Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-26

statteu away mauIlce was eager 10 get tc
The country, and he said quietly that he
haymarket we found Zeb all right, jubilani
with the handsome receipts Of his load Of
hay. 1t wes all arranged that Hulda, the
boy and 1 should take the train back to
| Primrosetown; that should stay all night
at the farmhouse to keep Hulda from being
lonely, and that Zeb should Try to be back
by midnight with the wagon.
Half way down Federal street I heard
some one call me. Looking back saw Zeb
running after US. Bidding Aunt Hulds to
90 on to the depot lest she should be lato
for the train, dropped back for moment
to see what was exciting her husband
"It's only shep," he painted. I've
missed him for the last two hours. What
will do? Huldie will be crazy if don's
find him"
reflected moment. The cause Of the
dogs disappearance flashed through my
mind in an instant The proximity Of the
haymarket to the police station, and the
large number of dogs usually eongregating
there, had no doubt got ''Shep"into the
hands of the police.
"Cross over Ohio street to the police
station under City Hall, and ask the Off
GERS" directed. Then I hurried back to
the railroad depot.
A Boys Story of the Flood.
After supper up at the cool farmhouse we
all got well acquainted with Maurice. He
responded to the motherly nature of HuldaI
the supper was something new to him in
abundance and quality, and it seemed to
make new person of him. He had watched
Tom milk the cows; he had drunk some of
the warm milk; he had seen the chickens fed
by Aunt Hulda, and now, thoroughly ex-
tol ha DO he o1l I'd 80 ci+ u,tth
us and wait for his "new Uncle Zeb."
pleaded for him, and Hulds only consented
on condition that the first time Maurice
yawned he should 60 to bed of his own ac-
cord.
Gradually and gently the conversation
there on the moonlit porch drtfted to the
orphans late parents. AT first he trembled
in his sadness, which led Tom to light the
lamps within and shut the doors after we
were seated in the old-fashioned rocking
chairs. Once in out of the dark, the orphan
talked more calmly about the terrible flood
that left him in the world without living
relative. He was remarkably intelligent
for mis- tender youth, and to my astonish-
ment he could preserve an almost perfect
continuity in his tale of that terrible night
in the Conemaugh Valley. knew some
thing of the heartrending events in and
about Johnstown, and, occasionally helping
Maurice, prolonged the narrative. The
clock struck the half hour after II, and still
he was holding US absorbed in the story Of
the wreck of his home. More than once Aunt
Hulda had sobbed; Tom was fdgety about
the nose; the hired man on the lounge
leaned intently forward and presently drew
back with a sigh as the clock struck.
The Letters on Shops Collar.
'It wouldn't seem so lonely, I sometimes
continued Maurice, "even If our
old dog had been left. He and had been
on lark only the. day before the food, and
somehow loved him more than ever did.
1 mind when we both laid down under the
trees to rest. He laid his head up against
my cheek until the plate of his collar
touched my lips. Thinks I, What lark
it would be to copy off what Shops ool-'"
"Shepl Was that his name?" asked in
voluntarily.
ayes, sir, Shep was the only name that
fitted him-he was SO shaggy. He was
''Go on, Maurice" exclaimed Aunt Hull
da, who was leaning far over the table, star
ing hard at the orphan.
"Well, as I was going to say, took my
pencil and copied off the words which sis
ter had gotten printed on the collar. And,
do you know, even that little piece of paper
was taken away from me by the flood. But
I don't need it, for all my life can remem.
Der what the words were on Shops collar.
They came into my thoughts that terrible
night when I was being dashed here and
dashed there by the water"
The lad paused. An intense silence had
taken possession of Ills all. Suddenly there
was rumble in the distance that came to
US like momentary roll of far-off thunder.
'Tt's Zeb's wagon crossing the bridge
over the creek," said to myself, ,anxiously.
II hope that he found his lost dog before
leaving the city,"
Reunited After the Flood.
'You know" resumed the boy, "when
think 1t all overflow Shep rubbed his
nose so close to mine-how his collar plato
touched my Gps-hcw I got the idea of
writing down the words lest Shep and I
should be parted some day-when 1 remem-
ber all this, think too that maybe God
must have let poor old shep know that
dood was coming"
"But the words on the collar, what were
they?"
'Shep-to his home he knows the way
It were impossible for him to stray" re-
piled Maurice. "Poor dog. If he ever
escaped the waters that night am sorry |
'or him. He could not find his home, hunt |
'or it as he may-it was swept away, you
Know
CLARK, Aunt Hulda, what's that?" and |
he orphan was startled by noise at the |
loor.
There had suddenly commenced heavy
scratching against the door of the farm |
louse. Aunt Hulda was quickly at the
,oy's side and as he looked up to her, she
his hair, and said very softly: