The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-11-14
A WHITE RIVAL.
How a Bull Pup Came Near Spoil.
ing a Romance.

never understand.
He was certainly big, and presuma-
bly, strong and muscular, but neither
in beauty nor in intelligence was he
anything out of the ordinary of ma
lures handiwork.
| have heard her rave about his eyes;
they were the color of coffee berries,
and moderately large, but their eX-
preston, to my mind, was eminently
sheepish. He was disgracefully selfish,
too, and was under the impression that
his acquaintance could do nothing
better than attend to his meals and ac-
company him in his walks. lie was also
abominabiy 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 cage;
the servants had, with much difficulty,
taught him a stupid trick of running
off 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 short, he was a most ordinary
white bull terrier pup, with a pink
nose, surmounted by black spot like
a blot of ink from pen.
Nevertheless, l owe him debt of
gratitude for being the cause of my
first introduction to Ella Darlington.
1t was on an August bank holiday
the one blazing hot day Of a damp and
dismal English summer. All the morn
ing had sought to avoid my kind, and
at length, by four o'clock in the after
noon, had discovered delightful
bracken-covered dell by the dry bed of
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.
Here stretched myself out, with my
arms under my head and my hat tilted
over my eyes, and fell to dreaming
and to wondering when, if ever, l,
bank clerk at two hundred a 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 a place
of safety for my superfiuous thousands
If only could write a brilliant novel
the novel of Tie season! But Ameri-
can authors had declared that the
stories of the world have all been told,
and the serial papers preferred ro-
mnnces written by young ladies as
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
Respondent musings, and the idea of
lovely woman in distress brought me
TO my feet
She was lovely: of that there was no
possible doubt. Tall and slender, with
light brown hair and big appealing,
dark blue eyes, eyelashes curling up
wards aud a red mouth dropping down
wards dolefully.
She was angry, flushed and fright
ened. as was small, stumpy girl, evil
den tly her maid. who accompanied her.
She clasped her gloved hands implor-
ingly, and looked at me with tears in
her eyes.
My dog" she painted. my dog.
Bull! Pray save him. Some Aries
are numbering him."
Then she ran through the bracken
and ran after her to the spot where
five little east-end roughs and vii
famous mongrel with one ear bitten
through We're wrealing vengeance
upon white bull terrier.
My six feet of authority, armed with
stout stick, speedily dispersed the
dogs assailants. They reiterated in con-
fusion, employing language SO bad as
to be fortunately unintelligible to nav
dansel in distress. who was by this
time kneeling beside her precious dog,
hugging him efusively and trying to
wipe away the blood from an injured
leg.
The dog really had been a good deal
knocked about, although l have no
doubt he richly deserved it: ne now,
feeling himself an object OF sympathet-
ic interest. sat down and refused to
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 nv hand.
Ella blushed laughed and apologized.
never saw lovelier blush or heard
sweeter laugh in my life.
Seeing that the beast was resolved
not to walk, carried him. He was
tremendous weight, and fidreted
abominablv. But with Ella beside me.
and her sweet, white hand. from which
she had Withdrawn the glove. con-
stantly strokipg the brutes neck, trod
on enchanted ground. The maid
brought up the rear, giggiing a good
deal, but, as she constantly dragged be-
hind to stare 1T soldiers, her presence
dlC not IN any wa hamper Us
The accident took place near tine
White Lodge. and we had 10 pass on;
by the Star and Garter gates Long be-
fore we reached them was Inaolv in
love with Ella, and had already III
formed her that this was the happiest
hour OF ms life, when to my disnay
learned that she was Miss Ella Barring