Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-02-27


for from where we stood over the way
my dog had dashed across, up the low
steps and was fawning ON the little
woman in transport of joy.
She did not stoop to meet those eager
'caresses; those sharp little canine cries
OF delighted recognition had no response.
Only as we came in she made hurried,
groping movement for the handle of the
door as if she would have shut it in our
faces. Hugh was too quick for her. He
stepped in across the threshold, where
she stood leaning pale and quivering
against the wall.
1--WE owe it to ourselves" he said, ''to
make some explanation. Of course the
dog is yours. ~
She made hasty motion of disclaimer,
but Hugh went on:
"Of course the dog is yours; we have
had him so long in our keeping because
he was found one night last winter, and
this lady kindly let him come indoors
with her out of the bitter weather. But
we have no idea of keeping the little
fellow from you-unless, indeed, you
would care to part with him.
This last tentatively, for it had not es-
capped Hugh any more than it had me
that as between dog and mistress the
affection was certainly all on one side.
The little woman-girl she was rather
had retreated, sinking down on the steep
box stairs that almost filed up the tiny
entry. The dog did not feel himself re-
pulsed as we did, but fell, dog fashion,
{.N l., !, -.
she covered her face. 1t was in that
same instant that we heard Il child's cry.
She let her hands fall together, the we'd
ding ring flashing out on the worn finger
and then, for the first time noticing me,
with swift sign she led the way into
the back room.
The baby was just waking in his era
die. She turned her white face round on
us in the doorway as she dropped down
on her knees beside him. The dog went
shifting about the cradle, round and
round, as if he could not understand,
then stood irresolute, his brown eyes
flashing inquiry from the woman to me
For the child's sake" she said "For
the child's sake"-
She caught her breath in frightened,
gasping way that brought the doctor in
Hugh to the fore.
STEADY" he said gently. 1--WE are not
here to hurt you, but to see what can be
done for you"
She pointed to the dog. "Only take
Dash away. Leave us two alone"
At the sound of his name the dog
glanced round at her, but at her vehe-
ment repellant gesture he crept nearer
to me, his tail between his legs.
poor Dash My poor, poor Artful
Dodgerr' | whispered, STOPPING to pat
him. But Hugh was looking at the
woman attentively. Il beg your par
don, but think have seen you BEFORE"
he said.
She threw up her hands with sharp
cry: 81 knew it'll knew that dog would
ruin mer'
"Then you tried to lose him-to get
rid of him?'
She made Hugh no answer, only looked
at him half fearfully, half defiantly.
"Come, Kittie," he said to me, 'since
the dogs owner is willing to part with
him we will take him home with u.s."
He laid couple of bills on the sewing
machine as he spoke, disregarding her
gesture of refusal. ''Otherwise we shall
not feel that we have right to keep the
dog" he said. "And we will keep him;
he shall never annoy you again, believe
me-" He bowed to her respectfully as
we three went out, closing the door be-
hind us, for She never moved from her
knees beside the cradle.
OF course | asked Hugh what it all
meanU the moment we were out of ear
shot, and / am afraid | was not in
very amiable mood during the walk
home, because he would not answer.
The next day, however, he told me, for
the next day he went back to the flower
pot of house and found the little dress
maker had lost herself to Dash again.
"And | had been hoping you would be
here making your gowns, Kitty he
said ruefully. THAT was the reason |
story until you had got interested in
the poor, young thing. But she has van
ished without clew, and Do you
remember Cousin Kathalines writing to
me here to look out for her house last
summer, while you were all out of town.
81 remember mammals being worried
at hearing of so many burglaries in town
Of empty houses"
"Precisely. There was a gang, it was
believed. AT any rate one OF the bur
glars was traced to his home by means of
his dog lie was not taken without OBJ
stinate resistance. He had got bal
wound, and l was called in as the near
est doctor to stop the flow Of blood be-
fore he could be removed. He had a
pretty little house; pretty little wife
of his own, who, with her baby of few
weeks in her arms shrank stricken with
shame and horror in the farthest corner
of the room.
sit seems she had never so much as
dreamed of her husbands business,
which took him so often away from her
at night. She appeared to shrink away
from him as if he were an absolute
stranger to her, as if he could not be the
man she had known. What she mi ght