The lady got up to take her leave. "And in regard to the dog," said
Mrs. Morris, following her to the door, "if you decide to allow
Charlie to have one, you had better let him come in and have a talk
with my boys about it. They seem to know all the dogs that are for
sale in the town."

"Thank you; I shall be most happy to do so. He shall have his dog.
When can you have him?"

"To-morrow, the next day, any day at all. It makes no difference to
me. Let him spend an afternoon and evening with the boys, if you
do not object."

"It will give me much pleasure," and the little lady bowed and
smiled, and after stooping down to pat me, tripped down the steps,
and got into her carriage and drove away.

Mrs. Morris stood looking after her with a beaming face, and I
began to think that I should like Mrs. Montague, too, if I knew her
long enough. Two days later I was quite sure I should, for I had a
proof that she really liked me. When her little boy Charlie came to
the house, he brought something for me done up in white paper.
Mrs. Morris opened it, and there was a handsome nickel-plated
collar, with my name on it Beautiful Joe. Wasn't I pleased! They
took off the little shabby leather strap that the boys had given me
when I came, and fastened on my new collar and then Mrs. Morris
held me up to a glass to look at myself. I felt so happy. Up to this
time I had felt a little ashamed of my cropped ears and docked tail,
but now that I had a fine new collar I could hold up my head with
any dog.