The Penn's Grove record., 1896-09-25


over &c boat ana in ter de ladies' cabls
and scares de wimmen half ter det'
tn d engineer CATCHES linn ana make
him fast ter del. capstan."
The capstan had been freshly paint
ed vermilion, and in the morning Mug
gins was a CORY horror. The monster
refused to get into the carriage which
awaited them at the landing, and non
Of the deck hands would go near him,
so little Marie had to boost him in Ler
self.
Van CATERS didn't 90 to Europe n,
all. he wen down to Long Island In
stead. His u was surprised to seq
him walk in n hot day.
"Wellr' said the aunt.
II came down" said Van CATERS. 1T,
look after Muggins."
"Musgins Is out walking now" salt.
his aunt, and Marie is with him, | be-
lieve. They are in~separable."
(which wayY asked Van Caters,
utter he had something coel to drink.
"You are throwing yourself away.
Gerard said his aunt. But II You
follow the path through the field there,
Into the woods. you will Hndz-Mus.
gins"
Thank yeu. aunty." said Van Gait
FRS.
Van Caters followed the path till II
led bin into the thick Of the woods; still
ne Mugsins, no Marie. He hoped Mug.
gins would havs sehse enough to naks
himself scarce. He wanted to say
something to little Marie, things no fell
lev could say with a f~ros-faced bull
pup staring at him. That s~eggle-eyed
Muggins would take the sentiment cut
Of any man.
Still ne Marie. Perhaps Mussins hat
cavorted of through the u~Rderbrush
and led her away from the beaten
path. Perhaps they were coming home
another way. Perhaps-what was
that?
A shrill scream, and another, and ar
other. Van Caters set of at a run.
That was Marie. as sur as fate. What
could have happened? Was she hurtf
Why was she so quiet nowf And where
was Muggins7 Muggins should be
taking care Of her.
"AIariel Marie" No answer. Sh,
must be hurt. What right had they to
let her run about like this, little Marie
with no one to look after her? He
would soon stop all that.
A turn In the woodland way, and Val
CATERS almost fell over her. She was
sitting In the middle Of the path, with
Muggins' head In her lap. She looked
at Gerard with her mouth open and the
tlg teGrE running down her cheeks.
"Ah, Gerard" said she, poor Mug.
ginsr
What has happenedT' gasped Val
Caters, kneeling down beside her.
There was a distinct cracking in the
underbrush. Van Caters sprang to
his feet.
mo, no." said Marie, catching at hit
arm; ats too late now-the man-oh,
oh, such a brute! If 1t hadn't been for
Mugglns-"
Muggins tried to lift his battered
head, but dropped 1t with a queer, gruf
moan. He was covered with blood. and
10 was Marie.
"The man sprang out and caught my
arm, and I called Muggins, who was
some way behind, and Muggins few at
his throat. and the man let go. And
then Muggins got him by the arm and
hung on and wouldn't be. shaken off.
And the fellow beat him with a great
stick, and finally Muggins dropped"
Muggins quivered and wagsed his
stump of a tail feebly, and Marie took
one of his clumsy paws tenderly and
held 1t In her small. hand.
Poor Muggy, poor, bad, brave old
Muggy, who loved me"
"Rooki, said Muggins, family. "A.
fook. a-rooki Wool" and SO, with that
hoarse bark, he died, game to the last,
and most sincerely mourned.
Van Caters buried him there IN
Ter a big oak tree, and cut "Muggins".
in the bark, and proposed again to lit
tie Marie on the way home.
please, Gerard" said little Marie,
another day"
To-day" said Gerard, stoutly. Bur
1t was no tnat uayI nor Tor many q
long day, that little Marie made n
swer.
By that time Muggins' epitapb hal
extended until it climbed up into the
branches. Van Caters added some
thing to it every time he and Marie
visited Muggins' grave.
.'rbat beastly bull pup" said Gerard.
iealously, one day, when Marie was
reading the finished epitaph aloud:
We've made him III a regular angel"
Poor Muggy," said Marie, softly,
putting her frail little hand on HIS
sleeve. Poor. bad. brave old Muggy,
who loved meF
And that. I think, should have been
Muggy's epitaph.-Vogue.