“So they flew, and they flew, and Brownie was as kind as possible, and stopped for a rest whenever Tufty was tired, and chatted so agreeably and pleasantly, that before they reached their journey’s end Tufty had quite fallen in love with her.  Then, too, the sun was shining again, and the brisk exercise of flying had set the little bird’s blood in motion, so that he was warm again, but oh, so hungry!

“They came at last to a brown cottage with a broad piazza, and it was on the roof of this piazza that a feast for the birds was every day spread.  But as they flew round the house Tufty became very much excited.

“‘Stop, Brownie!’ he cried; ’let me look at this place!  Surely I’ve been here before.  That red curtain, that flower-stand in the window, that—­Oh! oh! there’s my own little house!  Why, Captain Bobtail’s Brownie, you’ve brought me home!’

“Now, all this time Tufty’s mistress had been in great trouble.  As soon as she discovered her loss she ran out-of-doors, holding up the empty cage and calling loudly on her little bird to return.  But he was high up in the elm-tree watching the woodpecker, and, if he heard her call, paid no attention to it.  Very soon he flew after the sparrows, and she lost sight of him.  Not a mouthful of breakfast could the poor child eat.

“‘I shall never see my poor little Tufty again, mamma!’ she said.  ’I saw him flying straight for the swamp, and he never can find his way back!’ and she cried as if her heart would break.

“In the middle of the forenoon her brother Jack called to her from the foot of the stairs:—­

“‘What will you give me, Kittie,’ he said, ’if I will tell you where Tufty is?’

“‘O Jack! do you know?  Have you seen him?  Where? where?’ cried the little girl, coming downstairs in a great hurry.

“‘Be quiet!’ said Jack.  ’Now, don’t get excited; your bird is all right, though I’m sorry to say he’s in rather low company,’ And he led her to the dining-room window that looked into the garden, and there, sure enough, was Tufty on a lilac-bush.  Brownie was there too.  She was hopping about and talking in a most earnest and excited manner.  It was easy to see that she was using all her powers of persuasion to coax Tufty not to go back to his old home, but to help her build a little house out-of-doors, where they could set up housekeeping together.

“Kittie knew just what to do.  She ran for the cage and for a sprig of dried pepper-grass (of all the good things she gave her bird to eat, he liked pepper-grass best), and, standing in the open door-way, called:  ‘Tufty!  Tufty!’ He gave a start, a little flutter of his wings, and then, with one glad cry of recognition, and without so much as a parting look at poor Brownie, flew straight for the door, and alighted on the top of his cage.