After everything had been said that could possibly be thought of, in regard to rabbits and their ways, Dotty looked again, and very critically, at Adolphus.  His collar was wrinkled, his necktie one-sided, he wore no gloves, and, on the whole, was not dressed ad well as Dotty, who had started from home that very morning, clean and fresh.  He was every day as old as Susy; but Miss Dimple, as a traveller bound on a long journey, felt herself older and wiser still, and began to talk accordingly.  Smoothing down the skirt of her dress with her neatly-gloved hands, she remarked:—­

CHAPTER II.

The captain’s son.

“Is your name Dollyphus?”

“Yes, Adolphus Lally.”

“Well, my name is Alice.  Nobody calls me by it but my papa and my grandmas.  Dotty Dimple is my short name.  There are a pair of dimples dotted into my cheek; don’t, you see?  That’s what it’s for.  I was born so.  My other sisters haven’t any at all.”

Adolphus smiled quietly; he had seen dimples before.

“You didn’t ever know till just now there was any such girl as me, I s’pose.”

“No, I never did.”

“I live in the city of Portland,” pursued Dotty, with a grand air, “and my papa and mamma, and two sisters, and a Quaker grandma (only you must say ‘Friend’) with a white handkerchief on.  Have you any grandma like that?”

“No, my grandmother is dead.”

“Why, there’s two of mine alive, and one grandpa.  Just as nice!  They don’t scold.  They let you do everything.  I wouldn’t not have grandmothers and fathers for anything!  But you can’t help it.  Did you ever have your house burnt up?”

“No, indeed.”

“Well, ours did; the chambers, and the cellar, and the windows and doors.  We hadn’t any place to stay.  My sister Susy!  You ought to heard her cry!  I lost the beautifulest tea-set; but I didn’t say much about it.”

“Where do you live now?”

“O, there was a man let us have another house.  It isn’t so handsome as our house was; for the man can’t make things so nice as my father can.  We live in it now.  Can you play the piano?”

“No, not at all.”

“Don’t you, honestly; Why, I do.  Susy’s given me five lessons.  You have to sit up as straight as a pin, and count your fingers, one, two, three, four.  X is your thumb.”

Dotty believed she was imparting valuable information.  She felt great pleasure in having found a travelling companion to whom she could make herself useful.

“I’m going to tell you something.  Did you ever go to Indiana?”

“No.”

“Didn’t you?  They call it Out West.  I’m going there.  Yes, I started to-day.  The people are called Hoojers.  They don’t spect me, but I’m going.  Did you ever hear of a girl that travelled out West?”

“O, yes; ever so many.”