Connecticut western news., 1883-10-17

me, how late It Is It Will De almost dark when get home. It gets dark so quickly, nowadays, after it once begins.''
 She rose little hastily, but she gave the island very long last look as she closed her portfolio-long enough fol a bystander to have read her name, in gilt letters, on the leather cover-"Percie Lee." But no one was there to read, for lonelier spot than it would have been hard to find, however we'll adapted ia might be for the making of marine sketches.
 Percie was in the road in half minute more, and she could but see that the shadows were lengthening rapidly. She reflected: 'It is lonely for little way beyond Dr. Gorham's, but won't mind it from that to the village. I do hope I shall not meet Heber Gorham. I will not speak to him if I do. I won't even see him. He has not called since he came back from Europe, and hope he never will again. I detest him." She said it with needless energy, and then she began to walk briskly onward. She tried hard, too, to persuade herself that she was only wondering whether, in her sketch, she had made the horns of the COW bear proper proportion to the upper branches of the tree on the island. She was really almost thinking sincerely about the COW, and the COW alone, when she suddenly felt called upon to exclaim
 "Oh, that dog"
 To be sure, that dog. Tsar was on the other side of the road, and he did not seem to be taking any particular mo- tice of her, but thus Percie truly re- marked of him:
 "He is perfectly enormous p She forgot about the COW in an instant but she did not speak her opinion direct ly to the dog. Neither did she think of sketching him, although he was certain ly worth 1t. She seemed hardly to care to look at him.
 Tsar, on his part, had taken a good look at Percie Lee. He was not mis- taken about her for one moment.
 ''Very nice girl. We'll dressed. Pretty, too; but she's out late. Most likely her family are friends of Dr. Gorham. must have an eye on that young lady. It is getting dark
 That eye was what startled Percie sc dreadfully moment later; for she hap pened to look behind her, and there was that vast creature solemnly stalking after her.
 ''He is following me !" she exclaimed.
 Not doubt of it, and the fact that he stopped or went on just when she did hardly seemed to help the matter. It was getting darker and more shadowy every moment, and Percie would have been almost willing to run, if she had not feared that if she did the dog would run too. He appeared larger and larger every time she glanced behind her, un. til she was afraid to look again, and he1 breathing grew little hurried.
 "Nobody's any business to have suct dog p she gasped, in whisper. "It'; awful !''
 ''She seems to be scared about some. thing," thought Tsar. "Girls are apt tc be timid. An, I see It's those ragged rascals coming down the road Villain ous-looking vagabonds. If there is any thing in this world that I hate, it is { tramp"
 That is universal sentiment among dogs of Tsar's social standing, but thu three rufians who were now approach ing were either ignorant of that fact O did not know that such a dog was s,
 very near.
 Dreadful men r' had been the un spoken thought in the mind of Perci Lee, and 1t was followed by doubt a to whether she should ever again dar
 to come down to the cove. ''I must sketch the island," she said
 'fbut I will come in the forenoon"
 The three men were walking abreas
 now, and they were plainly determine not to turn to the right hand or the lei for Percie Lee. She had just time t grasp that terrible idea and to feel he heart jump, when one of them actuall | 6pOh0 bO ucIs
 \ She never knew what he said, and he only reply, as she retreated few steps l was an altogether unintended EttI . scream. It was not loud one, an |, there was more surprise in it than feal g but it was followed by remarkable con : sequences.
 : Tsar had quickened his lordly pace
 full twenty seconds earlier, and for som 0 reason of his own he had advanced s little under the shadow of the fence; bu s his eyes had not wandered from the hr ]. man beings in the road before hin n His head and tail were raised a trifie s and there was very peculiar expressio a on his broad, hairy face. There was n !, love of tramps in 1t at all. l "Oh, now, we hain't hurt you. Yo y needn't squall.'' D
 That was what the second of thos 0 three ruffians began to say when an av g full. wrathful, roaring growl, as of war; n ing, sounded from some deep -jawed ca, g ern among the shadows at the right ( g Percie Lee. It was followed, in or e long, elastic, power-expressing bound 8 by huge dark form that in one secon t more was crouching in front of her. e The first and second tramps upset Il . third, and tumbled over him, so sudde d was the retreat they made, while Tsa e for their special benefit and more i a length, repeated his growl, with 8 SUI 1T elementary snarl that sounded fearful g like the announcement of another sprin ). forward.