The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1894-08-29
ME M MAZE.

y
anyway"
The woman was holding the door so
that her figure might just fill the open
ing, and as she had very thin figure
the door had an inhospitable appearance.
Before she gave any answer she craned
her head forward and examined space
for few yards about the man. '1don't
See no dorg" she remarked.
"Oh, you can't see him, he's out to
the corner of the house settin' down. l
told him to Sc down m wait for me.
Having said this, the man adjusted
his crutches so that he might rest on
them more comfortably while he wait
ed He was used to waiting. He was
watching the woman's face. She had
pressed her thin lips together while
she was considering, and when Mrs.
Darte's lips were pressed together it was
as if she had only a sort of a cut in her
face through which she might take her
food.
81 don't expect we're called upon te
support no dorgs," she said at last, "the
town don't provide nothin' for dorgs,
anyway. Besides" here she paused,
but added almost Immediately, "our
cats dretful 'fraid of dorgs. She brustles
all up horrid. She'd likely s not run
away, N / d. know what we should do.
She's a regular ratter, m the rats we
have here are jest beyend words. l
don't see why the town don't do sum-
thing bout 'em / tell Abram if he
tended to things S he'd ought to he'd
say something bout them rats to town
meet'n' I tell him wish the selectmen
could see our hog pail most any time
when it's settin' out there by the pen.
| It's lest sight with them rats tails
in a ring right round the top of it, m
thew with their heads down in the
swill."
This seemed irrelevant, but the man
did not interrupt His faded old blue
ewes were fixed on the woman's face.
Somehow those eyes made her uneasy.
| She wished they were not so mild and
so gentle. When she stopped speaking
he said that he knew "some folks didn't
like dorgs; they was afraid they'd
run mad in the summer cause twas
hot, m in the winter cause twas cold.
| But amt 'fraid to risk that, he con-
cluded.
There was silence for a moment, dur
ing which Baltimore oriole in the
cherry tree close by tiuted out his song
and then flew off, making a swift line
of brilliant color as he went. The old
man turned and gazed after the flying
beauty. He smiled slightly as ne
gazed.
"Them birds are lot of company fol
me this time of year, )" he said.r Il guess
they've built up in the top branch
though mostly they like ellums for the11
nests"
AS he still continued to stand there
Mrs. Darte could not quite make up hel
mind to shut the door on him. Present
ly he turned toward her again.
"This is the almshouse where l b.
long" he began hesitatingly. "Tn
towned here, anyway, m I've 'bou
made up my mind l can't take care o
myself no more. I'm gittin' DID,"
Mrs. Darte just now heard hissin!
sound that told her the dried apple stew
ing on the kitchen stove was boiling
over. She felt sure that the half-witteC
pauper inmate she had left to watc
would spill the apple when she tried t.
move the kettle back. But here was oil
Lemmy Little, who didn't seem to know
enough to 90 away. OF course the
couldn't take his dog. 1t was ridiculous
just like him to think they could. An
her mother had always said that a good
sized dog cost as much to keep as a pig
She told herself that she hadn't any rigE
to use the towns money to provide TO
a useless animal like that.
Il don't see how I can, no way" sh
said.
II tell you what" exclaimed Mr.. Lii
tie, Frightening, "you jest come out ;
see Maize, m p'raps you'll change you
mind He's such good feller. Yo
can't help likin' him, nobody can't"
81 guess I've seen him." was the II
sponse, the speaker showing no enthl
D siasm at the prospect of making a.
quaintance with MAZE, give seen hi
goin' along with YOU"
"But you jest come out''-the old ey!
were still bright-"n' speak to hin
He's the best feller you ever seel
Why"-here the stubbly, weak chi
! quivered sHghtly-"I amt ben tho
him day nor night for ten year, m te
year ago this spring he was a pu
They was goin' ter drown him.
saved his life. l got him way fro
them two cusses of boys. I took off Il
rope N the rock they'd tied to lis nee
Twas the best job ever done when
saved that pup. He's ben mine ev
since. My wife she'd died, m my 81
- he fin'ly died of that wound he 6
when the fact'ry blowed up, you kno'
M l amt ben fit for nothin' for
know how long. I've got ter give I
peddlin' on count of my back m ileg
/ knew this was the poor-house where
b'longed. I'd come here fore only
KEEP thinkin' how 'twould er make 4
wife feel if she'd known it. She W
real high strung, Abby was, one
them Kimberlys over to North Blxt
you know"
80 AS he said this the old man drew hi
~ self up on his crutches and flung
head. But he could not remain in tt
attitude, so he Immediately sagged aga
between his supports.
"But you come out m see Maj
cheerfully.
Mrs. Darte reluctantly stepped do
from the door. She flung her apron
over her head. She glanced back il
the passage that led to the kitch'
\ She could now distinctly smell the DIR
d apple that was burning on the stove, a
y this fact did not make her any nj
amiable.
"Why don't you call him hereP" s
asked.
"Cause when tell him to se' do
~ n wait for me he expects me to cor
I've brought him up that way. | al
goin' to begin confusin' of him with n
ways"
Mr. Little swung forward on
\ crutches, and Mrs. Darte followed hi
There was a proud and tremul
- eagerness in his voice and manner
he reached the corner of the house {