Daily Kennebec journal., 1882-10-12
TaIes ano Sketfbes.
Continued from yesterdsy.)

Continued from Yesterday
..How can it be, sir?'' insisted the
father; ..how do you suppose it can be
how long have you had your dog?"
s.Oh! it is very strange, admit, :" said;
II have had him there four years bnt he
ID 10 intelligent and sagacious. that can
hardly doubt theee is some meaning IN
his behavior. / came by him in very
curious manner; found him at sea- and
I was about, in as few words as possible,
to tell bis story, when movement from
the young lady stopped ne. She rose
from the bench, and now, with total abb
sence Of fear, stopped down to the dog.
took hold of him, and looked straight into
his face, and then exclaiming, with wild
sort Of cry, anite out of character with the
situation. why, papa! it's BOBBY, it's
Booby - fell forward senseless upon the
ground. Her father. with my aid, i'm
mediate!v lifted her bark to her seat,
supporting her in his arms, The dog bark
ing and rushing to and fro, 10 "A mad state
of excitement She was in death like
faint, and defied all our small attempts at
restoration. Finding this. | volur tsered
TO 90 for assistance and, with few basty
words. set off toward the nearest d"ctor's.
Waif following me for some little distance
and then scampering back to the cliff. and
then back again after me. ! was 30
puzzled and excited BIZ tie rapidiiy with
which these events had happened. that
had no time to think and suppose | was
gone much longer than | fancied on my
errand. for, as l returned to the spot with
the doctor. twilight was fast fading out OF
the sky. and to my further astonishment,
there was no one on the bench.
The doctor, concluding that he would
not now he wanted, left me with brief
GOOD nightp' and /. full OF curiosity TO
clear mp the mystery of poor Waits ante
cedents, upon the track OF which had at
last evidently come. mechanically turned
down the cliff and directed nv steps
toward the little cottage where ! knew
nv, or rather my dogs friends resided.
It was approached by u winding gar
den-path, giving upon a low sea-wall. The
moon was already rising. and shed light
sufficient to reveal when within short
distance of The house, the old gentleman
coming hastily toward me. Very formal
ly he raised his hat, and said. 'Sir, was
about to seek you, and explain that my
daughter having recover,d d somewhat. we
ly. She was much agitated we are both
much agitated-and | will ask you, il you
please, 10 tell me at once. how you be-
came possessed of your dog. You were
indeed correct in saying that he knew INV
daughter though could hardly imagine
it at the time. But as you saw at length,
she recognized him. and we thus appear
to have found clue for which have been
- r. Il,
"A great family grief-which you must
pardon nv not entering upon just now"
noticed. as we stood together in the
moonlight. that the care-worn anxious
look he always bore was much intensified.
As proceeded to recount to him Waits
story, he sat down upon the edge OF the
wall. looking earnestly into INV face. and
hanging upon every breath. He displayed
great emotion throughout. but when
came to the incident of the unhappy man
on the wreck. sinking never to rise again.
and concluded by stating that no other
trace of the vessel had ever been discov-
cred. he was entirely overcome, and. for
several minutes, hid his face with his
hands. moaning bitterly. With strong
effort he somewhat recovered himself af-
ter while. but his voice trembled and
broke. as he proceeded 10 say
The dog. sir, belonged to nv son, and
from what you tell me. have every rea-
son to believe it was my son whom you
saw peri-h so miserably. His dog would
have staid by him To the last. We have
heard nothing from him for nearly six
years; he disappeared. in fact. no one
knew whittier" And now. quite unable
to stay his tears. the poor old man added.
'Oh it is fit. it is fit that should hear of
this it is fit tha, should be thus punished
Forgive me, sir, ii leave YOU now.
thank you, thank you very much but
tomorrow shall be better able to talk
to you. Yonder Is where live, come to
me. pray !" and in u few minutes he had
retu,n ned to the house and entered it.
Needless almost it is 10 say that | did
not fail to present myself next morning
alone of course-tor. rs last night. even
after what had passed upon the cliff. Wait
would not come down upon the lower
walk. although he appeared quite to un-
stand where was going He was greatly
distraught. and spent as restless night
as | did. A close acquaintance naturally
was very soon the result of this rencontre
OF mine with the two visitors at Calais
court. who had so excited my interest. II
is not wonderful that bv degrees became
the sharer of many family condolences.
Those which concern this narrative may
be briefly stated and as it has been un-
necessary to mention any names. have
no compunc,ion about giving their out
line.
Nv poor old friend had treated his only
son (s scapegrace, no doubt. at hearty
with undue severity from the boys earli-
est days. The feud between father and
son widened as the latter grew to man.
hood. He resented the tyranny, and the
sister alone retarded a catastrophe. for
the mother had died when both were in
fapts. At last continual scenes of violence
and recriminalion were brought to eli
max by the son leaving the house with
the paternal curse upon his head. He
went abroad for time. and then returned
to live life of disreputable dissipation in
London. He communicated clandesiinely
with his sister. inducing her to bring him
money to his lodgings. Then she saw
the poodle dog he had brought from
France, and whom he declared to be the
staunchest and best friend. save herself
Ito whom the dog evinced also the warm
est attachment). that he had in the world !;
nothing. he insisted. would separate them
but death. and. in contradistinctiol to the