Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18

managing an important station on q
great railway. But the official stood
his ground, though n couple of nervous
passengers got out and stood on he
platform.
Good dog,' he said soothingly.
Don't be afraid; nobody's going 10
hurt you! Come, sir" he continued,
addressing EbcneZer's v.s-a-vis, viii
you move your dog or be mc:ed out
yourself? Let's know where we are.
We can't keep the train. If you don't
move your dog out YOU must 20, and
probably he'll follow"
II don't see why | should do either"
said the man. ''Lemme so t Sleep
"Oh. you don't see why you shouldT'
said the station master sarcastically.
Then | ask you to leave the compart-
ment or remove your dog. Now. which
is il to be? In two words, please
Neither" said the man. Let me
alone. and take the Internal cur-he
called Ebenezer III Internal cur-where
you like. What have l got TO do with
it? Lemme go t Sleep
Il suppose it is his dog" said the be-
wildered station master. looking around
inquiringly.
Nobody knew; but everybody sup
posed so.
Now. sir" he continued as one who
hands in an ultimatuln, sis this your
dog or is it notf'
NO. 1t is't,' roared the man. "l
wouldn't own such an internal iinker's
curse Of a thing"
Then why didn't you say SO befGre?'
said the station master.
Because you never asked me-" said
the passenger. And now 60 To-"
Swindon. | think it was-that was our
next stop. And femme go t sleep
When Ebenczer heard himself be-
trayed, maligncd. repudiated and given
away in the ~despicable words | have
reported he gave a short yelp and
jumped down, for he recognized that
his position was no longer tenable. But
he knew what he vas going 10 do, did
Ebenezer; he always does.
Did he, think you, endeayOr to place
his inch and Il quarter of tail between
his legs, creep out of the carriage and
jump humbly into a compartment of
the third class? Did he Sink under a
seat somewhere and take the next
train TO Paddington? Did he hide his
diminished eleven inches i'm the dog
box! Not Ebenezer.
He jumped off his own seat-his cas-
tie. which had been betrayed into the
hand Of the enemy-and Sprang lightly
into the lap of the better looking of the
two ladies, and looked up into her face
in Il gushing manner. and licked her
hand. and mOaned a little, and said. in
every possible way excepting speech,
that, though every n was against him.
and he was a poor, despised. miserable
dog. yet he felt sure that she would
never have the heart to reject him, but
would allow him to curl up his i'll
used person upon her knees, and see
that he was o further ill-treated just
simply and solely because he had had
the misfortune to mislay his master.
who had the tickets for both.
And that dear. good woman took II
all in, of course; and she cherished
Ebenczer. the rejected, in her bosom
and fed him upon the best of everything
that she had about her. and took him
into her dear. credulous English heart
at once, never suspecting what a fraud
he was. and wished ever 80 much
when the train reached Bristol that
Ebenezer might prove to be altogether
lost so that she might forever adopt
this nursing that fate had placed in
her keeping.
AS FOR EbeneZer, he was as sweet as
honey in the h~oneycomb. and gave that
lady to understand that he loved her
very dearly indeed-until Bristol was
reached. Then he jumped off her knee
and ran out of the station. without a
tear or a smile or a sigh or n pang of
regret or anything else that he ought
to have felt or shown: and, what's
more, when he met her next mcrning
in the streets Of the city on his way
to the station for the return journey.
he cut her dead. lest awkward ques-
tions should be put to him.
oh. Ebenezer! Ebenezer.-St. Louis
Glnha- nomo