The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-02-10


secondary matter, Where the dog
won't would go; and thus lodged al.
ter him, first down n crooked alley,
then through foul court, and lastly up
0 passage whereit was pitch dark. Here
i groped my way along n damp wall,
and stumbled upon the first step Of
staircase. Being q smoker, however,
had some yesnviansaboutme. Istruck
one, lit piece Of twisted paper with
1t, and, by moments flame thus OBJ.
tained, deserted the dog making his
way up creaky flight Of wooden stairs,
battered in places and rotting from
mold. He barkel when he saw the
light, and growled uneasily. But
softened my voice, and cried out, "Good
dog | COED dog r. trying thereby to ap-
pease him. Isuppose his instinct told
him that l was IN enemy, fer lie turned
round te sniff my trousers, and when
struck second yesuyian he consented
to my accompanying him without doing
anything else but continue his smiling.
We went up three stories in this way,
until we reached the garret-aoor
There were two doors face to face, and
one Of them had q latch with piece OF \
string tied to it. The string danglad
with a loop at its end 10 within o few
inches Of the ground. The dog raised
one OF his forOpaws, pressed II on the
loop, and by this means opened the
door. We both walked in together.
There was arushlight burning in tho
neck OF q ginger bettle. There wns an
empty saucepan in q CRATE without
fire. Some tatterel clothes were hang.
ing on the back of broken chair, and
some bits Of plaster, fallen froma crack.
cd ceiling, were encumbering the floor.
On the splintered deal table was plate
with solitary bone on it, and next to
1t cup with the handle gone. I turn.
cd from tho sight Of these things to n
mattress laid In the corner Of the room.
The light was rendered SO Pickering by
the gusts OF wind that swept through
tho window-towhich bits Of newspaper
had been pasted for wantof glass-that
I could not at first distinguish very
clearly where l was, and what I saw.
| could only hear the affectionate whin.
ings OF the dog, and vaguely see him
leaping upon some one against whom he
was rubbing his heal, and whose face he
was licking with an exuberance OF love.
I heard avoice, too-but q voice so
husky and broken, that It resembled
whisper-repeat feebly. "Good dog
good Jim |" and then 1 saw hand un.
tie the basket, and heard the sound OF
money poured ont on the couch.
"Good Jim l-good Jim !" went on
tue cracked voice; and it began count
ing. "onc, two. Oh ! good Jim =
good Jim ! here's shilling. one.and-
threepence, one.and.ninepence, two
shillings. Oh, good dog three. e.and.a.
penny, throeand-" But here follow
ed terrified shrek.
"who's that" cried the man, COW
,ering up the money with his sheet, and
he looked at mo, livid aud haggarl with
the ague OF fever.
"Don't be frightened" I said; at
am come to do you no hnrm. I am
friend. Ihavefollowed your dog home,
and / desire to help you II you are in
need"
He seemed TO be man about fifty,
for his hair was not all gray; but the
ghastly bollowness OF his checks, the
emaciated condition Of his body, and,
above all, the CLEAN Of disease in his
burning eyes, made him older than
man OF ninety, for thoy told more
plainly than words could have told
that lie had already one foot within his
grave.
My tone and my appearance seemed
10 reassure him; but he continued to
hide his money.
al am a poor man, sir, he gasped-
10 very poor man. l haye nothing but
what my dog earns me, and that's moth
ing. He goes out to idle; and II he
picks up few pence" (here the man
hSd at Of hectic coughing(-"if lie
picks up q few pence, sir, It's all lie do
pick up"
/ felt my heart ache, forT guessed the
truth.
"He's not an idle dog" Isaid. "Has
he not earned you morOthan three sllil-
lings to.day?"
Hoh |! no, sir-no sir; it's three.
pence r protested tllemiser, trembling:
'1t'sthreepencs- -threepence, sir. Look
and see."
And he held up three copper coins
from ont of his covering.
(" You are very Ill, my man." 1 said,
approaching his mattress. "You must
lot me send you doctor"
"0h, sir lno, no; I've no money to
give him. Let me alone, please. Tn
not i'll; shall be well tomorrow. It's
nothing but cold-a-a cold"
His dog was continuing to lick his
face. I remembered that the poor brute
Ind not eaten.
q Your dog must be hungry, I OBJ.
served; "shall I give him this bone
Ho has earned II WE'LL"
"oh, Godl-oh, Godl Let that bone
alone" faltered the unhappy wretch,
trying to rise; "its my supper for to.
night. Jim doesn't want anything; he
picks up plenty in the streets. oht-
ohl I shall starve II You give him that
bone"
~ will buy you something TO eat" I
answered, taking up the bone. to which
there was no particle Of flesh left.
"Here, Jim," said ], holding II out,
But the dog, instead Of accepting the
bone, looked wistfully at his master to
uNo mol Jin," painted the miser
iearfully, and the deg turned away his
head, refusing to be enticed.
uHow long have you been laid up
like this?n was my next question. i
was growing sick at heart. II
Ten weeks, sir-ol ten weeks,
groaned the man-who had caught the