always be afraid—for a while, at least."
"How long before she'll be old enough so I can have a dog, mother?" asked Rick.
"Oh, in a year, perhaps. But I wish you wouldn't tease now, Rick, dear. Bring me a few chips to boil the kettle. It's almost supper time and your father will be here soon."
"If I had a dog," said Rick, in a dull, sad sort of voice, "I could teach him to bring in a basket of chips every night. It would be a good trick for him!"
"Why, Richard, dear! You don't mind bringing me in a few chips; do you?" asked his mother.
"Oh, no'm, course not!" he answered quickly. "But it would be a lot of fun if I had a dog and he could bring 'em in; wouldn't it, mother?"
"It might, if he didn't run all over the yard with the basket, and spill my wood," she answered.