Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1893-03-03

Ralph would lay down beside the baby'g
cradle, an nothin would move him till
his master left tho room; then he'd get
up an shake himself, as &c it was time
to go, m he was goin.
"Mollia said he vas human. an If ever
o soul gets into an animals body hear
there's folks as thinks so-there was O
good soul inside OF Ralph.
eyes, we ell liked Ralph, IN Robert
even more. The fact is he was a rcal
gentleman. shat was plain enough
brought down as low as he was By LOrd
only knows what. But a true gentle
man, an l know tho right kind when /
sec them. Ho never let on for one mo
ment, though, a single word about him
self but once an that was the last even
in he was here.
"Tho dog was sittin beside him. with
his head restin on Roberts knee, when /
says, kind of s~uddenliEo;
al bet Ralph's a very vallyble dog,
Robert
"'Yes, yes. he says, sort of slow.
Too vallyble,' stroking Ralph's head
with a lOvin hand, while the dog looked
at him with just as much love. Twas
the hunanest eyes you would ever see.
sir.
"'IIe's worth q great deal Of money.
he said again, after n moments thirkin.
4 am very sorry for it sometimes. I've
been in many hard straits at times, an
I've been afraid-aye, afraid Of myself
that I'd be tempted to sell him. Not
while l was myself, old fellow, you un-
derstand, but when ] was the brute |
sometimes am.
"By George, sirl you wouldn't believe
it, l dare say, but I'd take my afydayy
that dog looked mp, sort Of sadlike, and
shook his head.
"To make the story short--though, all
told, it was not so very long-when we
came down stairs the next morning
Ralph lay on the floor guardin his mas.
ter's stick, but his master wasn't no
where round.
Tell me the dog didn't knowl lie
knew as well as we did why il was done;
that the master he loved an who loved
him had left him, but he had been told
to watch the stick, an with the saddest
eyes an droopin he lay there all day
long. An l truly believe if we hadn't
got the stick away from him and burned
it he'd "a been watchin it yet.
can his master? Yes, sir; gone
clean gone. An we've never heard a
word Of him since. Ungrateful? No.
sir; ] don't take it So. Think he couldn't
trust himself with the dog he loved,
when he was himself, you see, an so he
left him where he knew he'd be well
taken care Of. Yes, that's the way | see
it anyhow. An then he got SO far away
before the dog would quit watching that
the scent was lost for poor Ralph. But
he amt never give up. Not a day, sir!
do? Well, there's not q tramp
comes past here-an the worse looking
they are the wilder he is to get after
them, snifin ut their tracks, and then
his tail viii drop so disappointedlike,
yet he'll keep on an follow EN- for day,
or maybe three days, till he gets sure he
amt comm to his master, when he'll
come back. Seems to me as If he kind
CT thought they might know him. How
does he find out they don't? Bless you,
sir, don't ask me, but dogs know a heap
more than people think.
"He ought "a been named Rover, foi
he's been in more different places round
here than I have an always turns up al
right when he's settled the matter.
''Whyl amt that him now, a-sniGiI
along the other road? OF course it is
Well, now, how'd he got over there,
wonder; seems as if lie was scentir
eOmethin. don't IL?
Hi, Ralphl Ralphl Al! there liz
comes, a-boundin along towards us jus.
as he used to 80 for his master. Look.
as if he thought he could find him, sure
See, nowi Amt he a beauty?
Here, Ralph! Good old fellowl Come
here, sirl Eh! What. Straight for you
sir, he's gone, without a look for me
All yer you in a minutel A fine gen
tlcman like youl What! you, you, sir
Robertl Great Scott! An Ralph knew
You! Well, we'll; l give in. Dogs il
humanw-M. Warren Hale in Pittsburg
Rullefin