Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-12-20
ELLHS DOG.
BY MRS. FANNIE l.. STONE.

didn't mind the money, though I'll be
goldarued if hundred dollars for a
commin' lookin' yaller purp, without no
experience, didn't seem sorter Steep"
said Millionaire Jones, quondam Miner
Jones, as some gentlemen stopped to
admire the handsome, fine bred dog,
which trotted along by his side with the
greatest show of confidence and respect
"But that want neither here nur
there-it went again the grain to share
my home with any pesky dorg,-and so
Isez to Ellie.
"You dear old blunderbuss!' sez
she. It's oil the style and with that
she gev me a squeeze that made me feel
as young as l used ter, and mighty
nigh as sheepish like as when we went
to spellin' school hand in hand wears
ago.
"Of course that settled it. She got
the deg. But somehow nd other things
didn't iibe as well arter that 5wixt Ellie
and me. Every time came into the
house there was that pesky critter a
marchin' around as independent as a
crow in cornfeld, and like ez not
Ellie a pettin' him aud calm him
the same purity names that she used ter
call me out n Dakota thrilled me, 1
kin tell you, and reckon [ did my
beatenest to put myself on level with
my new associate-leastwise Ellie seq
acted like perfect brute.
I'm afeerd to think what mightn't NV
come of it if it hadn't a bin for the but
ter
You see, 1 had got so as I hadn't
much to say round the house them days,
but when Ellie she begun to have the
butter dished up in little hunks and sot
around at q fellcr's plate as if there was
jest enuff to go round and no more, or
as it she was afeerd someun might eat
more'n as uZ good for 'em, couldn't
heil: remarkin' that it appeared uncom-
min stingy to me-
Ellie she just looked at me sort O
pityingly Us if I want smart enuff to
understand nohow and then begin q
pettin' that there dog. You kin Jest bet
your boots that sort O. bluff want kali
keriated too make teller feel any too
amazin' comfortable.
well, things, went on from bad to
worse till most wished I'd never bin
born, and I'd rather sight bin jest o
common miner agin than to hev had all
the money in cllristendom. Ellie she
jest kept a gettin high toneder all the
time aud runnin' after folks what per-
tended to be some punkins, and
'uz sort o. mean too, cause couldn't
jest git over the notion that it wuz our
good dinners they 'uz after, though
mind, ye stranger, there hain't no bet
ter nor pun tier woman what steps than
Ellie.
"One night lot of EN- come to din
nerve call it supper out West-and
the clothes that Ellie said I must wear
made me feel as if I wuz a tryin' to
cover up somethin' I wuz ashamed on.
never felt SO like blasted sneak in
all the days O my life. Blamed eff I
dared to eat anything 'cept bread and
butter. wuz that feared I'd do it
wrong.
"And when I seen there wuz nuthin'
in them butter plates at all, 1 concluded
that things wuz goin' little too far,
and seq to myself, I'll jest tell Ellie
after those ere picayunes are gone that
I've chawed cheese with pie to suit the
fashion but I'll he blowed if I'll eat
butter with ice cream, fashion or no
fashion, You see I couldn't account
for the deficiency no other way.
But then when I seen 'em all a
loolzia' at Ellie and at the little empty
platters and each other like as if they
wuz ready to bust to laff. and ez much
So to say what more could you expect
on her anyway 1 began to smell &
mice.