The Russellville Democrat., 1889-08-08
THE DUFFER. "
The Pathetic Story of Only
 Worthless Cur.


 What on earth made you call the poor brute by such a name as thatg' asked Mr. Be}tou, looking down with a certain contemptuous pity at the non descript animal who was imprintiug dirty paw-marks upon his new box cloth gaiters.
 Well reely, sir,' answered Mir. Markham, the horse-dealer, Il don't 'ardly see what else you could call him. Strayed ere last winter when he was ou'y pup; and as nobody claimed him kep' him, thiukiu' he might turn out to be some good for somethin, But I'm blessed if 1 can discover what the Lord created him for, Won't fight won't kill a rat, won't earn his keep in no sort Q way. So we called him the Duffer, aud he answered as nat raj as I should fl you was to sing out Joe Markham, Give a dog a bad name and 'ang him, they say. Well, I've give him his name, and now l s'pose 1 shall have to do the rest; for l can't afford to pay seven and six year for the likes of him in these ard times.
 He doesn't look well-bred one, observed Mir Belton.
 ''Oh. he's cur. sir; no need to tell you that Got bit of the bull in him. as you see; but what the rest of him is I couldn't say, not if you was to put me on my hoath. Good-natured creat- UT. too; it goes agin' me to put him out O the way. Seems to have took to you wonderful. sir. Curious ain't it, how dogs always know gentleman as understands 'em.
 That very smart young gentleman, Dick Beltou, thought he understood a good deal about dogs. He also thought that he understood good deal about horses. and was under the impression that he had just purchased a valuable hunter at a great bargain from Mir Markham. Whether this confidence in his knowledge and capacity rested upon any solid foundation may be oper to doubt. but at any rate it suficed tC put him in good humor, and he said ''0h. I'll give the poor beggar home if you like. One more dog among sC many won't make much difference"
 Thus it came to pass that, the same evening. smart Mir Belton's smar groom was requested to take charge o an animal. amongst whose advantages eff he had any) smartness could hardly be reckoned.
 All the dogs in the stable-yard mad, inspection Of him; and il Is lamentablt to be obliged to add that each and al of them forced him without any diff culty to accept licking.
 After that 1t was absurd to think O changing his name. As his formel owner had said, what else could yol call him?
 Slavish. passionate, demonstrativ, love is, alas! never appreciated by il; object in this perverse world. and suol an affection it was that the poor Dutfel had conceived for Dick Belton. Nov Mir, Belton had to stand a good deal O ohaG about this ridiculous dog. Tn, DufTer refused to leave him. did no recent being kicked out of the room insisted upon sleeping at his bedroom door. and when he was out hunting howled without iutermission until hi: return Dick Belton was a good humored fellow. but Of course he wa; annoyed by a method Of treatment which h.s been found annoying by all human beings from the beginning o time However. be submitted to | more or less uncompisiniugly for l, good many weeks, and doubtless hi, patience would have held out ever longer but for a most veXatious incl deut which occurred at the very end o . the season.
 In all the world. perhaps, there was nobody for whom Dick entertained feelings Of deeper vcnerauon and es teem than he d.d for Sir Brooke Seat terfeld; So that he WAS naturally,mucl honored and aatiered when Sir Brook, trotted oyer on au oH-day to call upor him. This hale and wcll-preserveJ old gentleman, after inspecting Mr Belton's hunters. was pleased to un bend 60 far as to slap hi, friend ou th, back, calling him a mighty lucky iel low to be able io mount him 90 we'll Now. who could ever have supposes that this kindly and coudescendiug ac was liable tO miscoRstrucioae Wh' could have guessed that the idiotic dol would take it for 8 demonstration O hostiiuy2 Yet some such idcs must DO doubt, have suggested itself 10 ts foolish nuaer, who, without uttsrlng sound, promptly pinned Sir Brooke D, thc leg,
 lt was no easy matter to choke hin oa but this was finally socomp'ishe, hy Dicks strong fingers, and as. by th. mercy of Heaven, the old CenUemal was wearing leather E@iers- he dam age done was comparatively tri8inE Neverthelcss it was very disagree able thing to have happened, aad >i Brooke was not QUito as pleasant sbop it as be might have been.
 This decided the nuAer's fate, II received a tremep9ous tarashlUE,