Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1895-12-13

forward to stroke the big, black head,
but tho creature took DC notice Of my
one Of them, only stood quito still,
piercing through tho little group with
those sad, eager, human eyes Of his.
Poor followl Poor dogr' thsy said.
The children stood n little from him
with grave, touched faces They were
gazing so earnestly ct him that they did
not sec their father, who had come
down TO the quay--as no came often
TO give a momentary eye 60 his young
monkeys and SEQ that they were not
drowning themselves or getting into any
other hopeless mischief, and who was
standing now behind them and had been
listening while the master told lis tale.
They only knew he was there when they
suddenly heard his voice.
"What arc you going to do with him?
Will you part with him?' he called out
TO the master. Then the lads turned
round, with Is little cry. ooh, father -
they exclaimed, aud their hearts leaped
to their mouths. They were afraid to
utter another word. They stood with
their lips parted with eagerness as they
waited for the masters aut wer.
well, sir, I'm open to an offer for
him." the man said, after a moments
silence, and then the children burst into
shouts of delight.
Ten minutes afterward they were
walking home with the beast between
them. They chartered away as they went
of all that they would do with him,
what they should call him, how he
should 20 everywhere with them, and
how many things they would teach him.
They hold him by the car and clapped
his back and gamboled round him. Who
can tell what his thoughts were all tho
time? Who could tell them, as he walk
ed on with those dumb, wondering. pa
tient eyes Of his, with the new voice.
in his ear, and all the old world and tho
old life gone from him like a dream?
"Wo brought him homo with US in a
week or two," my friend said to me
Two had been walking up and down tho
lawn while he told me the little story,
"and tho boys 0 grew very fond of
him, but it is IA curious thing that dur
ing all these five years he has boon with
US now he has never grown more than
half ut home here. / think he has beck
as happy with us as he would have been
anywhere, and a moro docile, patient,
kindly naturod beast than he is you
never knew, but yet he has always to
me been like a dog living with a broken
heart. 1 don't believe for my part that
he has ever forgotten that old master
Of his, whoever ho may have been, for
=. L. g-. 49,. 1-~-w rt.,,r Ia. Loot hffr, Iool-
ut him now. Look what q fine, human
pathos there is about that tragic, silent
face Of his. Depend upon it, he is tl4lk-
ing of the old story ut this moment
puzzling it all out again, remembering,
perhaps, how lie saw tine boat go down
and heard his masters last cry, if, in
deed, it was his last. Perhaps he may
doubt even vet whether it was. [ some
times think he has still at moments a
kind of forlorn hope that the lost days
will come back again aud the lost eyes
look into his once more"
We went up to him again where he
lay and stood looking at him. He was
doing, with eyes half closed, in the
sunshine, his black coat grown q little
rusty now, his ears dropping, his senses
perhaps beginning to be dulled by age,
for lac was old. He was not likely to live
much longer, lay friend said.
AS we stood SO he took no notice Of
us. He was thinking Of other things
perhaps in a half waking dream living
the old life again.
Poor Brutusl" / said oncea and
stopped down to smooth his grand ole
head, but still he did not move or lool
up.
"Ah, he doesn't care for that name, ,
my friend said. "He will answer to i
sometimes, but he knows very VOL tina.
he had another name once quito differen'
from Brutus. We have never been ablt
to find out what it was. It is buried
too, with all tho rest of his history"
We heard the boys voices coming to
ward MS merrily and their footsteps Oh
the gravel under the chestnut trees. 70
q moment Brutus opened his eyes at tn
sound of them and gently moved hi
bushy tail. Then, stretching out hi
great fore paws with a peaceful sigh, h
laid his head down ON them and doze'
again. We left hina lying so, %slumborini
calmly in the sunshine. with his dog
gish, faithful thoughts perhaps gon.
dreamily back to the old days and hear
! ing in sleep the old voices that were los
; to him forever in that sorrowful nigh
, when the unknown ship went down a
, sea-Georgiana M. Craik.