Mystery Mutt (3 page)

“Are you double dabble sure?” Abby's eyes were big and round.

“I think he's upset about the fruit idea.” Stacy hoped she wasn't spreading trouble by talking this way. She wanted to spread love around. God's love.

“I don't know why he'd be upset,” Abby said. “Unless . . .”

“Unless what?” Stacy asked. She was eager to know.

Abby leaned back against her pillow. “Sometimes Jason likes to be different. Just to be different. No other reason.”

“You're right,” Stacy replied. “He gets
more attention that way.”

“So we have to
help
him think differently,” Abby said.

“That's the hard part,” Stacy said.

“He's one stubborn kid,” Abby added.

“I guess we
all
are . . . sometimes,” Stacy agreed.

They listened to CDs in Abby's room for a while.

Soon, Carly knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Abby called.

Carly came in, looking surprised. “Don't you want to hear the secret password?” she asked.

Abby looked at Stacy. Her face was red. “I . . . I don't know.”

“Well, you usually make me say it,” said Carly. She shot a look at Stacy. “So . . . what're you two doing?”

Stacy almost said “none of your beeswax.” But today she was kind. “Just talking,” she said.

Abby looked shocked.

“Wanna join us?” Stacy asked Carly.

“Goody!” The little girl jumped up and sat on the bed. “So . . . what're we talking about?” she asked.

Abby smiled. She was going to be kind to her little sister.

Stacy was almost positive.

“We're just talking about Jason and the fruits of the Spirit. We're gonna pray about all that,” explained Abby.

Carly's eyes were shining. “I'll help you.”

“Good,” Stacy said. “The more the merrier.”

Carly frowned. “What's that mean?”

Abby told her. “The more people praying, the better.”

“About what?” Carly was full of questions. As usual.

Abby's face drooped. She seemed a little angry. But she didn't spout off anything nasty.

Stacy spoke up. “Jason doesn't want to pick a fruit.”

“Oh, yeah. I know all about that.” Carly grinned. “But I think he'll change his mind.”

“That's why we're gonna pray,” said Stacy.

“Starting now?” Carly asked.

“Sure,” said Stacy.

“Yay!” said Carly.

Stacy and Abby took turns praying out loud. Carly said two sentences and the “Amen” at the end.

“We'll be very kind to Jason,” Stacy said. “We promise, right?”

“It's almost New Year's Day,” Carly reminded them.

“That's OK. Jason will pick a fruit,” Stacy said. “You'll see.”

SIX

Stacy's new yo-yo had a rainbow of colors on one side. There was a happy face on the opposite side. The gift had been in her Christmas stocking. It was one of her favorite new toys.

After lunch she played with the yo-yo. And with her cockapoo dog.

“Jason Birchall oughta be bored with his fits,” she said.

Sunday Funnies cocked his head. Like he was really listening.

“But you know what?” Stacy continued.
“I think something's gonna happen. And real soon.”

Sunday Funnies barked, wagging his tail.

“Don't you understand?” she asked. “I mean something wonderful is going to happen to Jason. I just have a feeling.”

She looked out the living room window. The street was dusted with clean, fresh snow. Like a frosted cul-de-sac—all fleecy white.

“The world looks white and fluffy, just like you,” she whispered. She picked her puppy up and held him close.

“Mm-m, you smell good!” She buried her face in his soft, curly coat. “Did Mom give you a bath yesterday afternoon?”

Sunday Funnies didn't bark yes. But he did bark something. She wasn't exactly sure what he was trying to tell her. Maybe he wanted to go outside.

Yes, that's probably what he wanted.

Stacy waited for her puppy to go out. She thought of yesterday's club meeting. Mom must've given Sunday Funnies a bath during the meeting.

She decided to take better care of her dog. After all, he was
her
responsibility. In fact, she decided to help around the house more. A lot more!

Soon Sunday Funnies was whining at the door.

She let him inside. “Wanna help me clean house?” she asked.

But he followed the scent of the newspaper. He sat down on the living room floor. Right next to the paper.

“Now, that's a very good way to help,” she said. “If you stay out of my way, I'll get the cleaning done much faster.”

She went to the hall closet and lugged out the vacuum sweeper. Then she found the plug and turned it on.

Mom will be surprised,
she thought.

She could hardly wait to see her mother's face!

Minutes later, the doorbell rang.

Stacy didn't really
hear
the bell. But she knew someone was there just the same.

Sunday Funnies had run to the door. He was howling now.

Quickly, she switched off the sweeper. “I'm coming,” she called. And she dashed to the door.

There stood Jason Birchall, carrying a cardboard box. “Hi, Stacy,” he said.

“Hi.” She was very surprised to see him.

“I've got something to show you,” he said. He looked down at whatever was in his box.

She stepped back, away from the door. Jason was known to collect strange pets. Things like tarantulas and croaking bullfrogs.

“Uh . . . I don't know,” she said. “Maybe not.”

“Come on. Just take a look,” he said. “This box won't bite.”

“But what's inside might, right?” She didn't trust Jason. Not one bit!

He shoved the cardboard box at her. “Surprise!”

“Yikes!” she gasped.

But it wasn't really so bad when she looked inside.

There was no scary, furry spider. Not even a green frog with blinking eyes!

Instead, a shabby little puppy looked up at her from the box.

“Pee-uu-wee,” she said, backing away. “Whose dog?”

“That's what
I'd
like to know,” he said. “This pooch needs a little kindness. Wanna help me hunt for its owner?”

Stacy was shocked. “What did you just say?”

It sounded like Jason had picked a fruit, after all.

“I asked if you wanted to help me find
the dog's owner?” he repeated.

“That's very
kind
of you,” she replied.

He smiled and set the box down. “I knew you'd think so. But don't get any fruity ideas about . . . well, you know.”

She knew, all right.

Still, she hoped Jason would change his mind.

Before New Year's Eve!

SEVEN

“Sure, I'll help,” Stacy agreed. She stooped down and looked into the box. “The poor thing's shivering.”

“And that's not all,” Jason said. “He needs a bath, too. And I'm not fooling!”

The closer Stacy's nose got to the homeless dog, the more she agreed with Jason. “Bring him inside a minute,” she said. “He could get frostbite out here.”

Jason nodded. He lifted the box and heaved it into the entryway. “Someone left him on my front step,” he explained.

“You're kidding! They dropped a puppy
off at your house?” Stacy said.

She hated to think of someone being so cruel. She also wondered about the deserted dog. Did it have something to do with her feeling earlier today? That something wonderful was going to happen to Jason?

“I never saw anyone anywhere,” Jason explained. He seemed very upset. “Muffie just appeared out of nowhere.”

“Muffie? You
named
the dog?” Stacy asked.

Jason pushed up his glasses. “Well, I had to call him something. You can't go around with a poor little dog, calling him nothing. Can you?”

“Yeah, I guess you're right,” Stacy replied.

She could hardly believe her ears.

Jason was being very kind! So kind she was sure he'd picked the kindness fruit for the year.

Stacy smiled back at him. “I was just
cleaning house,” she told him. She eyed the box. “Better keep Muffie in there till I get my jacket.”

Jason stooped down and petted the dog. “Hurry, Stacy, it's getting late. My mom said I couldn't be out long,” he urged.

Stacy glanced at the window. The sun was setting fast.

Jason was right. They'd have to hurry.

EIGHT

Stacy rang the doorbell at the first house.

A tall man came to the door. “Hey, kids, what's in the box?” the man asked.

Jason didn't waste any time. “Is this your dog, mister?”

The man shook his head. “Sorry,” he said and shut the door.
Slam!

Just up the street from Blossom Hill Lane, they came to the next house.

“You ring, and I'll talk,” Stacy said.

“OK,” Jason replied. “But get right to the point. People don't wanna stand at
their door on a cold night.”