The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-07-19

home, there suddenly came into his
mind picture of the house and its sur
roundings, and this was followed by
the queer kind Of feeling of which l
have spoken, and which he did not ever
remember to have experienced before.
He could see the cottage with the
green blinds all closed as an intimation
to any passer-by that the family was
absent. His old dog. which had come
with him all the weary way across the
plains, and had met and welcomed him
before he reached the gate on his return
from short absences. ever since they
settled in the valley, would not do so
to-day. for he was with him in the
wagon.
The dog had become too old and stiff
70 take pleasure in following the wagon.
as q general thing, and preferred re-
manning mt home with the family when
Erastus drove the fruit wagon to town,
but when he saw preparations taking
place for the trip to San Francisco. he
had pricked up his ears with evident
interest. and when tn. entire family
came out to get into the wagon, old
Bose was close at their heels, and nei-
Their coaxing nor threats could induce
him to remain behind when the wagon
started.
Evidently he thought that another
journey across the plains was to b. un-
dcrtaken, and though much preferring
to lie in the sunshine and keep the
chickens out of the front yard, to any
more laborious service, he would yet
have undergone any torture rather than
be separated from the family, and a
look of pain and mortified pride came
into his honest eyes when told by his
master that he must remain and watch
the house, and instead of obeying he
crcpt close to their feet and looked
piteously up as if begging them not to
leave him behind, now that they were
going away, never to return. And so
they pattcd him on the head and called
him good fellow and .'brave old
dog and told him he should 60 if he
wanted to. Then his whole dcmcanor
changed. He gave great bark and
| showed his teeth in an attempt to laugh.
which can not be said to have been an
entire failure, and endeavored in every
possible way to express his thanks and
assure them that he was the proudest
and bravest dog on the Pacific coast,
and ready and able for any service that
might be required of him.
Then he started on ahead of the
wagon, looking back every few rods to
make certain that he was leading in the
| right direction; but before they were
half way to town he had dropped back
to the side Of the wagon; then he fell
into the rear. and finally. looking back
and seeing how nearly the poor old fel-
low was tired out and how piteously he
, begged with his great eyes not to be
left behind, the wagon had been
brought to q stop and Erastus had got
out and lifted him in with the rest of
the family where the girls and Mrs.
Parsons had had some difficulty in in
ducing him not to show his gratitude
in too demonstrative manner. When
they descended from the wagon and
went on board the steamer he was 50
fearful Of being left that he kept in
front of them and under their feet until
several members of the family came
near falling over him; but when Erastus
had said goodbye to them all and
turning to go called to him to follow.
he went willingly. evidently satisfied
! that after all he was mistaken and this
was only holiday excursion.
And now he sat upon the seat with
, Erastus in perfect contentment and
with slight air of Importance, as if he
felt consciousness of having proven
anew his devotion TO those he served,
and had received a recognition of his
value.
Ordinarily the presence of the dog
might have prevented any feeling of
| loneliness in the man had he been dis
| posed to it; but to-day, although he did
feel that the dog was company in Il
sense, vet his very presence, being unu-
sual. served to remind him that the
house to which they were returning
was desolate. and somehow things took
on an unreal look, and when he turned
/ into the barnyard and saw the chickens
and turkeys scratching in the straw or
wallowing in the dust, he was not quite
certain whether they We're chickens and
turkeys or just the ghosts of those that
were wont to scratch and strut there
before all other signs of life had ceased
and such an unnatural and oppressive
stiffness had settled down over the
place.
After taking the gears from the horses
and feeding them he started to the
house to get his dinner. The thought
of cooking his own meal was not quite
SO pleasant now as he had thought il
might be, and he was half inclined to
go without IL or take a cold snack and
wait until night before cooking any.
thing. Then his appetite began to re-
turn, and he concluded 10 at least fry .
couple of eggs and make cup Of cot
fee.
He entered the house by the back
way, and stood for moment looking
about him. The fire was out in ths
kitchen stove: the chairs stood, stiff.
backed and unsociable. against tho
wall; the room had lost its air Of cheer.
fulness, and his football had lonely
kind Of sound as he stepped on thu
bare kitchen floor.
He threw open the door which opened
onto the kitchen porch and let in tlooJ
of sunshine. The old dog had pre-
cedcd him to the house and taken his
accustomed place upon the porch and
was sting. When Erastus opened the
door, the dog opened one eye sleepily
and half raised his head as if TO inquire
ii lie was wanted for anything. and then
stretched himself to sleep again. Every.
thing seemed asleep or dead, and he
cooked and ate his dinner with feel
ing a. il he was cut Off from all human
society by thousand miles of desert.
When he had eaten his own meal he
called Bose in and set down plate
with scraps on it for him to eat.
Then, not knowing exactly what to do
with the remainder OF the food which
he had cooked, he set that down for the
dog also, and took his hat and went out
to work.
Several times that afternoon he won
dered to himself that he had never be-
fore noticed how still it was out there
in the orchard. and whether it was al
ways so perfectly quiet on the farm any
how; and if the geese swimming about
in the little pond made for them by
means of Il low dam across the creek
always moved around without making
any more stir in the water; or if theil
occasional "honk" when one rose NJ
in the water and tapped his wings wa.
always pitched on that particular lone