St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1897-05-22


could get to- the ledges where the moss
grew. a Ss
Granny had no boat as most of the
mossers had-there were some boats
now farther along, and little Molly could
see the men put their long-handled
rakes downsand draw them up full. She
knew that those men made more money
than her grandmother, but then she
didn't know much about money. Some
of the neighbors often said that they
themselves could not afford to keep a
dog. When they said this granny shut
her lips tight, and the first chance she
had she would stroke the dogs head.
Il guess they don't know much about
dog" she told Molly, en- / guess IS
longs we've anything to eat Boss'll
have some of it. Eh, old feller?"
I Molly sank back on her pillow in the
barrow. She amused herself by almost
closing her eyes so that the sea seemed
to came up nearer and crimple in sparks
of fire. Then she would open her lids
wide, and the great stretch of water
would flash bIindinglys on her vision.
She played at this for a long time, and
always III front of her was the dog;
she had grown up in the conviction that
all was well if he was near. r. r.
Soon everything grew deliciously dim
and then clear, and the salt smell was
sweeter, and she Yves walking over the
hard sand as straight as any body, hold
ing her head up strongly. She did not
know she was asleep. It was real to
her that she was walking. ss =
Suddenly she satupright in her wheel
barrow, clutehir the sides of it. Boss
was not there. Had he barked? Or had
some one called? She looked off the
ledge. She saw Boss leaping frantically
over the weedy rocks. He went as if he
were a young dog-he went like crea-
ture possessed. He seemed not to leap,
but to fly from one rock to another, over
the still, green pools.
Molly could only see the dog and, be-
yond him, shining water. Where was
granny?
The child tried to scream, but she felt
as # in a nightmare, and could not
make a sound.
Oh, there was something down be-
tween the rocks. on the far side of the
Jledge! It was there that Boss was 60
ing. And there was the mosser in his
boat, putting his rake down just as he
had been doing when the child had gone
to sleep. For an instant she thought
she was dreaming. But Boss was gone,
orr !,
the rocles-it was granny's hat sticking
up, and it did not move.
Molly tried again to scream, and it
was as if her heart would break in the
trying. Her voice was only a hoarse
kind of a whisper.
But there! Boss had reached his
friend. He tried to pull her out. Be
tween his lips he barked, he hoWled--
aay, he screamed. Was his heart break
ing also?
At last the mosser out there held his
rake just above the water and gazed
toward the shore, listening. The wind
was off the sea, and sounds from the
land did notcome clearly.
The man saw little Mo1lie Towne on
the breakwater. Had she cried out?
And was that. the Towne dog carrying
on so on the rocks?
Boss was down by the still figure that
was lying in the shallow pool. He was
struggling with it, making frantic eff
forts to pull it from the water.
Outlined on the breakwater, against
the dazzle of the blue sky, the man saw
Mollie rise up in her barrow, as if she
would walk, and then fall back again.
Good Gedt" he cried. He dropped
the rake into the water, caught up his
oars, and rowed to the ledge. All the
time he rowed he saw old Mrs. Towne's
motionless form lying there and the
dog trying to help her. r.-s
As he stepped out of his boat and be-
gan slipping and jumping over the rocks
the woman moved and raised her head.
He saw her reach out her hand to the
dog; he saw the dog throw himself
down and lick her face eagerly.
% "That you, Jim Stowell?" she easked.
'I guess I've broke my leg. I slipped.
I've mossed 90 year, N never slipped
to speak of before"
q She spoke tremblingly, but with
pride. 81 s'pose I tainted, or some
thing ,-s.a.=s...-.--a.,-.--.-.-.---s~-,--.-,z
sI'll git you right into the boat" said
Jim Stowell, briskly," m take you home
in no time"
Boss stood close by watching the man.
, It was not easy to get her into the
boat, and she. WINGED and grew pale,
but she helped all she could and made
no sound.
When she was in at last Jim took up
MS ears to go round to the sandy land
ing. There stood Boss shivering on a
rock. All at once he appeared older
than ever; it seemed as if he could |
hardly stand.
Take him, too," said his mistress.
"No, let him walk"
''I want you to take him, tell you,"
almost fiercely. "He's too old N stiff
to walk on the rocks"
ts0ldm with u laugh. "You oughter |
seen him goin' it after you"
The man began to row. Tears came
into Mrs. Towne's eyes. Her voice was
,hoked. s
You've got TO take him." she said.
'or you needn't take me"
.0hs if you feel like that'-Jim lifted /
The dog into the boat, and Boss
,rouched down by his friend, who put.
ler hand on him. He leaned more and
more heavily on her; his eyes were fixed
IN her face.
Lying there on the wet moss in the
of4nY4, fafs tha boa5 she could Iook with