The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1896-10-01

ana ScdFeS dc WlulmeH HALL Ter QeL I,
till d. engineer catches him and makes
him fast ter der capstan."
The capstan had been freshly paint
ed vermilion, and in the morning Mug
gins was CORY horror. The monster
refused to get into che carriage which
awaited them at the landing, and none
OF the deck hands would go near him,
SO little Marie had to boost him in her
self.
Van Caters didn't 60 to Europe at
all. He went down to Long Island in
stead. His aunt was surprised to see
him walk in one hot day.
'Well!' said the aunt.
II came down." said Van Caters, "to
look after Muggins.'' , a..
"Muggins is out walking now," said
his aunt, ''and Marie is with him, be.
lieve. They are inseparable."
(Which way?" asked Van Caters,
after he had something cool to drink
"You are throwing yourself away,
Gerard" said his aunt. "But if you
follow the path through the field there,
into the woods, you will fnd-Mug.
gins"
"Thank you, aunty," said Van Gait
ers.
Van Caters followed the path till 1t
led him into the thick of the woods; still
no Muggins, no Marie He hoped Mug
gins would have sense enough to make
himself scarce. He wanted to say
something to little Marie, things no fel-
low could say with frog-faced bull
pup staring at him. That goggle-eyed
Muggins would take the sentiment out
Of any man.
Still no Marie. Perhaps Muggins had
cavorted off through the underbrush
and led her away from the beaten
path. Perhaps they were coming home
another way. Perhaps-What was
that?
A shrill scream, and another, and an
other. Van Caters set off at a run.
That was Marie, as sure as fate. What
could have happened? Was she hurt?
Why was she so quiet now? And where
was Muggins? Muggins should be
taking care OF her.
marie! Marier' No answer. She
must be hurt. What right had they to
let her run about like this, little Marie
with no one to look after her? He
would soon stop all that.
A turn in the woodland way, and Van
Caters almost fell over her. She was
sitting in the middle of the path, with
Muggins' head in her lap. She looked
at Gerard with her mouth open and the
big tears running down her cheeks.
"Ah, Gerard" said she, "poor Mug
ginsr'
'What has happened?" gasped Van
Caters, kneeling down beside her.
There was a distinct cracking in the
underbrush. Van Caters sprang to
his feet.
''sNo, no." said Marie, catching at his
arm; cts too late now-the man-oh,
oh, such a brute! If it hadn't been for
Muggins-"
Muggins tried to lift his battered
head, but dropped it with a queer, gruff
moan. He was covered with blood, and
so was Marie.
''The man sprang out and caught my
arm, and 1 called Muggins, who was
some way behind, and Muggins flew at
his throat, and the man let go. And
then Muggins got him by the arm and
hung on and wouldn't be shaken off.
And the fellow beat him with a great
stick, and finally Muggins dropped"
Muggins quivered and wagged his
stump Of tail feebly, and Marie took
one Of his clumsy paws tenderly and
held it in her small hand r.
"Poor Muggy, poor, bad, brave old
Muggy, who loved mev'
:'Rook!' said Muggins, family. ga
rook, a-rook! Wool" and so, with that
hoarse bark, he died, game to the last,
and most sincerely mourned.
Van Caters buried him there un-
der a big oak tree, and cut "Muggins"
in the bark, and proposed again to lit
tie Marie on the way home.
"Please, Gerard" said little Marie,
"another day"
it was not that day, nor for many
long day, that little Marie made an
swer.
By that time Muggins' epitaph had
extended until it climbed up into the
branches. Van CATERS added some
thing to it every time he and Marie
visited Muggins' grave.
''That beastly bull pup" said GeraE,
jealousy, one day, when Marie was
reading the finished epitaph aloud:
'We've made him out a regular angel"
"Poor Muggy," said Marie, softly,
putting her frail little hand on his
sleeve. Poor, bad, brave old Muggy,
who loved mev'
And that, think, should have been
Muggy's epitaph.-Vogue.