Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-08-20

90 ~ ups GRITTY COl0Q0 BACK and
forth, shut a door, walk on his hind 1ens
lie down and roll over, saw his nrnve1s'
snake hands, and perform other Common
aog tricks; but before he had been in the
mouse half or hour my wife discovered
enat tne dog had far greater accomplish
menus. Among other things she found that
ne could, at the word of command. look
cr9ss-eyed; that he could perform the pc
cuiiar ulck of taking his long silken ears
IN MS teeth and, without other assistance.
Tying them behind his head, and that (thiss
particularly pleased my wife, he would
peat tlme with his tail to such popular
tunes as "Peek-a-Boo," Sweet Vioiets.n
"see-Saw." and the "Mikado Waltz at
the same barking the accompaniment to
them.
l had nearly neglected to mention the
time of the dogs arrival. It was one of
the coolest Saturday nights last winter.
Ihls may seem o trivial, even an irrelevant,
point. Such was by no means the case.
The state of the weather played q most i'm
portant part in future developments.
After continuing to welcome the dog un-
til q late hour, my wife made a bed for him
OF my ulster and such soft material as was
near at hand. She then came to bed, first
putting an extra scuttle of coal in the base
w P4ONOAV AAAl A1Oul Luh1lS CUlUs
Early the next morning she was astir. So
was the dog. He had Become somewhat at
home bythis time, and never saw my wife
more pleased over any visitor in the house,
not excepting her own mother. Breakfast
was unusually late that morning, but as it
was Sunday, and as I have made it q rule
never to find fault around the house any
way since my wife once went into Mysteries
because l was i'll q hurry for q meal, I did
no complain. Besides, 1 saw my wife was
ENJOYING the dogs company, and 1 did not
feel like casting a shadow over her I'M
usually good spirits. The dog, as I said,
took her attentions kindly. He seemed
perfectly contented, and my wife remarked
that for a strange dog he was extremely
sociable. This pleased her, for she said
she had noticed that most dogs in q new
family We're inclined to be bashful and
difident; but she thought this dog would
be willing to stay with us right along.
began to think SO, too, he made himself
SO entirely ut home. The way in which he
brushed a bisque vase off the escritoire with
his tail, overturned my wife's waste basket,
and helped himself to q bone from the
table while we were at breakfast, would
have convinced a total stranger that he had
been a member of the family for years.
After breakfast I suggested that the dog
might not be accustomed to continual con
tinement in the house. and that perhaps
it would be we'll to let him have q little eX-
ercise outdoors. My wife objected at first
She feared he might get his feet wet and
and contract pneumonia. 1 pointed out the
i%mprobability of such q calamity, in view
of the fact that many dogs are obliged tt
hustle around all winter for a living. ]
also told her that the cocker spaniel wat
fond of water in any form, and especial.
of snow. This seemed to convince her. Sht
opened the door and called to the dog, bu
he evinced no desire to leave a comfortable
bed which he had made for himself of m.
best coat on an ottoman.
My wife at once ~insinuated that 1 evi
IDENTIFY was not SO familiar as 1 might b,
with the habits of that breed of dog. Ate
she had closed the door, however, the do!
changed his mind. L made no reply to m,
wife's caustic insinuation, and she permit
ted him to go.
AS he passed out she bestowed q kindl,
word upon him, and cautioned him not t,
stay long enough to catch cold. The do
seemed to understand perfectly. He hest
tated on the threshold and glanced back.
seldom have seen such an expression, evel
upon the face OF a human being, and neve
upon q dogs face. I shall never forge
that look. His great, eloquent eyes beamet
with affection and gratitude. They said
as.plainly as words could have said: "Oh
no! never fear. 1 can never thank yo,
enough; a whole life of love and devotio,
could not repay your kindness. 1 will b.
back in fifteen minutes"
Yet, as I have before limited, that dot
was capable Of the basest ingratitude. Hi
smile was the smile OF deceit. His atfec
tion was, like Prince LorenZo's gayety, al
upon the exterior.
That dog never returned.
At the end of fifteen minutes my wifi
began to worry. When half an hour hat
elapsed she became ervous When al
hour had passed she was greatly agitated
and she remarked that it was all because o
my suggestion to let the dog out, i'll the frs
place. She said she believed [ made tina
suggestion on purpose, and that she knew
when she let him out he would never com
back. She said she had felt certain Of it
I assured her I had no sinister motive il
the matter, and inquired, in my Away
mild way, why she had let the dog out a
all if she knew he would not return. Sh'
seemed hurt by this query. She said it wa
adding brutality to meanness. I did no
discuss the matter further.
There are two windows in the front sit
ting-room that face upon the street. Ate
my wife had made sure the dog was not il
the back yard she stationed herself at on
of these windows to watch for him. Anx
ious to remove her suspicious as to the sin
cerity of my feeling toward the dog, l too
up o position at the other window. l at
tempted at first to cheer her by encouraging
remarks and hopeful reflections upon tn
dogs absence, but she would not he com
forted, and I desisted. We silently sa
and watched. One of the bitterest storm
of winter was raging out of doors. Bu
for the bowling of the wind as it mudl
Tossed the snow, or the barking OF a dog il
the distance, the solemn silence of gu
vigil was unbroken. Every time a do
barked, up went my wife's window, and on
went her head. Of course I initiated he
example. I never before had noticed tina
our n%eighborhood contained Il greater mum
Der of dogs thar any other quarter OF owl
.I-I do not even now believe that 1t does
vet it seemed to that day. 1t seemed to D.
populated principally with dogs: l neye
saw SO many dogs i'll the street in one ia.
in nv life as passed our house that colt
Sunday; and the barking dogs IN the DIS
tance apparently outnumbered the double
procession that filed by from two directions
At intervals OF three to five seconds IN
voice of some new dog would be heard
Each time my wife would imagine that wa
S,.. ord oocb time mn went two win