The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-17

fingers.
Abby Ann turned to the butcher.
- guess Squire Beals wouldn't care
II you left the dog here. would he, Mr..
Left him here? The old Harry. No,
] don't think he'd care, but amt goin'
to do 1t, all the same. Ben would chaw
you up in no time"
rs his name Ben? / amt afraid of
bein' chawed y. He hasn't got a bad
face. He's sufferin' now. Ben, don't
you want to live will me? Dear Ben"
n terrier wagged the end of his tail
and whined slightly.
The woman gave a soft little laugh.
MIR. Hill, you unite him, will you? If
Mr.. Beals objects to my havin' him Iii
see about it myself"
The butcher stared i'm silence. Then
he found his voice and declared that the
and that 1t want no kind of a woman'S
dog.
After a little talk of this kind Abby
Ann said that she wasn't in the least
afraid to loose the dog.
Whereupon she mounted the wagon,
Mr.. Hill protesting hat IF she got bit
he wasn't goin to be responsible"
There was nevertheless admiration on
his leather face when his companion
persisted, saying that she couldn't bear
to think of the dog as going to be killed.
Ben instantly stood UP, whining with
pain as he moved, but greeting his new
friend with as much demonstration as
was possible for him to display under the
circumstances.
When Abby Ann unlocked his chair
from his collar she Inadvertently grazed
a raw place on his body and he instant
ly snapped at her; and then he licked
her hand again in apology, wriggling
~piteously as he did SO. trying to assur
her that he hadn't meant 1T, and that it
was only the pain. anyway.
The woman stepped down from the
wagon. She turned and held out her
hand.
Come, Ben; you're my dog now"
Mr.. Hill once more asserted that he
should not be responsible.
Ben stood an instant, ~dreading to
move His hurts were stiffening. He
looked from one to the other of the two
people who were gazing at him. He
whined again, then he made a leap and
landed at Abby AIMS feet, where he
.crouched, and shivered, and moaned.
She bent over him, murmuring some
unintelligible words
emphasis.
ABBY Ann called a voice from the
door; what you doin'?'
Mr.. Hill was expectin' to kill him,
mar" was the response, u I'm goin'
to have him.
Mrs. Capen, who remembered old Row
er, the Newfoundland, and who there
fore had a for dogs, now put
a shawl IN her head also and came out,
the March wind whirling her shawl and
her skirts in the most d~iSreSpectfuI man.
ner.
Mercy sake" she cried. why. he's
all blood"
Mar" exclaimed the daughter, lest
think, he kinder likes me already. I
sha'n't let him go. You can't make me
let him 60"
The glow on the younger woman's
face was beautiful to see. Her shawl
had fallen down to her shoulders, and
the light hair was rufHing in the wind.
Mrs. Capen wisely made no attempt
in the direction of making Abby Ann
let him go. She did not intend to begin
at this late day to try to control her
daughter.
She told Mr.. Hill that he nights well
tell the Squire that his dog wouldn't
trouble him no more. This she said
when the attitude of affairs had been ex-
planned to her.
IF Ben goes to runnin' back there
Mr.. Beals IL make trouble asserted the
butcher. Then Abby Ann gave her
solemn word that she wouldn't allow
Ben to run back.
Mr.. Hill w~asFabout to climb up on the
seat when he bethought himself that he
had not yet sold any meat. He men
toned this fact to the two women. Alb
by Ann said she had changed her mind;
she didn't want any butchers meat, and
the man drove away.
L SoRCli, lOOhlltS oOWl at Tic uOS,
assured her daughter that she might
reckon on having her hands full now if
she never did before.
Then the'two went into the house.
Ben trailed stif1y along behind Abby
Ann, who took him into the wood room
and shut him in there. She presently
Joined him with a roll of white rags, a
dish of warm water and a piece of cas-
tile soap.
Before she began her work. however
she hrnIIphf q howl IF n1i1A md Affaral
1T to her guest. Ben Tapped up a few
~spoonfulS and then drew back. He
glanced up at her deprecatingly.
She sat down on the floor beside him.
he was invariably painfully sorry for
such lapses, and hurried to kiss the
hand he had p at.
AT last his wounds were washed and
bound up where they could be bound.
and Abby Ann tried to leavNhim there
for repose. But he struggled up to his
feet and pushed so decidedly at the door
that she let him go with her.
He lay on the carpet beside her all
hat afternoon; ne was in that position
at night when Mr.. James Manning ar
rived to spend the evening.
When Abby Ann rose Ben rose also
and advanced toward the guest with
her. He advanced with much tribula-
ton, owing to his wounds, and he ap-
peared to resent the handshake that en-
sued.
What beasts that?' asked Mr.. Man
ming in that d~isrespectful tone which
some people use in reference to dogs.
Its a dorg," said Abby Ann with
more c%rispness tina she usually en-
ployed in speaking.
Obi! Whose is it?"
Its NINE
"Ohv"
Mr.. Manning went some distance to
make his choice of a chair in which to
sit.
The conversation did not begin very
briskly.
Mr.. Manning was a tall man, his
height seeming to be mostly in length
of body. His legs had always been
bowed a little, and his pantaloons were
in the habi of swinging about his ankles
in an unbecoming manner He had a
high-featured face and a way of pursuing
up his mouth after he had spoken that
was extremely irritating to some people.
1t was perhaps a little curious that
Abby Ann had never until to-day found
that trick of Mr.. Manning's mouth to
be annoying. The mans voice was es-
pecially soft and in~gratiating. Among
the men of his acquaintance it was often
said that Jim Manning's voice was all
that could ever make any woman marry
him.
He sat now at the length of the.room
and looked over at his companion and
at the four-footed creature beside, her.