COMMISSARY is one who furnishes supplies of food to an army or body of men, but I dare say you never heard of a dog commissary. He lived at the boarding-school where Toots' mamma went when a little girl, and his owner was the lady who kept the school. Her son brought him home one day and taught him many tricks. Every day he went to market for the family, and it was great fun for the younger girls to see "Captain Com" go out with his basket in his mouth. His errands were always faithfully done. No boy ever dared to meddle with Com, and although he went five blocks to market no one ever tried to get his note out of the basket. Every morning he waited until madam consulted with cook and wrote down the order, and then when it was put into his care he would trot away in a very happy frame of mind. "Com" was very good to the younger pupils. He would let them drive him in a little cart, or play tag with them by the hour. Once in the vacation, when nearly all the pupils had gone home, madam said: "We will not send an order to the butcher to-day; it is so warm, we will have a light lunch."

"Com" did not like this; he was very restless for a long time, and at last one of the children said, "I think Com has gone to market. He tried to get his basket from the nail and he could not; then he ran away."

"We will go out for a walk and see," said madam, "for 'Com' can do everything but talk, and he is greatly distressed because I did not order dinner."

When they reached the butcher's, there was "Com" with his paws on the cutting block, patiently waiting to be served.

"He deserves a nice dinner," said the butcher, and he gave him some meat; still "Com" was not satisfied; he wanted it put up in paper and laid in a basket before he would go away. "Com" never would touch a bit of meat until he went home to cook, with his marketing.

Where Com lived they did not have letter carriers or postmen, and his mistress made a little mail-bag for him which he carried to the office morning and night. He always entered by the back door, and the clerk would kindly wait upon him. Sometimes his bag would be full of letters and papers for the pupils, and then "Com" was very proud. Every night this wise dog guarded the house, and madam always felt quite happy about the younger children if "Com" was with them.

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