The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-09-01
ure White Lead

it. The dog kept his gaze on me as if
he feared I should leave him.
We walked, he at my very heels, I'm
til we came to a hack stand. | took a
carriage and l put Mascot had al
ready named him in my mind-on the
front seat; then l placed myself oppo
site, and told the driver to take us out
to Northrup street-that was a good
half hours drive.
So we started. Mascot didn't like to
be as far away from me as the distance
between the front and back seat. He
was continually reaching out a paw,
and presently I lifted him over beside
me. I hurt mis- poor burned flesh as I
did so, for he whIned, then hurriedly
licked my hand as If in apology and to
assure me that he would allow M to
hurt him if l wished to do so.
We lived here then, and my wife
was in the garden when the hack stop
ped at the gate. She saw me with a
smooch of blood, the dogs blood, on
my face, and gave a little scream as
she ran forward. She had believed that
| was already miles away on that rain.
I'm all right" 1 FASTENED to say,
'and I've come back because I've saved
this fellow. 1 hope you'll like him."
l stepped out, and Mascot stepped
out after me, or rather with me, in his
fear lest he should get left.
H9 was not a r~eassuring object. His
hair was full of mud and blood; there
was a cash in his under lip; and he
was now beginning to feel stiff and
sore. He stood pressed against my
ankle while 1 paid the driver.
Fortunately my wife had had a dog
when she was a child, and if you have
ever been intimate with a good dog, it
makes all the difference in your feeling
toward the whole canine race.
Having become convinced that I had
met with no accident, Margaret looked
at the 70 conner an instant, then she
held out her hand and said softly:
Poor fellow! What a hard time
you've had!"
Mascot extended his head and licked
the tips of her fingers; then he glanced
up at me and said, Pm going to love
her, too-but not lite so WE'LL"
We took him into the kitchen and
put him into the sink. We washed
MIN, we cleansed his wounds with
warn water and CASTLE soap.
How gentle he was, and how he tried
to bear it. Then we put an old blanket
in the corner, and he sat stIfly down
on it. He ate a basin of bread and
milk, and then we left him. But he
would cry. went back to him three
or four times, and he seemed perfectly
happy while I remained. Atlast Mar
garet suggested that I leave him some
thing of mine. l dropped my hand
kerchief beside him. He put his chin
on it, and when we left him alone he
didn't whine again.
I was glad l called him Mascot, for
that very night one of the firm, to
whom l had sent word that l was de
tanned from starting on my business
trip that morning, came out and said
they had decided to put me-iu another
department, with five hundred dollars
more salary. He said that he knew I
was able to fill that place, but he &C
knowledged that he shouldn't have
thought of promoting me just now if
his wife hadn't asked him if he couldn't
do something for me.
And what do you think made her
he inquired. why she was in
a carriage on Clark street early this
morning, and she saw you escue that
dog. She was 30 thankful to see you
do it that she said she knew you could
fill a higher position in u house. That
is a woman's way of reasoning, you
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