As Trolley he was known from that hour, and he grew so large and handsome that even Aunt Charlotte came to take pride in him. He was amiable in disposition, but distant in manner to all except Caro, who had won his heart as he had won hers, at first sight.
He forgot his dignity and raced with her in the garden like a frolicsome kitten, when she was tired he allowed himself to be made a pillow of, and to all her confidences he listened with a sympathetic purr. In fact he did all he could to keep her from being homesick.
There were of course times when his own affairs demanded his attention. Bobby Brown a yellow cat who lived two doors away needed an occasional setting down for instance, and other matters of this kind sometimes kept him away for a day. It was on one of these occasions that Caro quite tired out with searching for him sat down on the doorstep and began to miss mamma and the boys—“just dreadfully.”
“I am going to do some shopping; do you want to come?” asked her grandfather’s voice behind her.
The clouds flew from her face in a minute, for shopping with grandfather always meant something interesting, if only a glass of ice cream soda.
As they walked down town together, Caro chattered away without a pause.
“Are you going to buy something for me, grandpa?” she asked as they entered a large grocery.
“I want to see some wax candles in different colors,” Dr. Barrows said to the clerk who came forward.
“Why that sounds like Christmas or a birthday,” exclaimed Caro.
But the candles brought out were too large for Christmas trees, or cakes. They were of all colors, and some were plain, others fluted.