Finders Keepers

 

When my daughters reached the third and fourth grades，I occasionally allowed them to walk to and from school alone，if the weather permitted．It was a short distance，so I knew they were safe and no trouble would befall them．

 

One warm spring day，a small friend followed them home after school．This friend was different from any other friend they had brought home．She had short stumpy legs and long floppy ears，with a fawn－colored coat and tiny freckles sprinkled across her muzzle．She was the cutest puppy I had ever seen．

 

When my husband got home that evening，he recognized the breed――a beagle puppy，not more than twelve weeks old，he guessed．She took to him right away and after dinner climbed into his lap to watch TV．By now the girls were both begging me to keep her．

 

She had no collar or identifying marks of any sort．I didn’t know what to do．I thought about running an ad in the lost－and－found but I really didn’t want to．It would break the kids’ hearts if someone should show up．Besides，her owners should have watched her more closely，I rationalized．

 

By the end of the week she was part of our family．She was very intelligent and good with the girls．This was a good idea，I thought．It was time the girls took responsibility for another life，so they would learn the nurturing skills they’d need if they decided to become mommies when they grew up．

 

The following week something told me to check the lost－and－found section in the local paper．One particular ad jumped out at me and my heart pounded with fear at what I read．Someone was pleading for the return of a lost beagle puppy in the vicinity of our grade school．They sounded desperate．My hand shook．I couldn’ t bring myself to pick up the phone．

 

Instead，I pretended I hadn’t seen the ad．I quickly tucked the paper away in the closet and continued with my dusting．I never said a word about it to the kids or my husband．

 

By now we had named the puppy．She looked like a Molly，so that was what we called her．She followed the girls everywhere they went．When they went outside，she was one step behind them．When they did chores，she was there to lend a hand（or should I say，paw）．

 

Homework proved a challenge with her around．More than once the teacher was given a homework page that the dog had chewed on．Each teacher was understanding and the girls were allowed to make it up．Life was definitely not the same at the Campbell household．

 

There was only one problem with this otherwise perfect picture：my conscience was bothering me．I knew in my heart I had to call that number and see if our Molly was the puppy they were desperately seeking．

 

It was the most difficult thing I‘ve ever done．Finally，with sweaty palms，I lifted the receiver and dialed．Secretly I was praying no one would answer，but someone did．The voice on the other end was that of a young woman．After describing the dog to her in detail，she wanted to come right over．