Patiently she tried to wait.  She stole up to her room, and taking up one of her best-beloved books, “The Household of Sir Thomas More,” lost herself for a while in the noble sorrows of Margaret Roper.  But even this could not hold her long in her restless frame of mind, so she went downstairs again, and out into the soft, golden September air, and fell to pacing up and down the gravel walk before the house like a slender, white-robed sentinel.  Presently there was a rustling in the bushes, then a hasty, joyful bark, and a little dog sprang forward and greeted Hildegarde with every demonstration of affection.  “Jock! my own dear little Jock!” she cried, stooping down to caress her favorite.  But as she did so she saw that it was not Jock, but Will, Pink’s dog, which was bounding and leaping about her.  Much puzzled, she nevertheless patted the little fellow and shook paws with him, and told him she was glad to see him.  “But where is your brother?” she cried.  “Oh!  Willy dog, where is Jock, and where is Bubble?  Bubble, Will! speak!” Will “spoke” as well as he could, giving a short bark at each repetition of the well-known name.  Then he jumped up on Hilda, and threw back his head with a peculiar action which at once attracted her attention.  She took him up in her arms, and lo! there was a piece of paper, folded and pinned securely to his collar.  Hastily setting the dog down, she opened the note and read as follows:—­

     MISS HILDY,

Simon Hartley he come here early this mornin and he says to me I was diggin potaters for dinner and he come and leaned on the fence and says he I’ve fixed your city gal up fine he says and I says what yer mean I mean what I says he says I’ve fixed her up fine.  She thinks a heap of that dorg I know that ain’t spelled right but it’s the way he said it don’t she says he I reckon says I Well says he you tell her to look for him in the pit of the old mill says he.  And then he larf LAUGHED I was bound I’d get it Miss Hildy I don’t see why they spell a thing g and say it f and went away.  And I run after him to make him tell me what he d been up to and climbin over the wall I ketched my foot on a stone and the stone come down on my foot and me with it and I didn’t know anything till Simon had gone and my foot swoll up so s I couldn’t walk and I wouldnt a minded its hurtin Miss Hildy but it s like there wornt no bones in it Pink says I sprante it bad and I started to go over to the Farm on all fours to tell ye but I didn’t know anythin g agin and Pink made me come back.  We couldnt nether on us get hold of Will but now we got him I hope he l go straite, Miss Hildy Pink wanted to write this for me but I druther write myself you aint punk tuated it she says.  She can punk tuate it herself better n I can I an ti cip ate I says.  From

     ZERUBBABEL CHIRK

     P.S.  I wisht I could get him out for ye Miss Hildy.