The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1896-04-17


ness Of the name.
| After he had settled this to his sat
| isfaction. he tried to discover accom-
| plishments in the creature. Here, Bes-
sic, Old boy. Set up now, set up. Can't
you get up? Well, then, give us your
| paw, here, paw, paw, now. Can't you
give us your paw? Well, then, lie down;
charge, charge-down, lie down, down.
Can't you charge? Well, then, speak.
speak, Bessie speak, 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 9TH
er tricks. until he was the most ac-
ccmplished dog in all the garrison and
| greatly beloved at the barracks. Duff
| fly was little annoyed about the COM
ment 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, and waxed
fat in retirement. He had spoken to 1t
several times, but otherwise took no no.
tice of it's existence. which secretly
riled Duffy. But Caldwell was preoc-
cupied, and not quite himself. He came
home good deal the worse for wine
one night, and Bessie, being in his 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 a dog,
even after payday. but all men are not
alike; so Duffy petted Bessie and shut
him up in his own room, and returned
to look after the bodily comfort OF his
master.
This-considering the wine-was
pardonable; but the next offense could
not be condoned. 1t occurred In broad
daylight and Caldwell was sober. He
had been having an explanation with
the commanding officer, and that gen.
tleman had made reflection upon some
of the lieutenant's fast growing habits
| that had exasperateG the already over
worried junior almost beyond endur-
ance. He strobe into his quarters and
found Duffy, who was not expecting
him, dividing his attention between
Bessies charms and the buckle Of his
masters belt. Now, Bessie's DISPOSE
ton inclined him to forgive; he ran to
Caldwell, looked up to his face with
soft, affectionate eyes, and put his little
paws, one yellow and one white, upon
his knee. Caldwell did not dare to
kick the commandant, but he kicked
Bessie-and broke the yellow paw. 1t
was the one always held out to Duffy
to greet him.
Duffy bandaged the paw, and In time
it grew we'll. But Duffy hated Cald-
well with the most dangerous of ha-
.reds-a silent and a waiting one.
Caldwells habits did not improve.
His fondness for whisky, whether good
or bad, continued. He had good
whisky in his room. and Duffy knew it,
for he belonged to the old school OF
strikers who do not look upon cigars or
liquor as private property.
One day, after Bessie's foot was we'll
Duffy went to get drink, because his
spirits were low. There was very little
whisky in the decanter, barely half a
glassful, and an idea suddenly flashed
into the strikers mind. Caldwell was
officer of the day. He never started
10 make the rounds without taking
enough liquor to keep him warm, and
Duffy knew it and saw his revenge laid
bare.
The striker took Bessie for walk
over to the hospital, to show the stew.
ard the mended paw.
"Say! said Duffy, tive got the
toothache. ! didn't sleep none last
night. Hev we got some-whats that
We give me once? Laudanum, was it!
Kin we let me hev bit?"
"Why, yes; l guess So" the steward
answered, and went into the dispen-
sary to get 1t.
shall take all that?" inquired the
striker with sweet simplicity.
Lord! no, man. Put some on cotton
and stick it in the TOOTH"
"Oh! And what wud it do to me IL
wuz to swallow it? Wud it kill me?"
mo, there amt enough for that. II
would put YOU pretty fast asleep
though"
"Ohw said Duffy again.
Then Bessie went through his tricks
for the steward, and trotted back home
at his masters heels.
That night Caldwell finished the
whisky in the decanter, and grumbled
that the sutlcr was selling him vile
tasting stuff. then started off a little
while afterward to make his rounds
The next day he was under arrest
for drunkenness on duty.
And Duffy, who had, with well-play-
ed reluctance, given some of the most
damaging testimony in regard to Cald.
wells habits at the court martial
which dismissed the latter, said good.
by to the disgraced man with sparkle
which was not of tears-in this eyes
and he told Bessie to give the "leftin.
ant the right paw" Which was the
yellow one?-San Francisco Argonaut