The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-02-22


ful ID ,dger!" | whispered, STOPPING to
pat him. But Hugh was looking at
the woman attentively. al beg your
pardon, but l think have seen you
BEFORE" he said.
She threw up her hands with
sharp cry. III knew IL! knew that
dog would ruin mel"
"Thou you tried to lose him, TO get
rid of him?'
She made Hugh no answer, only
looked at him half fearfully, half dc.
family.
"Comc, Kitty" he said to me,
"since the dogs owner is willing to
part with him we will take him home
with u.s. lie laid couple of bills
on the sewing machine rs he spoke,
disrcgarding her gesture Of refusal.
"Othcrwisc we shall not feel that we
have Il right to keep the dog" he said.
"Aud we will keep hum; he shall
never annoy you again, believe me-"
lie 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 l asked Hugh what 1t all
meant the moment we were out of
ear-shot, aud am afraid | was not in
Il 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
fower-pot of n house, aud found the
little dressmaker ha Il lost herself TO
Dash again.
"And hoping you would be here
making your gowns, Kitty" he said
ruefully. "That wa, tho reason l
thought had better not tell you her
story until you had gotten Interested
in the poor, young thing. But she
has vanished without a clew; and
Do you remember cousin Catharine's
writing to me here to look out for her
house last Summer, while you were
all out of town."
81 remember mammts being wor.
ried at hearing of so many burglaries
in town of empty houses"
"Prcciscly. There was gang, 1t
was believed. AT any rate, one of the
burglars was traced TO his home by
means of his dog. He was not taken
without obstinate resistance; he got a
bad wound, and wa' called in as
the nearest doctor to stop tho flow Of
blood before he could be removed.
He had pretty little house; pretty
little wife Of his own, who, with a
baby of few weeks IN her arms,
shrank stricken with shame and hor-
ror in the furthest corner of the room.
II seems she never had 80 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 il he was an abso-
lutte stranger TO her, as il he could not
be the man she had known. What she
might have done further don't know
for the fellow died Of his wound.
'Iie tore the bandage of on tho first
opportunity and just bled his life
away. People were Interested in the
poor young woman, and che would
not have lacked kindness, but then, as
now. she disappeared. There was a
rumor that she was a shoplifter, so
many incongruou, things were found
stored away in the little house. But
| believe myself the Artful Dodgcr
was responsible. lie must have been
train ell unbeknOwn to her by that
Fagin of a husband of hers. Now,
what are we to do about your klcpto-
maniac. Kiity?"
I put my hand under the Artful
Dodgers chin, and turned up his face,
with its brown, innocent eycs
''Love me, love my dog" | said
again.
} This time had right to say it.
The right had been mine siuce yester-
day. -TPhiladelphia Times.