The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-04-02

Peggy Ann would do when Jim az
peared in the morning was to hurry 20
meet him and put up one OF ner greAat
bip paws to shake hands with him.
She liked Jim next to her foster moth
or and she was q favorite with tne
whole.family. !,
.sWhen Peggy Ann was six years OLD
something occurred that changed ner
whole life. The old SOW, her fosSer
mother, died l have heard jim ten
about the frantic way in which poor
Peggy Ann took on when she found
she W an orphan. Jim said her GRIEF
was enough to make an undertaken
weep. They buried Old Blaclky under =
tree in the orchard and for weeks reg
ey Ann spent all her spare time at the
grave mourning for her beloved 1oster
parent. While she did not neglect her
duties on the farm Peggy Ann became
listless and apparently discontented'
It was noticed that she would stand Tor
minutes at a time and gaze mourntully
at the woods, and frequently was seen
taking long walks along the edge OF
the fields where the woods began.
".That bars bar natur's comm back
to her sence Old Blacky died, jim SAID
to his wife one day, an I'm feerd sne II
90 back to fust principles an git to De
bar ag'in one o. these days.
Zone evening that fall Peggy Ann
went out to Old Blacky's grave without
eating her supper. When Jim wen@
to bed that night she was mourning on
the grave yet. He woke up In the
night some time and still heard Peggy
AIMS plaintive lamentations at her
foster mothers grave. When Jim got
up next morning Peggy Ann didn't
come to greet him as usual and was no
where to be found about the premises
She's gone back to be bar az in,
poor old gal!' said jim.
There was great sorrow at J1m's
farm over the going away OF Peggy
Ann, f or she was not only valuable
| piece of live stock, but she had en-
deared herself to the family by her
cheerful and gentle ways No effort
was made to trace her and fetch her
back. for, as Jim said, she had
reasoned the whole matter out and
knew what she thought was best for
her to do The backbone of winter
was just about getting ready to be
broken the next spring when Jim
Bonesett almost tainted away one
morning to see big bear come run
ming toward him in the yard. Jim was
about to turn and leg it for the house
when the bear stopped aid lifted one
fore paw. Then Jim recognized
Peggy Ann. and they had joyful
line in the family when Jim hurried in
with the news And he had more news
than the arrival of Peggy Ann to re.
port, for at her side waddled fluffy ball
coal black fur in the shape of two
weeks'-old cub. Peggy Ann and her
cub were given the best of quarters
and in couple of weeks she fell into
the harness again and buckled into her
work just as of old. But she wasn't
the same She was listless and discon-.
tented, frequented Old Blacky's grave |
and seemed unhappy. But she kept
right on and when her cub was old
enough they broke him to do the work
his mother had done so long and he got
to be as apt as she was, but not so
willing nor cheerful When the young
bear got so he could do the work we'll |
Peggy Ann disappeared again.
x see it all!' said Jim. The poor
OIL bar can't stand it to be around the |
farm without Old Blacky and she didn't
have the heart to leave us short Of help. !
Soon as she got her son all broke into
the harness she left the farm an has !
gone back to the wilderness to die |
amongst her own folks
''That was Jim's theory of Peggy
AIMS disappearance and I'm not go
ing to say he wasn't right. Well, no
body ever heard anything of the old |
bear, and three years and more passed. |
Last month Jim Bonesett thought he'd |
go out and kill few pheasants. He |
was sneaking along through the woods, |
when he jumped a big bear out from |
the roots of fallen tree. The bear |
went bang against another tree ia his |
hurry to get away and evidently think
ing that Jim was responsible for this !
humping of his head, he turned and
made for Jim, as mad as hornet. Jim |
~ ~ 1 |
49,. \ s