FullReads

But what about Master Dicky himself, who had lost his tool-box? He didn’t feel much like a smiling boy just then. He crept in at the back door, and when he saw his dear mother’s face in the kitchen he couldn’t stand it a minute longer, but burst out crying, and told her all about it.

“Well, my little son,” said she, “I’m very, very sorry. I wish I could give you another dollar, but I haven’t any money to spare. You did just right to help Lola find Bruno, and buy him back for her, and I’m very proud of my boy; but you can’t give away the dollar and have the tool-box too. So wipe your eyes, and try to be happy. You didn’t eat any breakfast, dear, take a piece of nice bread and sugar.”

So Dicky dried his tears and began to eat.

After a while he wanted to wipe his sticky, sugary little mouth, and as he took his clean handkerchief out of his pocket, two shining, chinking, clinking round things tumbled out on the floor and rolled under the kitchen table! What could they have been! Why, his two silver half-dollars, to be sure. And where in the world did they come from, do you suppose? Why, it was the nicest, funniest thing! The pound-man was not so cross after all, for he thought Lola and Dicky were two such kind children, and Bruno such a cunning dog, that he could not bear to take Dicky’s dollar away from him; so while the little boy was looking the other way the pound-man just slipped the money back into Dick’s bit of a pocket without saying a word. Wasn’t that a beautiful surprise?

So Dicky ran to the corner store as fast as his feet could carry him, and bought the tool-box.

Every Saturday afternoon he has such a pleasant time playing with it! And who do you suppose sits on the white kitchen floor with Dot and Bess, watching him make dolls’ tables and chairs with his carpenter’s tools? Why, Lola, to be sure, and a little brown dog too, with a cunning curly tail turned up in a round bob behind, and two long silky ears touching the floor. For Dick’s mamma had such a big heart that I do believe it would have held all the children in the world, and as Lola’s uncle didn’t care for her the least little bit, he gave her to this mamma of Dicky’s, who grew to love this little girl almost as well as she loved her own Dicky and Dot and Bess.