The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-23

OCO4 4OSb. i E0 AuOMu Lar 6GIdu26I Dul4RS
than that, in the way of missing mail
matter, to occur among our fellows
even in easily reached and densely pop
ulated India
Fer year before leaving home
Donald had owned magnificent New
foundland dog, Prince by name. The
Black Prince We youngsters called him
not only on account Of his color, but
also because his chivalrous and daring
character greatly resembled, in our es-
tlmatlon, that of the famous parsonage
in English history for whom we had
named him. Indeed Prince had once
saved his masters life when the latter
was one day, in an outlying field, sud
denly attacked by furious, half wild
bush bull. Hence Donald was so great
y attached to the creature that he had
Notwithstanding the added expense, taxi
en- him along on his tedious Journey.
much to our regret, as we sorely missed
the grand old fellow in all our outdooR
sports.
$50, on this New Years day, all e
Us, even down to 9-year-old Margery,
thought constantly of the faraway pair.
But the rites Of hospitality could not be
neglected, and by and by, stimulated
by the purposed gayety of our visitors,
all of us young folks Joined, just in the
cleaning, in a romping game of hide
and seek.
cat ordinary times our big ten room
loghouse was lighted by homemade tai
low candles, but on festive occasions
my mother used sperm ones. Numbers
of these were now burning, in addition
To tho oil
in doors altogether too light for the
proper enjoyment of our game; SO, by
unanimous consent, we agreed that the
'hiders' should have the privilege of the
fast darkening wood shed, stable and
nearest barn.
'"The play went merrily on for half
an hour or so, each successive seeker
generally routing out the most cunning
ly concealed 'hiders' in no time. But
then little Agnes Warwick so artfully
hid herself that the seeker Of the mo-
ment, utterly failing to discover her,
was finally obliged to call upon the
whole crowd for assistance.
"High and low, up and down, through
stable lofts, between wood piles, behind
straw stacks. inside the big tanning
mill. over grain bins and under the barn,
we hunted without success. Then, gath
cred in a cluster on the thrashing floor,
we were about to give up and let the
little mischief find herself, when,
through the open door, into which the
pale moonlight streamed, a dark body
rushed, shot past us and sprang over in
to nearly empty haymow, whence in
stantly came great rustling and Sc
ries of inarticulate cries-from the now
discovered Agnes-which sounded to US
like those of fear and pain.
ga bearl A bearP screamed the
elder Miss Warwick "A bear is killing
the childP These brutes are quite plenti-
full in our neighborhood.
"'Pshawl' exclaimed my brother
Hugh, bears don't come out in winter.
No, nor they don't have long tails
either, I guess, wisely observed little
Margery.
Recovering from our momentary as
constituent, we young men and boys
were in the act of rushing to the rescue
when out of the manhole of the NOW
crept little Agnes, laughing half hys-
terically and enciroling with one arm
| the neck of big black dogl
"'Why. it's Prince Dona1d's Black
Princel' all of US simultaneously shout
ed, for now we plainly saw the peculiar,
heart shaped breast spot which was the
| only speck Of white on the glossy coat
| of our long lost friend.
cit really seemed as if the wise old
| fellow had stealthily watched our play
until he found what the trouble was,
and then, with deliberate purpose to
surprise US, had dashed past without
greeting, and guided by his unerring
nose had speedily torn the hay of the
| form of his well remembered playfel
low, for pretty Agnes Warwick used to
spend fully as much time at our home
as at her own.
"Now, having so we'll succeeded in
creating a sensation, Prince threw off
all disguise, and after hilariously jump
ing upon each of Us in turn gamboled,
barked and frisked around in an ecstasy
of delight, while we all started in a
wild race to the house.
evidently some one-perhaps with
news of Donald-had arrived, for a
strange sleigh stood before the open
door, and as we neared the house we
could hear my fathers voice ringing
out in tones which did not sound like
those of grief.
Sc There's word from Donaldl Come
onP yelled my brother Archie as he
sprang to the leading place.
1.-THE other 16 of us followed pell-
nell, almost tumbling over each other
in our eagerness, and burst like cy-
clone into the big parlor. Then the old
roof shook with our half frantic cheers,
for there, in the center of the room,
stood Donald himselfl He was brown
as an Indian and bearded ike-well,
like any gold digger, but was the same
old Donald still, while, clasped to his
BREAST, with her arms about his neck,
lay my dear little mother, softly crying
IN speechless joy"
Here poor Fred almost broke down,
and not homesick man of US all could