Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-15

Wy SoWh tOilC CGthE
That troublesome Brier has no business there;
'ere, John, dig it up; throw it into the fire."
And That MM was 1 fne en Rae OF th ae i Hitne Greist hrler.
HOW THE SPOONS WERE SAVED.
Two Remarkable bronze Dogs and q boy
Who Was q Sort of q Hero.
Eyes" Philip Howard was saying,
''I'll tell it to you ten times more. it
you say so. 1t is as true as preaching.
Every time those bronze dogs on Uncle
james Monroe's steps hear the Fourth
Ward tire-alarm they jump down and
bark"
"Pooh!" said Earnest Weston. II
don't believe it. Bronze dogs can't
bark"
II didn't say they could" replied
Philip. II only know these do every
time they hear that bell"
81 don't understand it. Of course I
know well enough that it's a trick, but
l can't see through it," said Richard
Monroe. ''Say the whole thing over
once moro, slowly, won't you, Philip"
Philip spoke with great di%stinctness:
"You know, I presume, the house or
Euclid avenue, where Mr.. James Mon
roe, who has the honor of being my
uncle, lives?"
II ought TO-" said Richard, doubt
fully, ':for l live there myself, if he is
the Mr.. James Monroe who has the
honor of being my father"
Exactly the same" replied Philip.
"Well you are aware then that beside
the steps before that house are two dogs
made of bronze. Many a time and oft
have you and I played circus upon their
backs, and now you pretend not to un-
derstand me when I say that every time
they hear the Fourth Ward fre-alarm
they jump down and bark"
Ibid you ever see them do iL?" per-
sisted Richard.
"No." i.
Philip admitted the fact with some
reluctance.
II never remember, though, being at
your house when the Fourth Ward fire.
alarm sounded. You must have been
there lots of times-queer you never
noticed them"
Zone question more and I'll STOP"
said Richard. ;':Haye they always done
SOP"
"Always; just the same as now," was
Philips prompt response.
And Richard, paus:ng only to say: Il
know it's a trick and not the truth, and
I'll find out before I'm DONE" walked
slowly away from the boy and towards
his own home.
"Why didn't you tell himp" said
Earnest to Philip. ..He'll bother over
it eve so long"
'But he'll puzzle it out before he
stops" said Philip, proudly. "He is a
smart little fellow, if.be is ny cousin;
he thinks and thinks till he gets things
worked out every time"
On the steps leading up to the front
door Richard stopped to look at the
dogs. They were certainly quiet, as
their kind are liable to be; if they
jumped down to bark at fires, they were
worry careful to Jump back in exactly the
same place.
1t was very provoking to be so puz-
zled by what he knew perfectly well
was only the twist of some word; though
he repeated Philips sentence over and
over without getting the least idea of
what the catch might be.
The next Wednesday he was wakened
in the night from u sound sleep by the
noise of a door, slamming violently. He
started up in his bed, listened, and heard
the ringing of the Fourth Ward fire.
alarm bell.
Then, if ever, was the time for prov
ing that dog story. He was forbidden
to 20 to fires at night; but Tom. who
was grown up and did business with
o lumber company, always went. He
had slammed the door, which Richard
knew would be unbolted until his re-
turn.
Richard had never been told that he
must not go into the garden to hear the
dogs on the step bark at fire-bells, so
hastily slipping or shoes and clothes he
made his way quietly down the stairs
and out the door.
The dogs were in the usual position,
but Richard knew that Philip had some
founds lion of truth to his declaration;
SO he waited for the bell to ring again.
He leaned upon one of the dogs dan
geEous proceeding if the animal per-
formed as Philip predicted. But Rich
ard knew that it tie rush of the hose
carts caused a trembling. or if the wind
or echo sounded in their throats the
xentlest noise, that could be exagger-
ated into q bark, he should be in a po-
| sitiOn to hear.
But there was neither motion nor
sound. Again and again the bell sound
ed, and each time the dogs failed to
jump, or bark, or be in the slightest de-
gree affected.
He was so interested in his expert
ment that he did not notice Tom, who,
finding the fire far distant from his
lumber-yard, had returned after a few
| moments.
The slipping Of the bolt on the inside
| OF the door reused Richard to the fact
that he was locked out. When he
Thought of ringing the bell, and so gain
ing admittance, he had for the first time