Arizona republican., 1894-11-03
"ME N MAJE. "
The Two Found a Resting Place
 Toge ther at Last.

anyway"
 The woman was holding the door SC that her figure might just fill the opening, and as she had very thin figure the door had an inhospitable ap pearance. Before she gave any an. swer she craned her head forward and examined space for few yards about the man.
 II don't see no dorg," she remar ked.
 70, you can't see him, he's out to the corner of the house, settin' down. I told him to se' down 'n' wait for me. J
 Having said this, the man adjusted his crutches so that he might rest on them more comfortably while he waited. 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 to- gether it was as if she had only sort of a cut in her face through which she might take her food.
 q don't expect we're called upon to support no dorgs," she said, at last; ''the town don't provide nothin' for dorgs, anyway. Besides" here she paused, but added, almost immediate y-"our cats dretful 'fraid of dorgs. She brustles all up horrid. She'd like ly $ not run away, n I d know what we should do. She's reg'lar ratter, n the rats we hev here are jest be- yond words. 1 don't see why the town don't do sumthin' bout 'em. I tell Abram if he tended to things $ he'd say sumthin' bout them rats to town meetin'. I tell him I wish the select men could see our hog pail most any time when it's settin' out there by the pen. It's jest sight with them rats tails in ring right round the top of it, n they with their heads down in the swill'
 This seemed irrelevant, but the man did not interrupt. His faded old blue eyes 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 were afraid they'd run mad in the summer cause twas hot, n in the winter cause twas cold. But I ain't 'fraid to risk that" he con- cluded.
 There was silence for moment dur ing which a Baltimore oriole in the cherry tree close by futed out his song and then flew off, making swift line of brilliant color as he went The old man turned and gazed after the fiv- ing beauty. He smiled slightly as he gazed.
 Them birds are lot of company for me this time of year," he said. q guess they've built up in the top branch-though mostly they like el- lums for their nests''
 As ne still continued to stand there Mrs. Darte could not quite make up her mind to shut the door on him. Presently he turned toward her again.
 "Ihis is the almshouse where I | b'long,' he began, hesitatingly ''I'm towned here, anyway, n I've bout | made up my mind I can't take care of | myself no more. I'm gittin' old"
 Mrs. Darte just now heard a hissing sound that told her the dried apple | stewing on the kitchen stove was boil Ing over. She felt sure that the half | witted pauper inmate that she had | left to watch would spill the apple when she tried to move the kettle | back
 But here was old Lemmy Little, who didn't seem to know enough to go away. Of course they couldn't take his dog. It was ridiculous, just like him to think they could. And 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 right to use the towns money to provide for a useless animal like that.
 Il don't see how I can, no way" she said
 ''I tell you what" exclaimed MT. Little, frightening, ''you jest come out'n see Maje, 'n' p'r'aps you'll change your mind. He's such a good feller. You can't help ikin' him, nobody can't"
 Il guess I've seen him. was the re- sponse, the speaker showing no enthu- siasm at the prospect of making ac- quaintance with Maje. five seen him goin' along with you"
 "But you m ust come out''-the old eyes were still bright-"'n' speak to him. He's the best feller you ever seen. Why''-here the stubbly, weak cAin quivered slightly-'I ain't ben 'thout him day nor night for ten year ,n, tan year ago this spring he was a pup. They was goin' ter drown him. saved his life. l got him way from them two cusses of boys Itook off the rope n the rock they'd tied to his neck. Twas the best job ever done when I saved that pun ua,s he,n nina auar