The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-02-20
TIE PRESS.
On. Y. independently
A Dogs Luck.



Hero was only a dog. 1T would not do to
let him make trouble in the house, his mas
ter said to himself. He had probably
spoiled him. He apologized to his mistress
for Hero, and (shall l tell it?)he apologized
to Hero for his mistress. 1--WE must try
TO please her, old fellow. She's a good
woman, you know" And he stroked and
petted Hero to his hearts content, as he
said, for they were out in the barn. Hero
did not fancy the barn. He felt degraded
to stay there, after being so long house
dog and used to the best society; but he had
found out that there was his best chance to
play with his master, and that reconciled
him to it.
When May came around again, Bessie
had little brother, and the house was
turned upside down in his honor. There
was man and maid for The work, there
were relatives of the wife to stay with her,
and altogether it was busy time. Hero
had little part in it all. He followed his
master more and more to the fields. He
logged his steps as he planted and hoed,
but he rarely ventured further than the
door of the room where was the mys-
terious stranger he knew his place
at last, and the triumphant house
keeper could not imagine the differ
ence it made to him. A few times when
she was out, he strayed in, and so made a
sic had quite deserted him for this ''live
dolly,' as he she had called him, he had
hard work not to think Baby hated rival.
Aft er her baby, the thing Mrs. Ray loved
best was her poultry. She had some new
varieties that Spring, and when she could
get out it was her first pleasure to watch
them. They were Chittagongs and Brah-
mas-great, ungainly things Hero thought;
but he would not have minded them if Mr..
Do ho1f Mt half n nlaqSo his
wife, had not petted them so much He
grew jealous, wildly jealous of his rivals,
and so it happened that one day his master
caught him chasing the brood. This would
never do. HERDS doom was sealed, if he
took to such habits, and so, for almost the
first time in his life he had scoding from
his master.
the way of mischief. A week later one of
the brood was missing. Mrs. Ray suspected
Hero; but there was no proof against him.
The next week another was gone, and this
time Hannah, the girl, bore witness to have
ing seen the dog chase the brood the day
before. Still, his master would do nothing
except talk to Hero, though he felt sure of
his guilt. Three days after, coming up from
the field she found Hero shut up in an
abandoned stall, and bloody heap of
feathers close to the door told the whole
story. There was no doubt of his guilt now,
and Mrs. Ray insisted on punishment. She
had not dared herself to touch the dog. The
wild look he had given her when she came
near with the stick had frightened her; but
all the more now she was vehement against
him.
''Now that he's got the habit of chasing
chickens, there'll be no curing him Pm sure,
It is just as I told you, last week. 1t would
be much better to get rid of him. He's too
old to be of any use, and / shall be afraid to
let Bessie go near him. l believe he's half
mad
That was what Hero heard her say outside
the prison within which he was raging.
'Can't sell Hero" his master answered,
sand I've never yet had to punish him; dut
we shall have to do something, suppose.
Hero,'' opening the door, show could you
be SO bad, old felIow?''
And Hero only put his penitent head on
his knee and tried with his eyes to tell him
the story of his love and jealousy and UNI
happiness. The masters heart was heavy
for him, but he could not understand it all,
1t ended in his getting chain for the dog
and fastening him TO post by the barn door.
When he could, he slipped the chain on his
way to the fields and called Hero after him;
but the greater part of his time he was
chained up. 1t was hard lines for the dog.
He grew gaunt and haggard and cross. He
howled at the man when he took the horses
from the stable; he snapped at the hens
when they yentured too near He was
miserable dog, and alone with his own self
respect he was losing every ones else.
When the children, his old play-fellows came
to see Bessie, Mrs Ray warned them not to
go too near his kennel. He saw them in the
pleasant orchard, he heard their shout and
laughter, but all that was over for him now.
Long, lonely hours he spent tugging at his
chain and barking at stray passers. An
ugly dogr' they sometimes said. 'See how
he shows his teeth. No wonder he's tied
up.' And often a stone came rafting
toward him in sign of enmity. Plainly he
was no longer mans best friend.
So the miserable summer wore away. and
in the autumn the railroad was, at last, COM
pleted to the station beyond them. They
had waited so long for it that it was great
event. 1t ran over one corner of Mr.. Rays
farm. He had had good price for the land.
In the spring new house would be built in
place of the little, low cabin in which they
had lived SO long. Mr., Ray was already
busy over plans and purchases. He went
often to town, but as his wife was with him
nearly always, Hero could not follow. At
last, one lovely day in October came the
opening of the new line. There was to be a
grand excursion down the road to the central
station, and Mr.. Ray and his wife and Bessie
were to go, the girl being left in charge of
The house and baby. When Mr.. Ray went
to the barn, to help the man get out the
team for the ride to the depot, he unclaimed
Hero. The dog should have his holiday, too,
with them, he said.
So poor Hero had long days liberty.
He watched the merry party ride away, and
then he went to the creek for a swim. Oh!
how delicious it was to roam about at his
pleasure, to stretch himself in the sun, snap
lazily at the flies, and doZe away an hour!It
was late in the afternoon when he came out
the other side of the little grove on the bank
of the railroad cutting. 1t was apretty place,
this bit of wood on the slope of a rolling
prairie, and from the little eminence one
could see far. over the peaceful, smiling
farms. And like black line thro' all the
green and gold ran the railway cutting, shut
in by it's steep banks and winding in curious
curves, to avoid the higher slopes. Every
thing was SO calm and still, just the stray
tinkle of distant COW bell pulsating in the
silence. Every thing was bathed in warmth
and color by the declining sun. No wonder
Hannah had brought her afternoon sewing
out here, and was looking at the sunset and
listening to John, who on his way to pasture
for the cows, had stopped for little chat.
But she had forgotten the baby, SO lost in
talk was she; and he. left to himself, had
deserted the quilt, on which he had been