The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-09-08
From the Atlantic MonthIyJ
ANNEXED BY THE TSAR
BY WILLIAM o. STODDARD,

He was huge dog, and he stood by
the kennel, IN old DR.. Gorham's back
yard, IN an attitude of deep meditation.
There was one subject for dog-thought
lying right before him, and the other lay
only yard or so beyond the first.
The one was an empty ''muZzle" that
lay upon the grass, close by the couple
of well-picked bones. The second was an
equally empty steel collar, with strong
chain attached. The end of the chain
was hooked into a staple at the side of
the kennel door.
Tsar was dog 10 look twice at. His
father was a Siberian bloodhound and
his mother an English mastiff, and DIR.
Gorham would have trusted him to pull
down a wild bull or to ring church bell,
If he could once have seized with his
massive jaws the nose of the one or the
ringiug-rope of the other.
Tsar made no audible remark. but
there was no difficulty at all in divining
his meditations.
'They have fed me an hour before
shutdown for some reason, and now
they've gone off and neglected me. No
muzzle, no chain, no master around, and
all the country left open to me. 1t is a
sad state of affairs to which [ am not
accustomed at this time of day. If there
were another bone with meat on it I'd
know exactly what to do"
He put out a great paw and turned
the muzzle over. Then he walked for
ward and smelled of the helpless collar.
Then he p. cred solemnly into the ken
mel. There was a mystery about the
whole matter, and it seemed to suggest
visit to the front gate. That, too, was
wide open as witness to the haste re-
CURED by the summons of the last pa
tlent, and Tsar could therefore walk out
and look up and Gown the shady road
for an explanation of his own case. He
could not GEO any, at fret, for there was
nothing to be learned from a flock of
geese, three hens, and one stray calf
The very pig that was roofing under the
walnut tree paid him no manner of at
tention.
Tsar shrugged his broad shoulders to
make sure about the collar, paved his
nose for moment III memory of his
muzzle, and turned fora Look at the gate
There it was, with very dingy old ii
sign on one post, whose faded letteI
read: CDR. Heber Gorbam, and with
very new tin sign on the other pos
whose bright, fresh gliding announce,
"Dr. Heber Gorham, Jr. ;" as also ready
for patients.
That was all right, and 1t occurred to
Tsar that walk would be good for
health. He acted on the suggestion
promptly enough, but with dignity, as
became dog of his size; and no voice
from the house recalled him, as he
mar ched away from the road toward the
SEQ. A sniff of salt air would be Just the
thing for his digestion, after the hearty
dinner he had eaten at the kennel.
The sun was getting very low toward
the horizon, and yet, away down there
on the rock at the head of the cove 6
curly headed young lady of 10, or there,
abouts, was still seated, bending over
portfolio spread across her lap. From
time to time she cast anxious chances
from the lines she traced upon the sheet
of Bristol board under her hand to the
more and more shadowy island, ou
there in the mouth of the cove.
THAT will do, she said. at looks
bigger than the boat, now, but it ISM
big enough for the tree. / must make
the tree smaller; the cows back, too
it's half as long as the island. There
is always something dreadful the mat
ter with my waves" She worked a
the waves for a few minutes. elf
had time, Ia try to put IN the sunset
Dear me, how late it is 1t will be al
most dark when / get home. 1t get
dark so quickly, nowadays, after it once
begins"
She rose little hastily, but she gave
the island very long last look, as sht
closed her portfolio-long enough for
bystander to have read her name, IL
gilt letters, on the leather cover
"Percie Lee. But no one was there
to read, for lonelier spot than that i
would have been hard to find, howeve
well adapted it might be for the maxim!
of marine sketches.
Percie was in the road in half min
ute more, and she could but see tina
the shadows were frightening rapidly
She reflected: at is lonely for littl
way beyond DR.. Gorham's, but l won
mind 1t from that TO the village. l d.
hope shall not meet Heber Gorham
Will not speak to him, if l do.
won't even see him. He has not callet
since he came back from Europe and
nope he never will again. / detes
him."
She said 1t was needless energy, ant
then she began to walk briskly onward
She tried hard, too, to persuade hersel
that she was only wondering whether, il
her sketch, she had made the horns O
the COW near proper proportion to th
upper branches of the tree on the island
She was really almost thinking sincerel,
of the cow, and the COW alone, whel
she suddenly felt called upon to ex
claim:
ooh, that dog"
To be sure, that dog. Tsar was oil
the other side of the road, and he dit
not seem to be taking any particular no
tlce of her, but thus Percie truly re
marked of him:
" he is perfectly enormousr'
She forgot about the COW in an in
slant, but she did not speak her opinion
directly to the dog. Neither did SD,
think of sketching him, although he wa
certainly worth it. She seemed hardl,
to care to look at him.
Tsar, on his part, had taken a goot
lock at Percle Lee. He was not mis-
taken about her for one moment.
"Very nice girl. Well dressed