The Forrest City times., 1896-02-21

| II Caldwell 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
Duffy's life yellow and white dog.
Exactly why it should have wandered
to the door upon one wet and freezing
night when Duffy was in particularly
| weary frame of mind, and where IL
came from, he never knew. 1t was well
| after midnight, and Duffy was sprawIed
IN leather chair of the troop saddler's
| manufacture, DOING with both ears
open, when there came a scratching
at the door. Duffy thought it was the
lieutenant trying to find the knob. 1t
had never been so bad as that vet.
nevertheless the striker went and
opened the door, to be rewarded by the
| sight of an extremely small and miser-
able 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 it and fed it.
and watched it with satisfaction BEAM
ing all over his face. 1t was spotted
and dirty and wounded and woefuily
thin, but Duffy took it to his heart.
lie 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 admired daughter of the com
manding officer, and with complete
disregard for the entire inappropriate
ness of the name.
After he had settled this 20 his satis-
faction, he tried to discover accomplish
ments in the creature. Here, Bessie.
old boy. Set up now. set up. Can't you
set up? Well, then, give us your paw,
here, paw, paw, now. Can't you give us
your paw? Well, then, lie down;
charge, charge. charge-down, lie
down, down. Can't you charge? Well,
then, speak, speak. Bessie, sp-e-a-k.
sic 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 accomplished
dog in all the garrison and greatly be-
loved at the barracks. Duffy was a lit
tie annoyed about the comment the in
appropriate 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 on rare occa-
sions. 1t stayed in its masters room,
and slept On his bed, and waxed fat in
retirement. He had spoken of it sew
eral times, but otherwise took no notice
Of its existence, which secretly riled
Duffy. But Caldwell was lreoccupied,
and not quite himself. He came home
a great 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 bet
ter have kicked Duffy; however, 3he
striker understood and sympathized
with the lieutenant's condition. He
himself could never have kicked 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
gentleman had made reflection upon
some of the lieutenant's fast-growing
habits that had eXasperated the al
ready over-worried junior almost be-
yond endurance. He strode 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 Bes-
sizes disposition inclined him to for
give; 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 10 Duffy to greet him.
Duffy bandaged the paw, and in
time it grew well. But Duffy hated
Caldwell with the most dangerous of
hatreds--a silent and waiting one.
Caldwell's 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
tobacco as private property.
One day, after Bessie's foot was well
Duffy went to get drink, because his