"
"No; he won't never let me have nothing."
"Oh, don't you give up yet, Ben."
Benjamin shook his head like a discouraged old man, and turned to go
home.
"Sammy'll feed him, and take real good care of him, and you can come
over here and see him," Mr. Tucker called after him, as he went down the
road.
Benjamin thought to himself that he should not want to, as he marched
wearily homeward. His arms were lightened of the puppy, but his heart
seemed heavy within him. Two boys whom he knew sang out to him from a
load of hay, but he gave only a grim nod in response. "_They've_ got a
dog," he muttered; and indeed the pretty shepherd dog was following
after the load.
Benjamin, when he came in sight of home, thought he would take a
short-cut through the orchard. He meditated stealing up the back stairs
to his chamber, staying up there, and saying that he did not want any
supper; he was not hungry. They had not cut the grass in the orchard,
and he plunged through clover, feathery grass, and daisies to his waist.
He felt pleased to think how he was making a furrow through his
grandfather's hay. He emerged from the orchard, and went on towards the
barn; directly back of it was the old well. When he reached that he
stopped short. There was Seventoes--beautiful great yellow
cat--stretched in the sun, all his wonderful seven-toed paws spread out.
The ledge of the old well was a strange place for a cat, but Seventoes
was fond of it, and stayed there much of the time when he was not on the
shed roof.
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