Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-01-02
BOSS

lost many teeth, showed that he would
not fight again VIGOROUSLY.
He was gaunt from life Of insufficient
food. hut vet he had the air OF q dog who
Is loved.
Sometimes he turned from his gaze at
the sea and glanced behind him at child
who was sitting in wheelbarrow few
feet away. Every time he glanced thus he
SLIGHTLY wagg,d his stump OF a tail, al d
the child smiled, or she said in a soft voice:
'Good Boss
And then Boss waQged harder but he
could not give much attention to his COM
nanion. for his whole heart was with IT,
bent old woman who was up to her waist
in the water bv the outermost ledge. 1t
was there that the Irish moss grew, and
at low tide the woman could gather it.
She thrust her arm down to the shoulder
zach time for her handful of moss. She
was wet. sodden wet, save for small
nlaco across her back.
She had n mans straw hat fastened by
n small rome tightly under her chin. Her
yace looked 100 vears old-it was in truth
7o-old scanned and leathery. and it was
n face vou loved To look at
Fverv few moments she raised her head
and nut her driupinr, hand up over her eyes
as ebo turned toward tho land. she was at
first dazzlea nv the glare of the water
Whom she looked up thus. the little girl in
the ybeclharroy ALWAYS waved her hat.
then a dim. beautiful smile would come
in the faded eyes.
..It,s list o.loin of her lot 9 Of good. " she
wonId saw oloud. I'm awful glad |
wheeled har down. Iwish now I'd brought
her down oftener this summer"
rr,,.ico oa= sha looked sborpward she caIl
ad mt shrillv.
Ross Won take care of her won't Won
Ras.s'
rbsp Rnss nricked nm his ears and shock
his tail and the Girl laughed and said she
.te.5,..-ca 10 N Ross could CIT alo,,g first
-atn :,
,,W,'ra used to II mint we Ross?'
When she said this, tho dog got up,
came to her side, gave her swift lick
across the check, then hurried back ard
sat Down ON the edge of the planks again
Once rh. woman out in the WAscr slip
ned and FIJI splashiu,, and Boss jumI ed
up, whining in pitcGus quaser. ana
would not be comforted even when the
child said so,lhingiy:
Never n4lnd, old fellow
But when woman found. red to her
feet again n Il cried "All right :" the dog
sat down. Still he frequently gave a littlo
that this WAS the first summer whcn he
had gone out messing with his dearest
friend, and he could not undcrstail why
he was so stiff and clumsy that hc was
unable to run over The slippery r., K, and
keep close to her. nosing the mos, she
picked up. uukinr over Holsters and crabs
and seeing that nothing La,pencd to her
Sornrriine, WAS the ,urttcr with his les.
ard with Thu. ,vlole of Linn, somehow, and
he could net Get over ,Ierocks. Was it the
same thins, that kept him from pnalying
bones? And he liked them lust IA, we'll as
ever. He noticed that the young tlc;; who
lived down tho road could crack bones
without any trouble. IL was all VERY mys-
terious.
When he Law in the sun near whnra the
moss WAS driving. doing and snatping at
fine flies. he often looked as if l., we're
tbinling Of all tnese thjuos
And vyhat dia tho Girls craof,notb,r
mem onlvvestrrd,v ,vb,,n she h,.l ,trul-,.1
bis hn,d and said.
s.pnor Old i|nss, yon,ro oittin old i.s,.
T ha ,Txynn,t hn M tind If =, ,,ro.,. r,,,rd
III. houso ,,hort nos.y 10 had p..,l.d
his head under her hand when she had
s,,nl.rp thus INIT Lo di,ln,t nnd.rst,nd
Huw nIcasant this bri,bt dnv was with
it's S,,pnv gep,Ic cast wind ind man
b,nl,.hf sweet silt spoIls from, tt,,.. ,,lr,,,,,
To- child sritYed tho hracinc, n,l.ra Il
stre,,.hc, ON, nor hands smiIing larr,ilv
~ he snrn She cnl,Id walk Inn ,,r,,nnv
wb.nlnd bar Ia TN, hrnalyyater 1yl'rrr sba
conld SEQ tho moss gathered
!, ,..., - -, , ...
the water had rone far ont So I1at one
copld Get to one of the ledges where the
mos er,w
Granny Ind no boat. as most Of tho
mossrrs had-thrre we're some boats now
Farther aIony and little Molly conId 500
tho mon mn th,,ir 1nno h.HlI.,d ro,,oS
3 down and draw Them mn full .hn / new
=. that those men made more money Than
her prandmotber but then sbe didn't
know much about money. Some Of the