rubbed his hand over his eyes, streaking tears and dirt everywhere.
"Really? Is your puppy housetrained?" If he was housetrained, he didn't see a reason why he wouldn't be the perfect puppy for Hyacinth. A dog was a dog, right?
"He does his business outside," the boy said.
"Well, I might be interested in buying your puppy then. You see, there's this lady I love, and I think if I give her a puppy, she'll love me more. What do you think?" Lawrence didn't really expect to get good advice on love from a young boy, but it was always nice to feel like your opinion was valued.
The boy shrugged. "I don't know nothin' 'bout no girls."
"That's something we have in common." Lawrence hated to agree to take the puppy sight unseen, but if the dog was housetrained, what did he have to lose? "Why don't I come over and get your puppy?" Surely it would work out. He needed a puppy, and the boy had one. It was providence.
The boy eyed Lawrence, obviously sizing him up. "He's a good dog. He costs five cents."
Lawrence laughed. "All right. I can pay five cents for the puppy. " He handed the boy a nickel and didn't call him a little swindler, no matter if he wanted to or not.
After the boy looked at it for a moment, his whole face lit up. "Follow me, mister! I'll take you to him!"
He began weaving in and out of the crowded boardwalk, and Lawrence followed as closely as he could. When they reached the outskirts of town, the boy took Lawrence to a small shack where a dog was tied to a tree outside.
"That doesn't look like a puppy," Lawrence said skeptically. The dog was huge. He'd been picturing a tiny little dog Hyacinth could hold in her arms and cuddle. This dog looked like he could double for a carriage horse. "What kind of puppy is he?" Would Hyacinth enjoy a mutt as much as she enjoyed a pure bred dog?
The boy shrugged. "A big' un, I reckon."
Well, that answer was certainly helpful. Lawrence circled the dog for a moment, before walking close and stroking his head. The dog seemed to be thrilled for the company, so Lawrence untied him from the tree. His nose twitched at the foul odor emanating from the animal. He'd need to bathe him before giving him to Hyacinth. He smelled truly disgusting. He once again questioned if he was making the right decision, but he didn't want to disappoint the little boy.
"Thank you for the puppy," Lawrence told him, leading the dog away by the rope around his neck. He knew little about dogs, and even less about pu ppies, but this one seemed well-behaved. He took him straight home and to the stable. "Would you bathe this mutt?"
His gardener, who also happened to take care of his animals, wrinkled his nose, but nodded immediately. "I've never seen a dog who needs a bath more than that one."
"Neither have I," Lawrence admitted. "I think I'm in need of one myself to be quite honest with you." His own odor was beginning to offend him, and he didn't want Hyacinth to have the same reaction.
The gardener nodded again. "You may have spent a little bit too much time with the dog," the man told him.
Lawrence headed to the house and climbed the stairs, taking a bath. He used a great deal of soap, not wanting to smell anything like the dog when he saw Hyacinth later. He couldn't wait to see her face when he gave her the puppy.
*****
The puppy was clean and nice-smelling when he got to Hyacinth's house. He knocked on the door and walked the dog to the edge of the yard so it could relieve itself, while he waited for someone to let him in.
Hyacinth poked her head out the door, looking around. "Oh, there you are, Lawrence. Did you get a dog?" Why would he bring his new dog to her house? Surely someone had told him how her mother felt about pets.
He walked back to her, letting the animal prance at his side along the way. "I got you a puppy." He handed her the rope he'd led the dog into town on. The
"Really? Is your puppy housetrained?" If he was housetrained, he didn't see a reason why he wouldn't be the perfect puppy for Hyacinth. A dog was a dog, right?
"He does his business outside," the boy said.
"Well, I might be interested in buying your puppy then. You see, there's this lady I love, and I think if I give her a puppy, she'll love me more. What do you think?" Lawrence didn't really expect to get good advice on love from a young boy, but it was always nice to feel like your opinion was valued.
The boy shrugged. "I don't know nothin' 'bout no girls."
"That's something we have in common." Lawrence hated to agree to take the puppy sight unseen, but if the dog was housetrained, what did he have to lose? "Why don't I come over and get your puppy?" Surely it would work out. He needed a puppy, and the boy had one. It was providence.
The boy eyed Lawrence, obviously sizing him up. "He's a good dog. He costs five cents."
Lawrence laughed. "All right. I can pay five cents for the puppy. " He handed the boy a nickel and didn't call him a little swindler, no matter if he wanted to or not.
After the boy looked at it for a moment, his whole face lit up. "Follow me, mister! I'll take you to him!"
He began weaving in and out of the crowded boardwalk, and Lawrence followed as closely as he could. When they reached the outskirts of town, the boy took Lawrence to a small shack where a dog was tied to a tree outside.
"That doesn't look like a puppy," Lawrence said skeptically. The dog was huge. He'd been picturing a tiny little dog Hyacinth could hold in her arms and cuddle. This dog looked like he could double for a carriage horse. "What kind of puppy is he?" Would Hyacinth enjoy a mutt as much as she enjoyed a pure bred dog?
The boy shrugged. "A big' un, I reckon."
Well, that answer was certainly helpful. Lawrence circled the dog for a moment, before walking close and stroking his head. The dog seemed to be thrilled for the company, so Lawrence untied him from the tree. His nose twitched at the foul odor emanating from the animal. He'd need to bathe him before giving him to Hyacinth. He smelled truly disgusting. He once again questioned if he was making the right decision, but he didn't want to disappoint the little boy.
"Thank you for the puppy," Lawrence told him, leading the dog away by the rope around his neck. He knew little about dogs, and even less about pu ppies, but this one seemed well-behaved. He took him straight home and to the stable. "Would you bathe this mutt?"
His gardener, who also happened to take care of his animals, wrinkled his nose, but nodded immediately. "I've never seen a dog who needs a bath more than that one."
"Neither have I," Lawrence admitted. "I think I'm in need of one myself to be quite honest with you." His own odor was beginning to offend him, and he didn't want Hyacinth to have the same reaction.
The gardener nodded again. "You may have spent a little bit too much time with the dog," the man told him.
Lawrence headed to the house and climbed the stairs, taking a bath. He used a great deal of soap, not wanting to smell anything like the dog when he saw Hyacinth later. He couldn't wait to see her face when he gave her the puppy.
*****
The puppy was clean and nice-smelling when he got to Hyacinth's house. He knocked on the door and walked the dog to the edge of the yard so it could relieve itself, while he waited for someone to let him in.
Hyacinth poked her head out the door, looking around. "Oh, there you are, Lawrence. Did you get a dog?" Why would he bring his new dog to her house? Surely someone had told him how her mother felt about pets.
He walked back to her, letting the animal prance at his side along the way. "I got you a puppy." He handed her the rope he'd led the dog into town on. The
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