Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-01-16

healthy young person. with frank eyes
and rough curly hair, which positively
refused to stay in place under her red
Tam O'Shanter. And then there was
Rattles, and on this point words failed
Mrs. Collingsworth. Rattles was very
large, long of limb and lean. and inn
mediateIy appropriated the twins play
room as his happy hunting ground.
Finest hound in the whole State,
Uncle Otis" Tony said. enthusiastic
ally. 'Why. last year when the gray
wolves came down and carried off some
of the sheep papa and | started out with
only Rattles and his brother. Hoodoo,
and we tracked them clear up the val
ley, you know, where the shoulder of
the Big Horn comes around in sort
of curl, and Rattles found them Hoo
doc was killed, but I've got the pelts
on my wall home at the ranch-three
of them-and when papa died he told
me to bring Rattles on to Chicago with
me. You don't care. do you?"
Mr.. Collingsworth looked up at the
staiwart young figure standing on the
hearth with the great hound crouehed
at her feet, and as he listened to her a
breath of the old free life came back
to him again and he half wished he had
stayed, like Dave, Tony'S father. ON
the home ranch. But he caught Aunt
Henriette's eyes and remembered with
n sigh that he was in Chicago and pres
ident of a bank and with Wyoming
farther away from him than mere
miles. But he liked the dog and the
twins adored it so Rattles remained
with Tony and shared her trials and
troubles in the new life.
What makes you have funny
namesY' Tad had asked bluntly, the
first lime he and Roy found themselves
along with their new cousin. "Tony's
a boys name. and Rattles isn't any
kind of n name"
We'll. his whole names Rattlesnake
Billie. and he's named after one of
papa's cowboys-the one who taught
me now to throw a larlat, but it was
TOO long TO ven good. you know, so |
Just cut il down TO Rattles. And mr.
name is Marie Antoinette. but papa
said might get off on the hills or in
front of the cattle and get killed before
he could remember ii all. so he called
me Tony"
oh" said Tad. refiectively, and then
added. after pause: You're an aw-
fully funny girl. but | guess we'll like
YOU. Mamma won't and Marion won't,
and papa's afraid of mamma, SO even
il he does he won't dare to show 1t
much. but Roy and I'll like you. and IL
you get lonesome come ON down here
in our den and Wen take care of you"
Before the two months were up Tony
had discovered how true a prophet Tad
was. and the little coy room back of
the library became her place of refuge
in many a time of need. although Rat
ties was baniShed fron it to the back
ward whenever Aunt Henriette'S nerves
were in n particularly irritable condi-
ton.
And she says we mustn't throw the
lariat in the house" Roy said. ruefully.
enc day when he and Tad had been
having high old time with Tony's
rope" and saddle and Indian trophies.
lassoed and yauked gnceremoniously
from his pedestal in the library and
hauled at the end OF the lariat by a
whooplng brave until plalntive voice
came from the regions above calling
for "Antoinette."
So the rope" was looped up and
hung ON peg in the den. and Tony
tried to be dignified and graceful like
Marion. and not rush up the stairs two
steps at time. or whistle. or tell the
twins hlood-curdllng narratives that
savored OF the adventures of Rattle
snake Bill and his kind, But still she
felt that she was far from being a salts
factory representative of the Ceilings
worths in her aunt's eyes. and many a
time. after every one had retired and
the house was still. white-rohed girl
would steal softly down the broad stair
case and into the den 10 have quiet
cry al by herself, with Rattles' head