[Illustration:  Mother, Son, & Daughter]

“But, one day, the ball rolled off the pavement out into the street.  A wagon was passing just then; and Jack was in such a hurry to get the ball, that he ran right in its way, and the wheel went over his leg.

“The boys all ran out to help Jack; and one of them said, ’O Harry!  I’m afraid that he is badly hurt; for see, he runs on three legs, and lets the other one hang.’  Harry took Jack up in his arms, and said, ’Poor Jack, poor little Jack.’  Then he felt very gently of the dog’s leg, and found that it was broken.

“Oh, how sorry Harry and all the other boys felt!  Harry couldn’t keep from crying, and they all said that if little Jack got well they wouldn’t send him out after the ball any more.

“As soon as they were back in the yard, Harry ran into the school-house with Jack in his arms, and said to the teacher, ’Please, sir, may I go home now?  My poor little dog Jack has broken his leg, and I want to show him to my mother, and try and make it better.’  The teacher said, ’Yes, Harry, you are a good boy, and Jack is a good little dog, and you may take him home.’  So Harry started at once.

“When Harry’s mother saw him coming home, she was afraid he was sick.  She ran out to the gate, and said, ’Why, Harry!  What makes you come home so early to-day?’—­’O mamma!’ said Harry, ’my poor little Jack has broken his leg!’ Then Harry’s mother looked at Jack, and, after thinking a minute said, ’My dear Harry, I am very sorry; but I think we shall have to kill little Jack to save him from suffering.  A dog’s broken leg cannot be made whole again.’

“Oh, how sad little Harry felt when his mother said that!  It made him cry very hard.  But in a little while something made him stop crying:  and what do you guess it was?  Why, he began to think that perhaps his mamma was mistaken when she said that dogs couldn’t have their legs mended; and he thought he would go to the doctor who cured him when he was sick, and ask about it.

“So he said, ’Dear mamma, please let me go and ask Dr. Stratton if he won’t try to fix Jack’s leg.’  And his mother said, ’Well, Harry, you may go; but I don’t think the doctor will do it.’

“So Harry put on his hat, and went over to Dr. Stratton’s.  Harry knocked on the doctor’s door.  ‘Come in!’ said the doctor.  ’Why, Harry!  What do you want?  Anybody sick at your house?’

“‘N-no, sir,’ said Harry, ’not exactly anybody, but my little dog Jack has a broken leg, and mamma says you can’t mend it; but please try.  My dear little dog is such a good dog, and mamma says he will have to be killed.  Will you please try?’

“Now, the doctor was a very kind man.  He smiled, and said, ’Well, Harry, I never mended a dog’s leg; but I’ll try for your sake—­but won’t he bite me?’

“‘Oh, no!’ said Harry.  ’My dog Jack always minds me, and he will do just as I tell him.’

“So the good doctor put on his hat, and went with Harry.  When they were in Harry’s house, the doctor said that he must have some very smooth pieces of wood.  Harry said, ’I think the cover to my broken paint-box would do if it was whittled.’  So he brought it, and the doctor said it was just the thing.