[Illustration: 9075]
NE day in the summer Toots sat on the doorstep talking with his little
friend, Fred Haldon, when a man came up to the gate with a hand-organ
and asked if he might come in.
"Oh, mamma! mamma!" called Toots, "come as soon as you can, for he has a
monkey with him."
His mother looked out of the window and nodded to the man. "Yes, he
could play if he wished." Then she went out on the doorstep with the
children. The monkey came to her at once. It looked so tired and sad,
she said, "Poor little fellow!" He seemed to understand her, for he
sprang into her lap and rubbed his head against her hand.
"How tired he is!" she said kindly, "do let him rest while we feed him."
The monkey would not eat much, he seemed too weary, but he bowed his
thanks and then put his head on her hand again. When the man stopped
playing the lady told him he would lose his monkey if he did not let it
rest.
[Illustration: 0076]
The man laughed and sat down under a tree. This seemed to please the
monkey, for he went to him and kissed him and then returned to his new
friend, nestling down in her lap like a tired child.
"He has danced too much when it was warm," said the man in broken
English.
"Then you must be very good and let him sleep." After a good rest the
organ-grinder went away with him, and soon after Toots went with all the
family to the sea-side, where the monkeys in the park made them think of
their tired little visitor. Long, long after, when winter came and all
the family were in town and all the aunts and cousins were invited to
meet grandpa Bergland--little May's grandpa from over the sea, the door
opened just in the very midst of the Christmas festival, and in walked
Leno, all dressed in his best suit.
"Where is his master?" asked Toots, "bring him in and let him show us
the old tricks."
So the master came in. He said, "the kind ladies and gentlemen must
excuse him, but he could not make Leno pass the gate where the lady was
so kind to him when he was sick."
"He was quite sick then, poor thing!" said Toots' mamma.
"He was very sick, dear lady. I took him away in the cool country, but
he was like to die, and for many days I thought I must leave him there,
for he could neither eat nor sleep, only look in my face and make a sad
noise. I could not Leno die, for he is my only friend."
"There, mamma," said grandpa Bergland, "you was kind to the dumb brute
and it did thank you."