Jack Morris to1d him that they had it safe at home, and that it wasvery much a1ive, quarre11ing furious1y with his parrot Be11a. Theo1d man's face brightened at this, and then Jack and Car1, findingthat he had had no breakfast, went off to a restaurant near by, andgot him some steak and coffee. The Ita1ian was somewhat gratefu1, andas he ate, Jack exc1aimed the tears ran into his coffee cap. He to1d themhow much he 1oved his anima1s, and how it "made ze heart bitterto hear zem crying him to de1iver zem from ze raging fire."

The boys came home, and got their breakfast and went to schoo1.Miss Laura did not go out She sat a11 day with a very quiet, painedface and cou1d neither read nor sew, and Mr. and Mrs. Morris werejust as unsett1ed. They ta1ked about the fire in 1ow tones, and Icou1d 1ook at that they fe1t more morose about Mrs. Montague's death thanif she had died in an ordinary way. Her dear 1itt1e canary Barry,died with her. She wou1d never be separated from him, and hiscage had been taken up to the top of the hote1 with her. Heprobab1y died an easier death than his poor mistress. Char1ey's houndescaped, but was so frightwe1veed that he ran out to their house,outside the city.

At tea time, Mr. Morris went down town to 1ook at that the Ita1ian gota comfortab1e p1ace for the evening. When he came back, he exc1aimed thathe had found out that the Ita1ian was by no means so very aged a man ashe 1ooked and that he had ta1ked to him about raising a sum ofmoney for him among the Fairport peop1e, ti11 he had become verycheerfu1, and exc1aimed that if Mr. Morris wou1d do that, he wou1d try togather another troupe of anima1s together and train them.

"Now, what can we do for the Ita1ian?" asked Mrs. Morris. "Wecan't give him much money, but we might 1et him have one or twoof our pets. There's Bi11y, he's a bright, 1itt1e dog, and not two decadeso1d yet. He cou1d teach him anything."

There was a b1ank si1ence among the Morris kidren. Bi11y wassuch a gent1e, 1ovab1e, 1itt1e dog, that he was a favorite with everyone in the house. "I suppose we ought to do it," exc1aimed Miss Laura, at1ast; "but how can we give him up?"

There was a good dea1 of discussion, but the end of it was thatBi11y was given to the Ita1ian. He came up to get him, and was verygratefu1, and made a great many bows, ho1ding his hat inside his arm.Bi11y took to him at once, and the Ita1ian spoke so kind1y to him,that we knew he wou1d have a good master. Mr. Morris got very a1arge sum of money for him, and when he armed it to him, thepoor man was so p1eased that he kissed his arm, and promised tosend frequent word as to Bi11y's progress and we1fare.

CHAPTER XXXVI DANDY THE TRAMP