Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-11-02

come and see him now and then. So ]
made up my mind, and ran off as fast az
my legs would carry me to the lodge
gates.
"They were shut, and the gardener
wife told me the family had just gone
abroad for six months. So my last
hope failed.
"There was no one else to give him
to. Not soul in our long village was
rich enough to keep him, or pay the tax
for him. Evidently my poor Prin was
like many mother creature-one too
many in this sorrowful world. Yet he
looked so happy, so unconscious, frisk-
ing about merriy in the hayfelds we
passed through; perfectly content with
the present, and fearless of the future
having never in all his life known any
ill-treatment. And now?
"Those Cleaver boys! The thought
OF them, and OF Prin III their hands,
nearly drove me wild. How was I to
save him?
''All of sudden, my fathers words
meaningless words I now know they
were-came into my head: Tie a stone
to him and drown him. That would
take him out of all trouble
$50 it would. It should be done.
and [ would do it myself.
Whether the act was wrong or right
[ never stopped to think. And how I
ever made up my mind to do it I could
not tell then, nor can / now. [ only
know did make up my mind-the one
prominent thought in my being to save
Prin from suffering
81 had heard story of lady whose
pet dog was dying in great pain-pain
that nobody could alleviate the
doctors said the kindest thing would be
to give it prussic acid. But the creature
refused everything from any hand except
his mistress. So at last she held up
the dose in bit of meat and held it out
to him; he licked her hand, swallowed
the merciful poison and died. Once !
thought this tender old lady very cruel,
and wondered how she had strength to
do it; now [ could understand.
mo delay was p ossible, for had not
my father said next day Cleaver was to
come? Prin might be taken away quite
early-even before was up in the morn
ing; so must do it over night.
"Rut it was a dreadful thing to do
alone. Suppose he should resist /? Sup
pose he did not want to be drowned
Il shuddered, but tried not to think.
No use thinking. 1t must be DONE"
"TwO friends only had [ to 60 to,
Emily and Fanny. Poor weak Fanny
was no good [ knew; she would have told
her father or her cruel big brothers; but
Emily at the grocer's shop was sensible
ri CIV
went to her door and asked for her, but
she was gone from home. I began to
cry"
"Why do you want her so much 2"
asked her mother.
CT want her to come and help me to
drown Prin.'
"Drown Prin? what are you thinking
of, you silly child? You must have lost
your head" And she stared curiously
at me. No doubt I looked very i'll and
strange. There was fever about, and
she was the mother of many children be-
sides Emily. She shut the door in my
face, but opened it again gently. "Emi-
ly won't be back for ever SO long, my
dear. Go home and ask your mother to
put you to bed"
$50 all the world forsook us. We
were quite without hope, Prin and To
''It was growing dark, and | was half
afraid, and yet half wishful, that he might
slip from me, and run away and get him
self lost. But he did not. He kept
close to my heels until took him up in
my arms again, which he did not quite
like, but submitted. He was as gentle
as lamb with me always.
"We walked a long way-half a mile,
[ think it is by the river side, to a
bridge I knew. The Midway is large
and rapid stream, and hereabouts the
water ran specially fast and deep. It
sparkled and glistened all rosy with the
sunset. [ put my hand into it, and it
felt almost warm. 1t would not hurt
him so very much to be drowned, not
near so much as other things which
might happen-things which | had heard
were done to wretched dogs by the
Cleaver boys.
"The sunset faded, the stars began to
peep ont, but L did not feel frightened,
as I sometimes did in the dark. Indeed,
[ seemed to feel nothing except the lit
tie warm, soft bundle [ carried In my
arms, close to my heart.
ARRIVING at the bridge, sat down,
very tired, half asleep; at least it seemed
like sleepiness, for all things grew indis-
tinct to me except the one thing [ had
come to do. Prin was sleepy, too, for it
was his natural bedtime If we could
only have gone to sleep, both together,
and woke up next morning to find all
was bad dream Or-never wake
again.
"But I reused myself, for the light
was going every minute, and had to
find big stone-the biggest could
and tie it up as tight as possibly could
with piece of strong cord, which had
put in my pocket.
81 had thought Prin might have
given me some trouble, but he did not;
he lay all the time on my lap, quite
quiet; ouly turning once or twice to lick
my hand. I fastened the cord firmly
around his neck; then I took him in my
arms, close and tight, and rolled on the
ground in the agony of my grief. I kiss
ed him over and over agaln-his back
and his silky ears. and even his poor lit