The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-01-31
RObby's Yellow Dog.

cts nonsense, Robbyl l can't af
ford to pay dollar tax on such worth
less, good for-nothing yellow dog as
Fritz. Dollars come too hard! If the
police want him, they will simply have
to take him, that's ALL"
1t had been long time since Robby's
father was boy. Maybe he had for
gotten how it felt to be a boy and love
dog-even yellow, worthless and
good -for-nothing one. But Robby
knew. Why shouldn't be, when he
had Fritz? Robby slipped out of the
kitchen, after that last appeal to his
father, without even finishing his
piece of pie, and went around back
of the wood-shed, trying to keep the
tears back from his eyes. Fritz knew
that something had gone wrong. He
always knew that things were not right
when Robby went behind the wood
shed and sat on the hacked log, and he
followed his master and be sat looking
up at him, trying his best to keep a
cheerful expression on his wise old face,
and pounding his tail upon the ground
in way which was fully meant to be
encouraging. Robby tickled the dog
under the chin with his toes in a way
which Fritz had learned to like i'm
mensely, and he responded to this we'll
known caress by licking his masters
dirt-stained little foot affectionately.
He was good dog, was old, yellow
Fritz! What would life be without him?
How could Robby ever have the heart
to 90 fishing with the other boys with
out that beloved shaggy form to stretch
out upon the bank beside him? Or how
could he 90 into the woods nutting ne xt
fall without having Fritz along to chase
the gray squirrels and rabbits, to dig
and scratch at the chipmunks' holes,
and awaken all the echoes with his
Jolly, good-natured bark? He Just
couldn't do it! Then Robby's breath
began to come in an uncertain sort OF
way, and then shiny tear slipped
down the sun-browned cheek. Robby
wiped it away with the back of his
hand, but another came in the other
eye and then they came in both eyes,
faster than he could rub them away
and he threw himself upon the ground
with his face buried in his arms, and
cried, while Fritz grew serious and his
tail stopped wagging. When his burst OF
crying had passed, Robby sat up and
threw his arms about the dogs neck.
"The policeman sha'nt have you
Frilzy," he said {" but | don't know
how I'm going to help it. | amt got
but twenty cents, and it's taken me
ever since last Christmas to save that
much. That would leave-how much
would that leave, anyway" Robby
scratched some figures in the soft earth
THAT would leave eighty cents" he
said, despairingly. I" l can't save thai
much in year. I'm going to earn il =
he cried suddenly. Pm going to carr
it, and | amt going to say anything tC
father about it. I'll earn it, will, ant
pay that dollar myself, Fritzy. Only
III have to keep you tied until get it
or the policeman will be after you"
A bit of old rope was produced from
Robby's store of treasures in the barn
loft, and Fritz was made fast in thu
/ shelter of the shed, while his little mas
, ter trudged off out of the yard anC
down the road, with new expression
of determination on his face. 1t wa
the first time in many days that he hat
9 passed the gate without Fritz as com
panion, and the old dog tugged hard a
9 his rope, struggling to get free and fol
0 low. There was no accounting for thi
strange freak, and he gave it up, AM
8 sat down detected, without even sigl
5 of life in his frisky tail.
1t was the beginning of season o
activity for Robby. The other boy
: were just beginning to enter fully int
the enjoyment of their mid. summer va
cation, and their small heads wer
4. fairly OVERLOOKING with all kinds @
plans for picnics, fishing trips, swim
ming excursions, and what not, but i
none of these could they get Robby
join. He stood, with his hands deep i
his pockets, and watched, with wistfr
eyes, as the gay professions went by
= shouting; but he shook his head stul
/, Oily when they called to him to come
and gave the long, bright mornings an
the hot afternoons to his labor of love
passing from store to store and froI
house to house, asking for errands
4 run or bits of work to do which migf
h bring him another penny to add to hi
| OF Int ha