The evening times., 1899-12-23

| feel 1t SO keenly as Bottles, and II ht
| could Outmaneuvre the vigilance commit
mittee Of butler or footman or both, he
would scuffie wildly past them, and burst
| into his mistresss room painting with an
eager delight that was touching TO see. lie
tripped up the butler once, who was Fat
and heavyweight; there was a second
hubbub over this, although that cat was
considered the moe valuable animal of the
two, and then Mr.. Marsh contemplated the
| advisability of claiming the fierce Bottles
| up. Lucy prevented this, but only by dis
| couraging further mutiny. and Bottles be-
gan dimly to see that his palmy days were
over, even in pleasant place where rab-
| bits grew wild.
True, his mistress came often to see him,
| and they had pleasant walks together. Du;
nothing was quite the same; the happy
freedom, the dear companionship was gone,
! for the other dogs went with them. and
| Beetles had a horrible suspicion that the
Persian sat on her knee of an evening
when he was shut away from her. He won-
dered sadly why their old friend John new
er came down to see them, and almost
cried In his tender little way when Lucy
mentioned IL less and less as time went on.
for the new life Of luxury and prosperity,
with its gayety and change. was slowly
making the cid one seem dim and far away.
She and John corresponded frequently, but
at times even he faded! into the background
of her thoughts, pushed aside by newer in
terests. Mr.. Marsh had laughed over the
notion Of such an engagement.
What. my niece marry poor devil OF
clerk, who can barely earn his own bread
and cheese! Nonsense my deari Unless
am much mistaken, friend Rushton will
have word to say about that
He was in high good humor with Lucy
just then, for sydney Rushton was even
richer than he himself. and came with a
fiattering frequency that argued matri-
mony.
And Lucy? Well, her eyes having rested
SO long on the gloom OF poverty, were daz-
zled and blinded by the glitter of wealth,
and she let herself drift on the gilded
stream OF Mr.. RushtOn's attentions. with
Out heed OF the course they took.
She knew that in spite Of shabby coats
John Sinclair was a gentleman. and that
her uncle and his associate were not. but
they were rich. and she was tired TO death
of struggliIl. So without looking forward
she lived for each day as it came and tne
old life slipped away into a dstorting mist
which showed the discomforts and obscur-
ed the blessings.
But Bottles hated sydney Rushton. for
he taught Lucy to cycle. and in a little
while the pace grew too fat for the town
bred dog to keep up with. He hated those
glitterIng circles that ran way from him.
in spite of desperate effort, and sometimes
the temptation assailed him TO gnaw the
fat plump tires and make hem useless. but
he was too faithful ever 10 do this, and
would sit patiently awaiting his mistress
return in order to greet and welcome her.
On one of these occasions Sydney Rush
ton struck him, for the eager little paws
oU sf h.r drao unr v.rnA VttnNy fltr
ed on MIN, her delicate face quivering with
Indignation.
How dare you touch my dog! How dare
you,'
But the brute was injuring your dress"
She picked up Boobies, mud and all. ami
kissed the tan head.
Let him injure my dress as much as he
likes, but never touch him again
He laughed. but her anger nettled him,
and he decided that when she and her dog
belonged TO him he would do as he liked.
Through that day at least she hated Mr..
Rushton as cordially as Bottles himself
did, and for a week she carried the dogs
dinner herself 10 the stable, and then the
awakened loyalty went TO sleep again She
was SO occupied with visiting and enter
tanning that sic4lad NC time TO remember
her old favorite, and fGr long miserable
days Bootles never caught a glimpse Of
her.
She doesn't want you now, old chap
said the stable help, VINO was his friend
in a rough way. You did well enough
when you was both poor together, but you
are out OF it now
And Bottles listening dropped his head
and took TO creeping about as II
he had no right anywhere; his coat grew
staring and he lost pride in himself. The
other dogs despised him as a cur of DO
spirit at all. and often ate his dinner as
he sat looking wearily on, caring very little
If they left him none.
Many months passed, and the time which
Jagged so sadly with Boobies seemed 10
Lucy to fly. There was always something ;;
going on. ard she lived in whirl-a pleas |
ant whirl. with no hard work in 1t. The
thought did not occur 10 her that Bottles |
looked very thin but II just flashed into her !
mind and out again. being so preoccupied. |
Moreover. she had her own harassments, |
and a decision was necessary for which !
she felt hardly ready.
There had been two deaths in John Sin |
clairs office, and he had written 10 say |
that at last his ship had come prosperously |
home that his position was better and his |
income even little above the coveted |
amount. But he said nothing beyond these |
ous sense OF honor. which forbade him to |
claim her. He was faithful, and 1t was foI |
her to speak now. and she knew il.
Two hundred year. To the old Lucy |
such a sum had seemed vain dream of |
Dpulence. but now she spent nearly that In
dress and amusement. for Uncle Marsh, |
with a view to future profits. was ex-
ceedingly liberal to her. Two hundred a
year seen through the golden haze of the
Rushton wealth looked ridiculous, absurd
almost to vanishing point. OF course
she loved John. but it was a great sacri |
ice, and she would wait little before an
swering definitely. A month passsd-two
still she waited but sense
Df unworthiness dimmed even the aurif-
srous atmosphere in which she lived, and
she was irritable and i'll at ease. Bottles,
90. felt ailing and weak, and one wet
evening he made a despairing rush-for
he last time-to Lucy's room. He reached
t triumphantly and flung himself, little
Inner dress of white silk. In the far-off |
happy days of serge dresses. they had
leither of them minded muddy paws but
low he had done irreparable mischief, and
n ordering his instant dismissal she
struck him angrily.
He whined piteously as she drove him
way, but not with the hardness of the
,low.
The next day as she was starting for a
rive with Mr.. Rushton. the stable help
lent a message that he thought the dog
vas ill.
''Ill!' she repeated doubtingly. He was
Iuite well yesterday. I'll go and see him
L once"