The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1897-07-22

" l'N't thC ltEoo N1ISEl III lit
barn" he mutiered. "Ill get EN- first
thing in the morning.
Its stopped showing.' Tibb's voice
came gayly from the next room. 1--WE
will have d grand ride tomorrow.
Where's Trotters?"
Don't know" Tommy grunted.
Never mind, Tibhs; let him go to
Sleep and mother turned the light
down and walked off. How long Tom
my slept he never knew. Suddenly he
sat up straight in bed. Something said
clearly and distinctly:
You left those boots in tile old cow
house at the enid of the orchard"
so | did!' answered Tommy's as.
tonished little heart. He crept out of
his crib and walked softly to the win
dow. The moon shone brightly. The
now lay white and smooth, with paths
broken here and there, as they were
wanted. 1t was all quite familiar to
Tommy. He could even see the old
cow-house by pressing his face against
the pane.
"If l could dress myself I could go
down and get en- before anybody
walked up!'
The room was comfortable. Tommy
could dress hiinself-after d fashion.
His trembling little fingers drew on
his stockings and shoes. and he got
into his clothes. which lay upon the
chair. AT the door he concluded it
looked cold out, and grayely took a
small blanket from his bed, dra awning it
about his shoulders as he had seen his
father do in q storm. Then lie walked
down stairs and through the kitchen
door.
''They ought not to leave this door
unfastened," thought Tommy as he
opened it with grave propriety. "a
burglar might get I'M"
After that it was harder work. The
path near the house was broken, but
the road down through the orchard had
only beer walked over a couple of
times. and Tommy's small legs SAM
deep into the footprints.
It's awful cold" shivered Tommy.
But l know those boots are there!"
Dripping with the soft snow and
with chilled hands and half-frozen
toes, Tommy pushed open the door OF
the old house. AS he did so a familiar
"Yap. yap!' greeted him.
"Why. it's Trotters! and yes-he's
taking are of my boots!'
Well. so he was, Tommy always as
serted that Trotters knew he was look
ing for those boots, and that he walked
off to where he remembered they were
to take car of them until Tommy
should come. And at the sight of Trot-
ter's devotion Tommy's brave little
heart, that he had carried all day in
his hopeless searching. suddenly gave
way. Down on the floor of the old
cow-house he sat with Trotters in his
arms and cried as if his heart would
break.
Trottel~ never told anybody about
it. He licked Tommy's face and cud-
died up to him, and Tommy. when his
pent-up feelings were relieved. wrap
ped the heavy blanket around Trotters
and himself, and in the hay in the cor
ner of the ~cow-house, with the moon
peeping through the window, the little
boy and the dog slept peacefully till
morning. There was a great cutlery
the next morning when Tommy was
missed. He was looked for up and
down stairs, here. there and every
where. Father. mother. Tibbs, the
hired girl. and Peter. the man. and
Dolf, the big dog. joined in the hunt.
1t was Dolf that found the pair. He it
was that found Tommy's small foot
prints and dashed through the snow
down to the old cow-house. There
Tommy and Trotters were discovered,
just waking up to a realization of the
fact that it was Thanksgiving morning
and that it bel1ooved him to walk home
to breakfast.
They didn't walk home, that is, Tom
my didn't. He was carried in some
body's arms. who whispered: