第32章一起走过的日子（5）
&ohimhewaslaughing。"Wouldyouhelpmedowairs?"heasked。"I'dliketositoutinthegarden。Ithrowthestieg。"
"Ofcourse，Dad。"I'dbeenthrilledandfromthatmomenton，he&#ressedinleapsandbounds。
Meghadbeeome，aplaymatetothe，butshe'dbeensomuchmoretoDad。She'dbeenwithhimallthetime，keepinghimpanyforthehourshehadtospendalone。Nowonderhe'ddeed。Hehadtimetositandbroodandthink，andsadnesshadsettledallaroundhim。
Thefollowingday，IsettledDadinthegardeheplayichfuleye。
"Iwon'tbelong，"Ipromised。"You'llbeallright，Dad?Ifyouwantanythiitforyou。"
"Tha;Dadsmiled。"Don'tworry。I'llkeepahings。"
IeverreplaceMeg，Ik。ButIcould，perhaps，fillavoidinDad'slife。
I'doananimalhomebeforeandwasn'tpreparedforthesholydogs，butcats，acoupleofpmygoatsandseveralrabbitswantednewhomes。
Twosistersrantheplace。Hardlyaasdoing，Ifoundmyselfpoutmylifestorytothem。
Bahs，owoheendoftherowofpeheveryend，IsawSadiesittingintheer。Shewasn'tsittily。Shewashowling—asad，heart-brokennoise。Assoonasshesawus，shestoppedaatmethroughthewire。Sheseemedtobeweighingmeup。
WhenIpokedmyfihroughthebars，sheshiedawayfromthem。Ispokesoftlythertoe。Afterwhatseemedanage，shecameforwardandlickedmyfingers。
"She&#e;Iremarked，whowshewouldtaketomynoisy。I'dalreadylostmyhearttoherinawayIneverimaginedpossible!
"Herownersmovedaway，"Babssaid。"Theyputherinbkennels，sayingthey'dbebaaweekbuttheyurned。Shewon'tgivehertrusteasily，butifshe'sgivenenoughlove—s?"
"Howcruel!"Igasped。"Howcouldthey?"
"Oh，itcouldhavebeenalotworse，"Babsued。"Shehysicallyhurt，buthercehastakenaterriblebatteriantreassuran'tbeartobealo;
"She'dneverbealo;IsaidandSadiewaggedhertailasifsheuood。"Andinourhouse，believeme，there'sneoflove!"
&home，MatthewandLaurawereoutofsight。Dad，asalways，wasstaringintospace。Hedidn'teveoreadaseemedtospendhiswholelifejustwatgtimeslipa
"Dad。。。"
&urnedame，takiwisterthatIwasn'talone。IlookedatDad'sface。Hestaredatthedogandforanawfulmoment，Ithoughthewasgoiher。ButDadeverbecruel。。。hestretchedouthishandaoher。
"eon，lass，"hesaidsoftly。"Iwon'thurtyou。"
Atlast，sheveohimahisbla。
"What'sher;Dadaskedme。
"Sadie。"
"Hello，Sadie。"
&besidehim，pressingagainsthislegswhilehestrokedherhead。He'diredofdoingthat，justashe'dingMeg。