Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1896-06-06

that 1t would be a good thing if Caid-
well should get married, only then, he,
Duffy, would very likely lose his place.
So he sat up night after night, and it
grew monotonous.
Just at this period there came into
Dufy's life a yellow and WI lite dog.
Exactly ny it should have wandered to
the door upon a wet and freezing night
when Duffy was in a particularly weary
frame of mind, and where it came from,
he never knew. 1t was we'll after mid
night, and Duffy was sprawled in a
leather chair of the troop saddler's man
ufacture, doing with both ears open,
when there came a scratching at the
door. Duffy thought 1t was the lieuten-
ant trying to find the knob. 1t had
never been SO bad as that yet, neverthe-
less the striker went and opened the
door, to be rewarded by the sight of an
extremely small and miserable dog,
with piteous eyes.
Now, Duffy was only a soldier, and a
soldier loves nothing on earth or in
heaven as he does cur, so Duffy called
the dog in and warmed 1t, and fed 1t and
watched 1t with satisfaction beaming all
over his face. 1t was spotted and dirty
and wounded and woefully thin, but
Duffy took it to his heart. He spent
three nights before the fire, no longer
lonely, contentedly trying to find name
for that dog. AT last he determined to
call it "Bessie," after the much -ad-
mired daughter of the commanding Off
Ger, and with complete disregard for
the entire unappropriateness of the
name
After he had settled this to his salts
faction, he tried to discover accomplish
ments in the creature. "Here Bessie,
old boy. Set up now, set up. Cam
you set up3 Well, then, give us your
paw, here paw, paw, now. Can't you
give us your plw2 Well, then, lie down
charge, charge, charge-down, lie down,
down. Can't you charge? Well, then,
speak, sheak, Bessie, 'sp-e-a.k, speak now.
Wow speak" But Bessie could only
follow him with his bright, curious eyes
and come when called. So the solace of
many more hours of patient waiting lay
in teaching Bessie these and many other
tricks, until he was the most accom-
! plished dog In all the garrison and great
ly beloved at the barracks. Duffy was
little annoyed about the comment the
Inappropriate name called forth, but he
insisted that it was as good as another,
and the incongruity was soon lost in
Bessie's popularity.
Caldwell saw the dog only on rare
occasions. 1t stayed in its masters
room, and slept on his bed, nd waxed
fat in retirement He had spoken to 1t
several times, but otherwise took no no
tice of its existence, which secretly
riled Duffy. But Caldwell was preoccu-
pied and not quite himself. He came
home good deal the worse for wine
one night, and Bessie, being in the way,
got kick that sent him crouching to
his masters side. Caldwell might far
better have kicked Duffy; however the
striker understood and sympathized with
the lieutenant's condition. He himself
could never have kicked dog, even af-
ter pay day but all men are not alike;
so Duffy pettied Bessie and shut him up
In his own room, and returned to look
after the bodily comforts of his master.
This-considering the wine,-was par
donable; but the next offense could not
be condoned, 1t occurred in broad dav-
light and Caldwell was sober. He had
been having an explanation with the
commanding officer, and that gentleman
had made reflections upon some of the
lieutenant's fast growing habits that had
exaggerated the already oveTworried
junior almost beyond endurance. He
strobe into his quarters and found Duffy,
who was not expecting him, dividing
his attention between Bessie's charms
and the buckle of his masters belt
Now, Bessie's disposition inclihed him
to forgive; he ran to Caldwell, looked