The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-07-27
TA:TTERs:


O 0y deAe0 FRANCES dOnt10gt00. II
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Qron the Home Journal, New York. Reprinted b
A N 1NEXPLICABLE instinct had
"A guided Jimmy through forbidden
grounds direct to Ted's library door,
where he stood, cap in hand, decently-
clean, solemn-faced boy of IL, with
little grizzly mop of dog wriggling
apologetically at his heels.
''His names Tatters, an he kin sit
up an dance an sing" said Jimmy.
Whereupon Tatters sat up" and
peered anxiously through the ragged
dun-colored fringe that yelled his
bright black eyes. For the rest he was
the most detected, forlorn little crea-
ture that ever begged his way through
hard and thankless world.
"What are you two doing here?"
Ted demanded, coldly.
"Please, sir, won't you take i'm in?"
Jimmy entreated. 1.-The Homes sendin'
me to Kansas an the man what's hired
me won't take Tatters. You kin have
, i'm fer = dollar"
But l don't want him." Ted an
swered, heartlessly; at which Tatters
dropped his smudgy paws Imply ans
turned to Jimmy, with look of hope
less appeal which said, as plain as HUI
man speech could do: "Why is the
hand of every man turned against me 2"
He eats SO little you'd never miss
it," Jimmy explained, persuasively.
"Tatters promised, mutely, to eat still
less if Ted would take him, and Ted's
heart wasn't proof against that last
appeal. He patted the little towsled
head good-naturedly and assured him
that he should have abund ant food and
a roof to shelter him as long as he
Behaved in fit and proper manner. l
have never owned a dog in my life, he
explained, deprecatingly, "but I'll take
Tatters and do the best can for him"
The leave-taking consumed half a
minute. It was plain that the dog suf-
fered most acutely; but he had been
made to understand that it was all
part of the inexplicable fate that had
branded him as vagrant. When the
door closed behind Jimmy he ran about
j, from window to window, till he found
the one overlooking the avenue where
he sat very still, watching the lessen.
ing figure of his late master until his
breath blurred the pane hopelessly;
then he whined softly until Ted be-
thought himself of his promise and
carried him out to be bountifully fed
and groomed after the manner befit-
ting his adoption.
Shorn of his long disguise-the CRIME
and SCOT of plebeian association-he
was handsome dog with silver-gray
coat, little black dust-brush of tail,
q curly, shapely head, and the kindest
eyes ever set in canine face, deep,
midnight black. shot with coppery
lights that gave him look of human
intelligence. The longer Ted looked at
that winning little face, the longer he
wanted to look; it was so wise, so ten
der, so impressibly grave.
"Tatters," said Ted, putting his hand
under the silky uplifted chin, "I'm 60
ing to be very good to you always, and
in return want you to be very good to
some one else. Come; let us go and see
her, and you'll know why"
She sat on a couch beside sunny
window, her hands folded idly over an
open book, her eyes fixed unseemingly
on luminous space. Ted affected not
to notice the deathlike transparency
of the flower-like face; he proceeded
cheerfully to introduce Tatters to his
new mistress, and Tatters "sat up
very prettily until he was lured by the
look in Madness eyes to move step
closer and put his paws on her knees
what dear little fellow" she said
languidly, taking his face between he,
thin hands and looking down into his
dark, beautiful eyes. II never thought
Ishould like dog; but this one looks
almost human. Is he really mine? Oh
thank you, Ted" For the first time in
many weeks she smiled genuinely, and
was interested.
4 Tatters puzzled his brain sorely
about Madness inactivity, and after
patient endeavor TO- rouse her, he went
to Ted for an explanation. And it
seemed 80 human to tell this faithful
little friend what was wearing out his
own heart.
"The doctor gave her trouble long
hard name, Tatters," said he, "and he
thinks there's one chance in a hun,
dred that she may be cured; but ]
know better. She's very young, barely
'22! but sorrow has aged her more in q
single hour than a whole lifetime Of
JOY could have done. No, she doesn't
rightly belong to US, but she came tc
-. us long ago when she was little girl
and there never was time when
didn't love her more than anyone else
in the wide world. She was always
very good and sweet TO me and such 9
happy, bright little girl, until she me-
Dion. He, was a fine fellow, too, ,but
not quite good enough for Nadine. He
was very fond Of her, and she was hap.
pier still until the other woman came
Such woman, 'Tatters! as beautiful
as an angel-you couldn't blame him
if you could see her. Nadine didn't
blame him, either, but it broke he1
heart. They say people sometimes out.
live even that trouble, but it isn't true
- not with a nature like hers. If YOU
could only help her to forget, just fol
little while, Tatters, I'd love you as
Long as live"