As soon as we got down the front steps, she said, quietly to Billy,
"To heel." It was very hard for little, playful Billy to keep close to
her when he saw so many new and wonderful things about him. He
had gotten acquainted with everything in the house and garden, but
this outside world was full of things he wanted to look at and smell
of, and he was fairly crazy to play with some of the pretty dogs he
saw running about. But he did just as he was told.

Soon we came to a shop, and Miss Laura went in to buy some
ribbons. She said to me, "Stay out," but Billy she took in with her. I
watched them through the glass door, and saw her go to a counter
and sit down. Billy stood behind her till she said, "Lie down." Then
he curled himself at her feet.

He lay quietly, even when she left him and went to another
counter. But he eyed her very anxiously till she came back and
said, "Up," to him. Then he sprang up and followed her out to the
street.

She stood in the shop door, and looked lovingly down on us as we
fawned on her. "Good dogs," she said, softly; "you shall have a
present." We went behind her again, and she took us to a shop
where we both lay beside the counter. When we heard her ask the
clerk for solid rubber balls, we could scarcely keep still. We both
knew what "ball" meant.

Taking the parcel in her hand, she came out into the street. She did
not do any more shopping, but turned her face toward the sea. She
was going to give us a nice walk along the beach, although it was a
dark, disagreeable, cloudy day when most young ladies would have