“Would you take yo' mama's present now, Jimmy?” asked Billy; “you ain't earnt it.”
“Naw, I would n't, not 'thout I tol' her.”
“Well, I'll tell her I just comed over a minute to see 'bout Miss Minerva's bustle,” he agreed as he again tumbled over the fence.
A little negro boy, followed by a tiny, white dog, was passing by Miss Minerva's gate.
Billy promptly flew to the gate and hailed him. Jimmy, looking around to see that Sarah Jane had gone back to the kitchen, as promptly rolled over the fence and joined him.
The little darkey picked up the dog and passed it across the gate.
“I wish he was mine,” said the smaller child, as he took the soft, fluffy little ball in his arms; “what'll you take for him?”
The negro boy had never seen the dog before, but he immediately accepted the ownership thrust upon him and answered without hesitation, “I'll take a dollar for her.”
“I ain't got but a nickel. Billy, ain't you got 'nough money to put with my nickel to make a dollar?”
“I'll tell you what we'll do,” suggested Jimmy; “we'll trade you a baseball mask for him. My mama's going to give me a new mask 'cause I all time stay at home; so we'll trade you our old one. Go get it, Billy.”
Thus commanded Billy ran and picked up the bustle where it lay neglected on the grass and handed it to the quasi-owner of the puppy.
The deal was promptly closed and a little black negro went grinning down the street with Miss Minerva's old bustle tied across his face, leaving behind him a curly-haired dog.
“Ain't he sweet?” said Jimmy, hugging the fluffy white ball close to his breast, “we got to name him, Billy.”
“Le's name her Peruny Pearline,” was the suggestion of the other joint owner.
“He ain't going to be name' nothing at all like that,” declared Jimmy; “you all time got to name our dogs the scalawaggest name they is. He's going to be name' 'Sam Lamb' 'cause he's my partner.”
“She's a girl dog,” argued Billy, “an' she can't be name' no man's name. If she could I'd call her Major.”
“I don't care what sort o' dog he is, girl or boy, he's going to be name' 'Sam Lamb'!” and he fondly stroked the little animal's soft head.
“Here, Peruny! Here, Peruny!” and Billy tried to snatch her away.
The boys heard a whistle; the dog heard it, too. Springing from the little boy's arms Sam Lamb Peruny Pearline ran under the gate and flew to meet her master, who was looking for her.