Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-07-31
A PRODIGAL'S RETURN.
The Touching Tale OF Donal and
His Double.

Mr. Ambrose Dornley lived at Up
perbrooko UpperbrooAe is a pretty
better than pretty, indeed; one
might almost call it picturesque-vil
lage, fully three miles from railway
station, though within an hour and Il
half from London. Mr.. DorEley's
residence for in this case there is
no avoiding the Objectionable word),
Brooke Hamlet, stood at one end Of
the village. 1t was scarcely important
enough to be described us a place,
yet, as there was nothing of SUBJ
urban villa about it, the exact term
is difficult to find. It was an old
house, too. and had belonged to its
present owners for more than one
generation. Mr.. Dornley was man
OF quiet tastes; contented with his lot;
neither impulsive or irascible; by no
means ''horsey," though such horses
as he had were unexceptionable; a
good husband and father, though far
from weakly indulgent in either re-
lation; with but one idiosyncrasy in
the least approaching foible, and
that was his dog, his ''Donal''-Donal
without the final 3D." be it observed,
which [ am assured is the true and
original form of the Gaelic name.
Donal, or 'Don,'' as the Dorn'ey boys
abbreviated it, was, as might be
guessed. a collie. Il real, thoroughbred
collie of the best, q splendid fellow,
n thu If lnr
like myself, On whom doubtless many
of his finest points, were thrown
away, but who nevertheless could
keenly appreciate his handsome
physique, his rough yet glossy coat his
bushy tail, best of all his bright, intent,
loving brown eyes; loving, that is to
say, where his faith and affection were
Cue, for Don was no fool to make
friends with the first conner. We will
not call him ''suspicious;' it is an ugly
word; rather let us say he was gifted
with fair share Of Scottish caution,
which rendered his confidence, once
acquired, all the better worth having.
All Uppcrbrooke knew Don, nearly
all Cpperbrooke loved him, and. the
dislike with which he was regarded by
the few inevitable 'er-do-weels or
sour ard grabbed souls in the little So
ciety, in itself a compliment to the
high-minded collie, never intesifed in to
any thing like hatred. There was moth
ing about him to cali forth such senti-
ment; he never interfered when not de-
sired to do SO; bis disapproval was in
dictated, but by a more dignified de-
meanor, a something in the sweep of
his tail, in the sitter erecting of his
ears, as in lordly contempt he stalked
past. Nor was this silent protest in
efficacious on all occasions. There ran
a legend that a small Dornley had been
brought to the avowal OF childish
misdemeanor by Donal's influence.
'.Don isn't pleased with me, man.
ma" the boy sobbed out to his mother.
who was well-nigh as fond of the dog
as was her husband. HE hasn't said
any thing, but has looked at me so, and
-quicked' up his ears and done his tail
at me, and it's because he knows I've
been naughty
TO dog-lovers, at least, eve n to those
with no very special leaning in this
direction, it will not be difficult to
picture the dismay and CONSERVATION
with which one morning there broke
upon the ears of the Dornley family
the fell news that their Donal was lost!
Ill news spreads quickly, but in this
case, unluckily, those whom the dis
aster most concerned were the last to
hear of it. For Mr.. and Mrs. DOrnley
had been away from home for two days
and night only, returning by the last
train, when, according to the servants
opinion, it was too late to do any thing