The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-06

tina. AS soon as old Billy saw had ar
rived. and was accompanied by a lady, he
judged it a favorable moment TO axe up a
with a tin mug. while his master gave a
pathetic recitation about his "g~randchild's
doll"
/ may mention that Alcibiades could take
up a collection in a way that would put
many church wardens TO shame. There
was no escaping him. In fact. if you Sc
riously tried 10 avoid him. he shifted the
calves OF your legs in a way which would
excite liberality in a miser.
But. 10 my surprise, he took compare
lively little notice of me. but passed on 10
Miss Woodhurst. and made as much fuss
over her as If she had been a friend Of the
the kind OF q girl 10 lose her head If a dog
took any notice OF her.
But Aicibiades behaved in a most eccen-
trio fashion,, for he seemed TO abandon the
sacred task OF collecting, and ran back 10
old Billy, with his stump of a tail quivering
with emotion.
The old man save me a grin Of welcome,
and glanced at the girl by my side. To my
surprise. he stopped dead short in his reel
tation and blushed. Yes! his weather beat
en-. grizzly old face actually turned scarlet.
Miss Woodhurst appeared to he sublimely
unconscious of what was going on. her at
tention being entirely occupied by the dog.
whom she seemed to regard as a being of
Isn't he a dear old thing?" she whis-
pered in an awe-stricken voice. u should
IF you buy the dog, you'll have to take
the old man, too" l remarked. "You can't
have one without the other"
"Oh! don't want the old man. she
said. glancing. with a shrug of horror, at
old Billy.
] think it must have been the first time
she had looked at him. for a flash of half
puzzled recognition came into her eyes,
and a scarlet patch appeared on each
cheek, as she glanced from the old man TO
the dog, and then back again.
Then she turned away quickly, and
walked toward home, and, of course, 1 fol-
lowed submissively.
What is the name of that dog?" she said
naturally.
ing lightly. to help her 10 regain her COM
posture. Hes old in sin and in years"
"And-and the old MANI" she said.
"Ecclestone-familiarly. Billy-a very
good ola man. too. in spite of his faults"
HE happens 10 be my father" she said.
This was rather a shock, but. of course,
news as as If it were quite natural for a
well-dressed young lady, living in The
Drive, to have a father who ran a perform
ing dog show on the beach.
II am rather upset about it, she
faltered.
81 think you ought to be very glad to find
I'm glad to hear you say that" she
! whispered. IT was afraid you would think
the opposite. Will you help me? What
ought I TO do%'
II appeared that her mother had died
when she was six years of age. and from
that time until she was eleven her father
neglected her so shamefully that at last
her mothers brother interfered and took
her away. She could vaguely recollect her
father buying Alcibiades as a pup; The
and had practically lost all self-respect.
She had never seen him again after her
uncle took her away. and old Billy had
made no effort to seek her out.
But she was now free. Her uncle had
died and left her well provided for, and
the old man-and. in fact. more than the
right thing. She was living with a maiden
aunt. the only other relative she had in
the world. but she would like to be a real
daughter to the old man, If L could suggest
any way OF bringing 1t about.
Now, 1t struck me that this was not quite
most weak people, old Billy was amenable
to influence. and / had long since found
that 1 could do almost what L liked with
him.
So. without telling Miss W~oodhurst any
thing of my intention. / sought the old
vagabond out that night at his lodgings.
and arrived just In time to prevent a drink
ing bout.
After giving him a good shaking up, NOR
ally and physically, a proceeding which
rather puzzled Alcibiades. who hardly knew
whether to applaud my efforts or lay hold
of my leg, l proceeded to sound him on the
subject of his daughter.
Now, there was one redeeming feature In
old Billy's characterize was not exactly a
cadger-and when, in order to see how he
would take it, l suggested that he should
ask his daughter for help, he rejected the
notion with scorn.
mo. my boy" he said bitterly, 'I treated
the girly badly, and I'm not going to black
mail her, and be a beastly nuisance. To-
morrow morning the dog and l will be UP
and off, and get out of her way. And so il
will go on until the old dog dies-it won't
be long now. for he's very old-and then
shall go to the workhouse, and no one will
be a penny the worse"
Then l approached the matter IN a differ.
ent spirit. and told him that the girl
a home. and that he would have to shake
off his vagabond ways and be a man.
Finally L took him into the town. anC
had him groomed down and decently
clothed, and the change was so remarkable
that. when we three-Billy. the dog and L
walked along the Parade next morning nc
one would have recognized the old snow.
man.
1t was a great occasion, for we met a
certain dignihed. self-possessed little lady
who put her dignity and self-possession or
one side, and, greatly TO the amazement OF
arms around the old sinners neck anc
kissed him.
Then she welcomed Alcibiades, who, will
his usual sagacity, had remembered hel
from his ~puppyhood.
Finally, she turned TO me, and-well, no
she didn't say anything; but there was Z
certain look in her eyes which / had never
before seen In the eyes of any woman dur.
ing the five and thirty years l had beer
knocking about in the world.
And l have only one more remark to ado
about Alcibiades. the wily-since that mo
ment he has never performed a trick. NJ
coaxing or persuading will induce that Gun.
ming old rascal TO die for his country. OF
even accept a cake on trust. He seems t.
the profession, and, like a wise dog. he de.
clines 10 appear as an amateur.
, Black and White.