Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-06
CHAPTER XVII.
Found.

Found.
few minutes walk brought them to the
house they were seeking, but they found it
dark and silent.
| Looks If we'd have to rout them out
| of bed said the janitor.
But the moment his foot touched the low
est step they were startled by the sharp
barking of a dog inside the house.
That's Topsy,' whispered Nettie; ia
know her bark anywhere"
| Yes" said Mrs. Howells, Il am as sure 1t
is Topsy if had my eyes on her"
The janitor raped on the door several
times, and at the last he pounded loudly
that Nettie began to think of the police. In
| a few minutes they could hear bare feet
shutting along toward the door. Then
| womans voice said:
| who's there?"
IT'S Mrs. Howells" was the answer; IF
| that is you, Mrs. Fields. / want to see you
! a few minutes on business"
| Must be queer kind of business that
/ routs decent folks out of their beds at this
time of night" was the surly answer.
Mrs. Howells hesitated a minute, then she
| said. coaXingly:
I'VE don't mean you any harm, Mrs.
| Fields, and if you'll get a light and let us
come in and talk with you few minutes
!. you'll see that it's all right"
| well, who's 'us?' -
MY little daughter and a neighbor Of
| mine, Mr.. Jones'
There was a moments silence then the
answer:
Wait till get my clothes on and III
| open the door"
| They could now hear a mans voice in in
distinct growing; soon it called out
| sharply:
| keep that dog still up there, can't .ou?'
| After that although the dog continued to
| bark, the sound was mufiied.
| When the party of three was finally ad-
| mitted into the little sitting room and had
| taken seats, Mrs Howells said, turning to
| the woman:
| 81 came to see you about that little dog
| upstairs
20, yes" said the woman, briskly and
with an instant change of manner, shes
| for sale"
But 1 don't want to buy her. / have
| come to claim her She was stolen; but, as
| We are very anxious to get her back, III
not make you any trouble if you'll bring her
| to me at once"
| The man and woman both turned pale
"Stolenr said the man. that doesn't
| seem possible; but you look as If you are
! telling the truth
He then stepped to the stair door and
| called out sternly:
| BILL bring that dog down here"
There was no answer: and after waiting
| a minute two the man again called out:
bill, do you hear? Bring that dog down
| here"
She's quiet now" was the answer, in a
| frightened voice.
mo matter: you put on your pants this
minute and bring down that dog"
'I-I-don't want to-" was the trembling
answer.
You want me to come up there do you?
Well, if / do, you won't never want me to
come again
There was no answer but instead the
sound of bare feet, stepping softly on the
floor overhead. door was heard to open
carefully; then came the swift scampering
of four little feet down the stairs and the
next moment Topsy darted into the room.
and, with one bound, landed in Netues
md bef- N
That's all we want" said Mrs. Howells,
rising.
But faint all want" said the man,
leaving his post at the stair door. DO you
mean to say that my boy stole that there
little dog? Because, if he did, he's going
to Jail right straight. He told me a boy
found her in the street and gave her TO
him.
81 don't think your boy stole the dog
said Mrs Howels. But there is another
quite big boy who did try to take her away
from my little daughter, here, several
weeks ago. This boy comes here to see your
son and we suspect him of stealing the COG.
OF course she may have run away and
been picked up~by some other boy; but the
fact of this big boys having been seen here
leads us to think he stole the dog and
brought her here for hiding
Mr. Fields called his downstairs and
asked him whether not he knew such a
boy, and who he was and where he lived.
The boy said Yes" and that ii was he
who had given him the dog to keep; but he
name he had ever heard him called was
"Deac."
Well" said Mrs Howeils. IF ne threat
ems you, tries to harm you for letting
the dog go. you come to me at the public
library and We'll take care of him. You
tell him, from me, that some people would
hunt him up and arrest him. anyway but
If he behaves himself after this we will let
him alone"
their Kindness, Mrs. Howels bade them oh
goodnight.
AS the door closed behind them, and they
came down the little wooden steps, boy
who had been standing beneath the electric
light at tie street corner slouched off intS
the shadows. Nettie's quick eyes had, how
ever discovered him.
Mamma, mamma she said In ey- o
cited whisper, look quick there goes the
Bad Boy"
And that was the last time they ever saw
the Bad Bcy.''
You will wonder how this can be. Wen.
1t was this way:
On the next Saturday Nettie and Topsy
went away to the beautiful Virginia home
with the Misses Verro. Mrs. Howells fol-
lowed in two weeks and spent delightful
month in the Shenandoah valley, but lucky
little Nettie stayed until September; and.
when she returned, almost the first thing
"Bad Boy had changed into Good
Boy" For although, he was bad enough
Gas he afterward confessed) to catch Topsy
up when he saw her scampering down Mrs.
Mullard's steps, he was not too wicked to
be made over into a Good Boy"
But Just how that all happened would
make another book as large as this one.
And now, we are done with ropsy
since she Is no longer ION the Top Floor"
She has come to a place where she can,
run as far and as fast as she pleases and!
still be at home;" and so, of course, her
troubles and adventures are over.
Daisy and Nettie will visit the Valley
Home next summer and can just iniay>
ine cannot you? what fine times they Will
all have together.
(The end.)