Cloverfield Farmhouse had a new looking glass. It was a very large
looking glass, reaching to the ceiling and almost down to the floor. It
was in the parlor between the front windows. On the little shelf under
it were two beautiful vases.
Rover was not allowed in the parlor except once in a while. One Sunday
John let him come in and lie in the corner.
After a while all the people went out of the parlor. Rover was there
alone fast asleep. When he wakened, he looked all around the room.
Then he got up and walked around to find a door.
There between the front windows was surely a door into another room.
Rover saw himself in the looking glass, but thought it was another dog
coming toward him into the parlor.
He began to bark at the other dog. But the other dog did not go away.
He even barked at Rover.
Rover went nearer and the other dog came nearer too.
Then Rover barked louder and showed his sharp white teeth. The other
dog showed his sharp white teeth too, but did not go away.
Rover barked and barked, which meant, "You must get right out of this
house." Then he ran at the other dog very fast.
He ran so fast that he bumped his head hard on the looking glass. He
knocked over one of the pretty vases and broke it into a hundred
pieces.
Mother and Sue heard the crash. Father and John heard the crash. They
all came running into the parlor.
There, among the broken pieces of the vase, was Rover still looking
savagely at the dog in the looking glass.
John pulled him away from the glass. Mother said, "Bad dog, bad dog!"
Sister Sue scolded him and opened the door and put him outdoors.
[Illustration: "Rover looked savagely at the dog in the looking
glass"]
"Rover was fooled that time," said father.
"We must not allow him in the parlor again," said mother.
Rover knew he must have done something wrong. With his head down and
his tail hanging very limp he went to the horse barn to lie in the dark
corner and think it over.
[Illustration: ROVER FINDS BABY BETTY]