Connecticut western news., 1896-08-27
LOVE MY DOG.


 Duffy was the property of Caldwell of the Tenth, and was looked upon in the light of an inheritance, having come down to him from Wentworth-of the same-when the latter had been ordered away.
 Caldwell went into Wentworth quarters at once and found Duffy rub ping up a pair of his ex-master's dis carded boots, with view to using them himself He liked the mans looks, and he liked the condition of the vacated quarters, with their slate gray painted woodwork, so he took the quarters and agreed to take Duffy at strikers usual rate of remuneration.
 Duffy entered promptly upon his du- ties, and was entirely satisfactory. He mad no incumbrances in the way of fam fly or sweethearts, and he was faithful to a degree that was occasionally exas- perating. For six months he served Caldwell in singleness of purpose, hay .ng in that time been incapacitated only for six days-that is, for 4S hours after each of the paymaster's visits, and Caldwell, knowing the ways of strikers, made no objection. Duffy slept uproar- iously in his rooms, and Caldwell made his own fires, and brushed his own clothes, and went with unblacked boots. In the interim no hour was too early for rising, none too late to sit up and keep logs on the andirons that the rooms might be warm and cheerful for the 'tleftinant, no duty imposed too ardu- ous provided it served Caldwell's ends.
 Blackstone, seeing the excellence of Duffy, departed from the strict code of honesty in the matter of servants which governs the army and made overtures to the model striker. Blackstone had no business to &o it, and Duffy knew it, and fine and inscrutable grin came upon his Ribernian mouth.
 Blackstone had said, with an assump- ton of of handedness, Duffy, what do you get?"
 Having due regard for his employer's credit in the world, he answered calm ly, "Twinty dollars, sor." "Get out !'' said Blackstone. "Yes, sor," replied Duffy. II want to know the truth, not lies like that. !"
 You'd best ask the leftinant, sor. I disremember.
 "He works you deuced hard" "Does he, then?"
 My man is no good. Suppose you come to me. You won't have to sit up to all hours for me-
 Duffy only smiled, but the smile was not pleasing.
 "What do you think of 1t, Duffy?"
 1T niver think, sor. The leftinant says I'm to do as I'm told and not l think.'
 Upon this Blackstone went away, and Duffy saluted him respectfully. In jus | tice to the officers common sense, 1t must be said that it was only partial in- l toxication which could have led him to | place himself in such position toward a soldier. Duffy did not repeat the conversation to Caldwell, because he knew it would make trouble between the two men, and Caldwell-whose disposition was not of | the mildest-had several quarrels on his | hands as it was.
 The lieutenant fell into the habit of keeping the striker up very late, night after night, so Duffy inspected his pock. | cts several times in succession while Caldwell was sleeping as soundly as il justice had been the soporific, and not, IS was the case, sutler's whisky, and he judged, from the fact that sometime: there was much loose change and agair almost nothing, that his master was play | L l. Al ing to be done. Duffy did not consider that his duties as striker included ths moral guidance of his superior. He re flected that 1t would be good thing i. Caldwell should get married; only ther he, Duffy, would very likely lose hi place. So he sat up night after night and it grew monotonous.
 Just at this period there came into Duffy's life yellow and white dog Exactly why it should have wandered to the door upon one wet and freezins night, when Duffy was in particularl, weary frame of mind, and where i came from he never knew. It was wei after midnight and Duffy was sprawleC
 ID a leather chair of the troop saddler' manufacture, dozing, with both ear open, when there came a scratching a , he door. Duffy thought it was the lieu
 tenant trying to find the knob. It ha'
 never been so bad as that yet; neverthe
 less the striker went and opened tn
 door, to be rewarded by the sight of al
 extremely small and miserable dog with piteous eyes.
 Now, Duffy was only soldier, and soldier loves nothing on earth or il
 heaven as he does cur. So Duffy calle' the dog in and warmed it and fed and watched it with satisfaction beam , ing all over his face. It was spotte
 and dirty and wounded and woefull
 thin, but Duffy took it to his heart. E
 spent three nights before the fire, I
 longer lonely, contentedly trying to fir
 a name for that dog. At Last he dete !. mined to call it Bessie" after u
 much admired daughter of the COT
 manding officer and with comple ;. disregard fcr the entire inappropriat
 ness of the name.
 After he had settled this to his sati
 faction he tried to discover accomplis
 ments in the creature. Here, Bessl