The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-09-25

long, ana only one other man was IN the
place-Sam Williams, his old rival.
"You two must go" said the proprie-
tor, waving his hands about. "I know
it is hard, John; but Sam can bring the
furnace and tools in, and you can get
straight home. You have time, and you
shall be paid for overwork, both of you,
and I'll send present to the bride on
Monday. This is a necessary job, or I'd
let you off"
John did not grumble, though he felt
irritated. He hurried off as fast as he
could followed by Williams. The men
did not like each other, and Williams
was still jealous.
They spoke very little. Old Rock fol-
lowed at Johns heels and crouched out
side the building, when he was locked
out, as usual.
The mems work took them down into
the cellar, and into some great vaults
there. They worked without any more
talk than was necessary, and at last the
job was done.
Williams had tested the leak at his
part of the work and was about to call
to John, whose light shone at the other
end of the dark cellar, when suddenly the
light went out. There was n crash, q
cry. Williams did not know what had
happened, but judged that great beam
that had been lifted out of place had fall
len. He waited; there was silence. And
now having, the opportunity, the demon
lac spirit Of. revenge asserted itself. He
would not have planned to kill his rival,
but he thought with JOY that some bad
accident had happened to him. He
thought, too, that it was not his work,
and that he was not called upon to alter
it. If John was dead Jessie would be
free again. Then he said to himself,
with Satan's sophistry;
"How do l know anything has hap
pened9 John has gone home, banging
the door after him. That's ALL A fine
way to go off and leave fellow, " he said
aloud; and gathered up the furnace and
bag of tools and went his way locking all
the doors behind him, and leaving the
keys with the person who had charge of
them, saying that his mate had gone off
without a goodbye, leaving him alone in
the cellar.
"Queer I,never saw him." said the old
man; but Sam did not relent. He took a
night train out of town to spend Sunday
at his mothers in the country and be out
of the way of questions.
And this is how John did not come to
his own wedding. He lay in the cellar
hardly conscious, unable to lift the beam
from his leg, and in sort of dream, think
ing of his Jessie and seeming to hear Old
Rocks voice somewhere.
The poor girl arose wretched, and
quite sure that John had Tilted her. She
never thought of any accident. As she
sat at her late breakfast, trying not to
show her grief and shame, and wondering
how she should go home and face the
girls, something pushed at the door.
The mother opened it, and the dog she
hated so, Old Rock himself, walked in.
He looked forlorn and hungry, his coat
covered with mud, his eyes red, his ap-
pearance miserably hideous, his manners,
too, had altered for the worse, for in
stead of galloping playfully about, striv.
ing to lick Jessie's face and wagging his
tail, as usual, he sat down on his hind
legs and began at once to deliver series
of those piteous howls with which his
species are supposed by the superstituous
to celebrate the departure of an immortal
soul from this vale of tears.
At this, "A sudden revulsion took place
in Jessie's feelings, and with wild
scream she uttered her conviction that
John was dead, and that the dog knew
it.
In this the family coincided to an indi-
vidual. Then the dog. began TO pull at
JeSSie's flounces.
"We have had our doubts, we have
had our doubts" groaned the father.
Johns not man to iilt a girl that way,
quarrel or no quarrel"
"And the dog just says it plain as
words, sobbed the mother. "When my
grandfather was drowned his dog came
home just like that. Oh, poor John!
You'll never see him no more, child,
never no more.'
Meanwhile, the dog pulled and howled
harder than ever.
"Silence, there" cried the old grand
mother, from the cosy corner, where she
was breaking her bread into a bowl of
coffee. ''Mebbe the parted sperit came
along with the dog. The creeter is
going to lead you to the body. Stop
your cryin', an go. Follow him. He
knows better than you, for Johns along
of him. Co."
With her blood curdling in her veins,
Jessie obeyed. She tied on her hat, and
buttoned herself into a sacque, and went
down the stairs and out into the streets,
with the Sabbath stiffness upon them. 1t
was not easy to keep pace with Old Rock
| along the payements; but she did so,
and at last stopped with him before a
great, empty looking public building.
Here the dog burrowed at a grating, and
began to howl again.
1t was more than Jessie could stand.
She burst into bitter tears, and was
| obliged 10 sit down ON the sidewalk and
hide her face in her hands.
Is he down there, Rocki" she sobbed.
And Rock wagged a Yes with his
queer, bushy tail.
Then Jessie went TO work. A police
man, kindly disposed; an old man with a
bunch of key; much talk disclosure of
the fact that plumbers were down cellar
late Saturday afternoon, led at last to
descent into the cellar, where Old Rock,
in a state of delight past all bounds, led