Suddenly, he.
darted ahead of them; and snatched up from the wayside the
somewhat worn case of a thermos bottle which had been discarded
there or had fallen from a car-seat. This he bore to the
Mistress; fairly vibrating with pride in his own exploit.
Noting his joy in the deed, she made much of the shabby gift;
praising and thanking Lad, inordinately; and forbearing to throw
away the worn case until the collie was out of sight.
Of late, as Laddie began to show signs of age, she and the Master
had taken to making more and more of him; to atone for his
growing feebleness and to anticipate the dark day which every
dog-owner must face;--the day when his voice and his caress can
no longer mean anything to the pet who once rejoiced so utterly
in them.
All of which went to confirm Lad in the natural belief that
anything found on the road and brought to the Mistress would be
looked on with joy and would earn him much gratitude. So,--as
might a human in like circumstances,--he ceased to content
himself with picking up trifles that chanced to be lying in his
path, in the highway, and fell to searching for such flotsam and
jetsam.
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