“Now, we’se all pussed it except Fuzzy,” said Mary. She was dancing along holding nurse’s hand and feeling very happy and safe. For, to tell the truth, she was often a little frightened of the doggie knocking her over if she was walking along alone or with only Artie. “Poor Fuzzy!” Mary was always very affectionate to Fuzz when she felt herself well protected; “don’t you think, nursie, he’d like to puss it too? If Leigh made him walk like a bear,”—for walking like a bear was one of the tricks Leigh had taught Fuzz,—“on his two behind legs, and then put his two before legs on the pussing place; don’t you think he could do it a little, nursie dear? And then we’d all have took turns?”
Nursie laughed at Mary’s funny idea.
“I’m afraid Miss Dolly and the perambulator would soon all be in a heap on the road if Fuzzy was to have a try at pushing,” she said.
And Fuzz, who always seemed to know when they were talking of him, came close to nurse and looked up wistfully in her face with his bright sweet eyes as if he would say, “I’m rather afraid so too.”
Leigh gave him a pat.
“Pushing the p’rambulator,” he said. “No, indeed. You know something better than that; don’t you, Fuzz?”
And Fuzz wagged his tail as much as to say, “Yes, indeed; Leigh knows what I can do. But we’ll keep our secret.”
No one paid any attention to what Leigh said however; no one had any idea there was any secret to keep.
So the little party finished their walk very happily, and returned home greatly pleased with the new perambulator.
It was about a fortnight later that something happened which I must tell you about.