The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-07-06
he counted out the money an gave it to

an went on down to LouaVille. When he had been gone about a month the old man wrote to ask how the dog was gettin' along, His son answered that he was doin fine. His teacher said he nevah saw a sma'tah dog in his life, Of all the dogs he had taught to talk he was the sma'test He had already learned to say Papa an Mamma an he could spell few short easy words like cat an dog But he needed noah money. It took good deal of money to have a dog taught to talk, morn anybody would think that had nevah tried it. Would he please send anothah hundred or two?
 "The old man grumbled a little, but | he sent the othah hundred. Then he waited anothah month without hearin' a single word, He wrote again, want in to know how the dog was gettin' along, an tellin' his son to hurry up an come on home. He wanted to see the dog foah himsel, and heah him say Papa an Mamma He had nev- ah heard dog talk, an he wanted to know what it was like.
 'The son wrote back that the dog was 1 doing bettah an bettah. He was the wondah of the dog school. He was takin' all the prizes foah spellin' an everything. He was sayin a good many words now, an stringin' 'em into sentences. The teacher bragged about him all the time. He said he nevah had a dog learn as quick as that theah dog. People came from miles aroun' to heah him talk. It was wondahful! But, would the old man please send him some noah money? Nobody knew how much money it took to have a dog taught to talk until he tried 1t. It | looked like it would take most a for l tune befo' they got through with it, but if he could heah that dog talk just once he wouldn't begrudge it. He knew that. Of co'se, he hated to be askin foah noah money, but the teacher was always aftah him foah pay, an what could he do?
 'The old man got mad then, an sent him word to come along home with that | theah dog. He talked well enough foah him. He want goin' to spend anoth- ah cent on him, not anothah blamed cent! He had spent a darned sight noah now than he oughter, with the crops so spindlin'. Bring him home on the next train, right away, quick.
 "Theah was nothin' else foah it, so the son had to stat some with the dog. He want feelin' as good as he might. l He was wonderin what in the name O thundah he was goin' to say when he got home an the old man found out the dog couldn't talk; foah, of co'se, the dog couldn't say single, solitary word.
 The nearah he got home, an the noah he thought, the worst he felt abuot that theeh dog. He was good dog, an he looked up at him so lovin' like with his big sof' eyes he hated to kill him, but what else could he do? He knew if he told the old man the dog had sud'nly been struck dumb he wouldn't believe him, an theah would be an everlastin' row. Theah wouldn't be no lettin up to it. He concluded the only thing to do was to kill him.
 Well, the upshot of it was that he did kill him just befo' he got home. Took out his pistol an shot him right theah in his tracks. It was a cru'l thing to do. He had to shut his eyes when he pulled the trggah, but theah want no othah way out O it.
 When the old man found out the dog was dead he was maddah than fiah. Aftah all the money he had spent to have the dog taught to talk, they go an kill him. He strung out string of sweah words a ya'd or two long. He swo' till he was black in the face, be- cause the dog was such a good dog an such a sma't dog. Layin aside the question of the money he had spent on him, he hated to think he was dead. He had had him such long time he . had got kinder fond O him, an used to seein' him aroun'.
 When he stopped to take breath the son tried to get in a word edgeways, but it want no use. The old man only swo' an swo' that much hardah
 "At las he got clean out O breath, an the son took the flo.
 'Fathah,' he said, T know that dog was sma't was the sna'test dog I evah saw in all my bon days. But, to tell the truth, he was darned sight too sma't I'll tell you why. Of cose, Twin aroun' heah all his life he couldn't help seein' things he hadn't any business payin' any 'tention to--dogs mustn't have too much curiosity; tain't expect ed of 'em-but he hadn't any right to blab. He oughter kep' his mouth shut an he would CT been Twin yet. That dog saw morn was good foah him, an he talked too much
 "FIe looked all around the room to see if anybody was listenin' an not seein anybody he went on in a whisper, "'Now, you wouldn't hardly believe it, father, but that dog began to talk outrageous. He began to tell every thing he knew an noah. If you could CT heard the scandalous things he said to me on the way up heap from Loua- vile you'd CT died. I tried to make him stop, but I couldn't I was afraid the othah passengers would heah. The noah I tried to make him stop. the noah he talked. It seemed like he was on high old lark, just tryin' hissef be- cause he sud'nly found out he could talk; tryin his best to make up foah los time, I reckon. It made me mad an it would CT made you maddah, be- cause it was about you!'
 ',The old man started:
 "'You remember that hiahd gearl you was shyin' aroun' aftah not long ago? Well, what do you think that dog slid :? ",The old man sat down by the table sort of faint like.
 "'T can't imagine' he said