Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-08-14

ments. Among other things she found thai
he could, Mt the word of command, looh
cross-eyed; that he could perform the pc
culiar trick OF taking his long silken ears
in his teeth and, without other assistance,
tying them behind his head, and that (thii
particularly pleased my wife) he would
beat time with his tail to such popular
tunes as Peek Boo" "Sweet Violets,
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. 1t was one Of
the coolest Saturday nights last winter.
This may seem trivial, even an irrelevant,
point Such was by no means the case.
The state Of the weather played most i'm
poitant part in future developments.
After continuing to welcome the dog I'M
lii late hour, my wife made bed for him
of my ulst and such soft material as was
near at Land. She then came to bed, first
putting on extra scuttle of coal in the base
burner to prevent him from taking cold.
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 l have made it q rule
never to find fault around the house any
way since my wife once went into Mysteries
because I wa' in a hurry for a meal, did
not complain. Besides, saw my wife was
enjoying the dogs company, and | did not
feel like casting shadow over her I'M
usually good spirits. The dog, as 1 said,
took her attentions kindly. He seemed
perfectly con ented, 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 a new
family were inclined to be bashful and
be willing TO stly with US right along. |
began to think so, too, he made himself
so entirely mt home. I he way in which he
brushed a bis1ue vase off the escr,toire with
his tail, overturned my wife's waste basket
and helped himself to bone from the
table while we were at breakfast, would
have convinced total stranger that he had
been member of the family for wears.
After breakfast 1 sug ,ested 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 ht.lc en-
ercise outdoors. Ny wife objected at first
She fea ed he mi hit get his feet wet and
and contract pneumonia. l pointed out tho
improbability of such calamity, in view
of the fact that many dogs are obliged to
hustle around all winter for living. I
also told her that the cocker. spaniel wat
fond of wa er in any form, and especially
of snow. This seemed to convince her. Shi
opened the door and called to the dog, but
he evinced no desi e to leave Il comfortable
bsd which he had made for himself of my
best coat on an ottoman.
Nv fa of hot T owl
IDENTIFY was not so familiar rs l might be
with the habits of that breed of dog. After
she had closed the door, however the dog
changed his mind l made no reply to my
wife caustic insinuation, and she permit
ted him - so.
AS he passed out she bestowed kindly
WORD upon him, aud cautioned him not TO
stay long enough to catch cold. The dog
seemed to understand perfectly. He hest
tated on the threshold and glanced back.
seldom have seen such an expression, even
upon the face of q human being, and never
upon dogs face. l shall never forget
that look. His great, eloquent eyes beamed
with affection and gratitude. They said,
as plainly as words could have said: sob,
no! never fear. l can never thank You
enough whole life of love and devotion
could not r'pay Your kindness. will 10
back III fifteen minutes"
Yet, as 1 have before limited, that dog
was capable of the basest inoratitude. HIS
smile was the smile of deceit. Ills atfec-
ton was, like Prince Lorenzo's gayety, all
upon the exterior.
That deg never returned.
At the end of fifteen minutes = wife
began to worry. When half an hour had
elapsed she became nervous. When an
hour had passed she was greatly agitated,
and she remarked that it was all because of
my suggestion to let the dog out, ill the first
place. She SAID she believed | made that
suggestion On purpose, and that she knew
when she let him out he would never come
back. She said she had felt certain of it.
/ assured her | had no sinister motive in
the matter, and inquired, in my always
mild way, why she had let the dog ont at
all if she knew he would not return. She
seemed hurt by this query. She said it was
adding brutality to meanness. | did not
discuss the matter further.
There are two windows in the front sit
ting room that face upon the street. After
my wife had made sure the dog was not in
the back yard she stationed herself at ono
of these windows to watch for him. Anx-
ious 10 remove her suspicious as TO the SIN
cerity of my feeling toward the dog, took
tempted at first to cheer her by encouraging
remarks and hopeful reflections upon thu
dogs absence, but she would not be COM
foltcd, and [ desistcd. We silently sat
AID watched. One of the bitterest storml
Of winter was raging out of doors. But
.or the bowling of the wind as it mad,J
ossed the snow, or the barking of dog in
he distance, the solemn silence of oul
7igil was unbroken. Every time dog
parked, up went my wife's window, and ont
went her head. OF course 1 initiated hel
example. l never before had noticed that
our neighborhood contained q greater num-
Der of dogs than any other quarter Of tow
1 do not even now believe that it does
yet it seemed to that day. 1t seemed to b.
populated principally with dogs. l never
saw SO many dogs in the street in one day
IN my life as passed our house that cold
Sunday; and the barking dogs in the dis
lance apparently outnumbered the double
procession that filed by from two directions.
At intervals of three to five seconds the
voice of some new dog would be heard.
Each time my wife would imagine that was
her dog, and each time up welt two win.
aows and out went two hea Is. Once my
wife saw dog four blocks up the street
that she thought looked like the flithless
spaniel. Before l could remon-
strate she had thrown nubia over h.r
head, and without other wraps rushed out
TO the wicked storm. Naturally, by the
time she reached the second block the dog
was gone. She had hardly got back in o
the house, chilled through as she was, when
she heard another bark. Up went the win
dows again. There was the same dog she
had been chasing up street. This time he
was three blocks down the street. Out