The Van Buren press., 1893-11-25
A WHITE RIVAL.


A WHITE RIVAL
How . Bull Pup Came Near Spoil.
ing Q Romance.
(Copyright 1893. by the Author.l
What she could see in him could
never understand.
He was certainly big, and presume
bly strong and muscular, but neither
in beauty nor in intelligence was he
anything out OF the ordinary Of ma
ture's handiwork.
/ have heard her rave about his eyes;
they were the color Of coffee-berries,
and moderately large, but their ex-
precision, to my mind, was eminently
shoepish. He was disgracefully selfish,
too, and was under the impression that
his acquaintances could do nothing
better than attend to his meals and &c
company him in his walks. BE was also
abominably inquisitive and peculiarly
clumsy.
And in spite of all this, she loved him
-the most beautiful girl in the world
loved him, and lavished caresses upon
him that any man with eyes In his
head would have given kingdom to
receive.
His accomplishments were few. He
pretended to catch rabbits, and was
reputed . ''ratter" on the strength Of
having once barked at . rat in q cage;
the servants had, with much difficulty.
taught him . stupid trick Of running
on with paper parcels in order to get
at the sweets or biscuits hidden inside;
and an infinite amount of shouting,
hAllooing, and waving Of arms would
occasionally induce him to jump over =
walking stick held two inches above
the ground.
In abort, he was . most ordinary
white bull terrier pup. with pink
nose, surmounted by black spot like
. blot Of ink from a pen.
Nevertheless, l owe him Q debt OF
gratitude for being the cause OF my
6rst introduction to Ella Darlington.
It was ON an August bank holiday
the ono blazing hot day Of . damp and
dismal English summer. All the morn
ing had sought to avoid my kind, and
ct length, by four O'Clock In the after
noon, l had discovered delightful
bracken-covered dell by the dry bed Of
Z brook In Richmond park, where, but
for the distant shouts of the gay and
h'less cyclist, nothing disturbed the
pastoral beauty of the scene.
Hero stretched myself out, with my
arms under my head and my hat tilted
over my eyes, and fell to dreaming
and to wondering when, II ever, I, q
bank clerk at two hundred year,
should so distinguish myself by the
literary efforts which wholly occupied
all my spare time as to be wholly indie.
pendent Of the bank, except as place
Of safety for my superfuous thousands.
II only could write brilliant novel
the novel Of the season! But Ameri-
can authors had declared that the
stories Of the world have all been told
and the serial papers preferred ro'
! mances written by young ladies Of
J being more sentimental and soothing
and the libraries would have nothing
to do with the work Of an unknown
man, and
A feminine shrek broke in upon my
despondent musings, and the idea Of {
lovely woman In distr ess brought mi
70 my feet
She was lovely; Of that there was n,
possible doubt Tall and slender. with
light brown hair and big appealing
dark blue eyes, eyelashes curling up
wards aud red mouth dropping down
wards dolefully.
She was angry, flushed and fright
eped, as was q small, stumpy girl, evi
IDENTIFY her maid, who accompanied her
She clasped her gloved hands implor
ingly. and looked at me with tesrs IL
her eyes.
my dog!" she painted, my dog
Built Pray save him. Some 'ArrieI
are numbering him!' f-
Then she ran through the bracker
and ran after her to the spot where
1--WE little east-end roughs and . vii
lainous mongrel with one ear bitter
through were wreaking vengeance
upon white bull terrier.
My six feet of authority, armed with
stout stick, speedily dispersed the
dog's assailants. They retreated in CON
fusion, employing language SO bad a
to be fortunately unintelligible to my
damsel in distress, who was by this
time kneeling beside her precious dog
hugging him effusively and trying tc
wipe away the blood from an injured
lea.
The dog really had been good deal
knocked about. although have nc
doubt he richly deserved it; he now
feeling himself an object Of sympathet
ic interest," sat down and refused te
move any further
knew something about dogs, and
speedily bound up his paw with my
own handkerchief and that of his
mistress, which was simply marked
ELLA"
Our faces were very close together
over the dogs leg, and one Of her tears
splashed on to the back of my hand
Ella blushed, laughed and apologized.
never saw lovelier blush or heard 9
sweeter laugh in my life.
Seeing that the beast was resolved
not to walk, carried him. He was q
tremendous weight, and fidgeted
abominably. But with Ella beside me,
and her sweet, white hand, from which
she had withdrawn the glove, con-
stautly stroking the brute's neck. l trod
nm enchantAd ground. The maid