Bobby and the Big Road  by Maud Lindsay

Good News

A S soon as the rain stopped, Bobby made haste to tell everybody he saw about Towser.

He told the milkman and the young gentleman who rode on horseback, and the merry-faced man, and every one of them promised to look for the yellow dog.

Bobby was out watching for the farmer when Florence's car stopped at the gate. The jolly chauffeur was the only one in it.

"Is this where Master Robert Lee Randolph, Junior, lives?" he asked, touching his cap to Bobby.

"Why," said Bobby, "I am Robert Lee Randolph, Junior. Don't you know me?"

"I thought you were Bobby," said the chauffeur.

"I am Bobby," said the little boy. "You took me riding in the car."

"But how can you be two boys?" said the chauffeur.

"I am not two boys," said Bobby. "Robert Lee Randolph, Junior, is my long name, but they call me Bobby for short."

"Well, then," said the chauffeur, "I have a note here for Robert Lee Randolph, Junior, and if you are very sure that you are the right one, I'll give it to you."

The chauffeur was such a funny man! It made Bobby laugh even to look at him.

The note that the chauffeur brought was from Florence.

"DEAR BOBBY" (Mother read):

"Early this morning just before your letter came my mamma and I were standing at the window watching the rain." ("Why, I was doing that too!" said Bobby.) "I like to hear rain patter on the roof and dance against the window-panes." ("Why, so do I," said Bobby.)

"While we were at the window, Mamma and I saw a boy going by, leading a yellow dog." ("Oh, I know it was Towser. I know it was Towser," said Bobby.)

"The yellow dog did not look very happy; neither did the boy. We felt sorry for them both.

"Just then the postman came. He brought your letter, and when we read it, we felt sure that the dog we had seen was Towser.

"Papa was going out in his car, and he took me with him up the street where the boy and the dog had gone.

"By and by we caught up with them and asked the boy if the dog were his.

" 'I found him circus day,' said the boy, 'and I took him home with me and tied him in the shed. My mother will not let me keep him any longer because he howls. Do you want him?'

"Then I called 'Towser! Towser!' and the dog jumped up and down, and wagged his tail. Papa told the boy that the dog belonged to Johnny. The boy was glad; and so are we.

"We are going to take Towser home to Johnny this afternoon, and you must be ready to go with us.

"I am so excited that I don't know what to do.

"Written by her mamma."

Oh, what a beautiful letter it was!