“Is your name Joseph?”
“I don’t know; I never thought. I guess it’s Joseph—or Jo—no, now I remember another name: Josiah. Is that a boy’s name?”
“A boy’s name, and a king’s name. I am glad your name is Josiah. I will tell you about him some time.”
The little girl stood near the lady, but she did not stare at him, and Joe gave her glances now and then from under his long lashes; he would like to know her name, and what she was here for. A man’s fur cap covered the black head; when he left the house, angry and discouraged, he had put upon his head the first thing he seized.
“Doodles hasn’t given you time to take your hat off, Joe, or did you forget?” suggested Aunt Affy’s unreproachful voice.
“Didn’t forget it,” said Joe, pulling it off and dropping it on the floor. “They used to eat with their hats on, but I always took mine off.”
“I should think you would,” exclaimed indignant Judith.
Joe put his cheek down upon Doodles’ head, smoothing the sleeping head with his brown cheek.
“What is the dog’s name?” he inquired.
“Doodles,” answered Judith, hastening to speak to the rude, strange boy who had traveled from an unknown country.