The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-08-10

| sue. 10 my surprise ne stopped dea(
short In his recitation and blushed
Yes! His weather bea ten, grizzly OLE
face actually turned scarlet.
Miss Woodhurst appeared to be SUI
blimely unconscious of what was going
on, her attention being entirely occu-
| pied by the dog, whom she seemed tc
regard as being of higher sphere.
| isn't he dear old thing" she whis.
i pered in an awe stricken voice, 81
should like to buy him.
| IF you buy the dog youth 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 little shrug OF
| horror, at old Billy.
1 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,
followed submissively.
What is the name of that dog?" she
said presently. making an effort to
speak naturally.
"They call him Alcibiades," I said,
speaking lightly, to help her to regain
her composure, Hes old in sin and in
years.
"And-and the old MANI" she said.
Observation-Disclosures. Billy a
very good old boy, too, inspite of his
faults"
"He happens to be my father" she
said.
This was rather Il shock, hut, of
course, I evinced no surprise, but re-
ccived the news as If it were quite nat
ural for well-dressed young lady, llv-
ing in The Drive to have father who
ran a performing dog show on the
beach.
II am rather upset about It," she
faltered
II think you ought to be very glad to
find him." I ventured.
'tI'm glad to hear you say that" she
whispered. II was afraid you would
think the opposite. Will you help me?
What ought to do?"
1t 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 Altibiades
as pup. The old man was going
down hill fast, and had practically last
all ees-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 she was anxious to do the right
thing for the old man. and, in fact,
more than the right thing She was
living with q maiden aunt. the only
other relative she had in the world, but
she would like to be q real daughter to
the old man, if could suggest any way
of bringing 1T about.
Now II struck me that this was not
quite so impossible as one might sup
pose. Like most weak people, old Billy
was amenable to influence, and had
long since found that / could do almost
what I liked with him.
So without telling Miss Woodhuret
anything of my intention, sought the |
old vagabond out that night at his |
lodgings and arrived just in time to |
prevent drinking bout
After giving him a good shaking up,
moral and physically, a proceeding
which rather puzzled Aicibiades, who |
hardly knew whether to applaud my eff
'orts or lay hold Of my leg, proceeded
20 sound him on the subject of his
laughter.
Now, there was one redeeming fea-
iure in old Billy's characterize was
lot exactly codger--and when, in or
Ter to see how he would take 1t, sug-,
rested that he should ask his daughter
or help, he rejected the notion with
corn.
mo, my boy" he said bitterly, II
reated the girl badly, and I'm not go
ng to hlackmail her, and be beastly
nuisance. Tomorrow morning the dog
nd 1 will be up and off, and get out of
Ter way. And so it will 60 on until the
Id dog dies-it won't be long nowsfor
les very old-and then shall go to tHss
vorkhouse, and no one will be penny
he worse"
Then I approached the matter in
ifferent spirit, and told him that the
irl wanted a father just as badly as
e wanted home, and that he would
ave to shake off his vagabond ways
nd be man.
Finally, took him into the town, and
aid him groomed down and decently
lothed, and the change was so re-
,arkable that when we three-Billy.
ne dog and Walked along the Pa
ade next morning no one would have
acognized the old Snowman.
1t was great occasion, for we met 1
certain dignified, self possessed little i
.dy who put her dignity and self-pos- '
.ssion on one side, and, greatly to the 1
of a large and fashionable
'owd, put her arms around the old
nner's neck and kissed him.
Then she welcomed Alcibiades, who, r
it'll his usual sagacity, had remem- n
cred her from his puppyhood. G
Finally, she turned to me, and-well, n
}, she didn't say anything, but there :.
as a certain look in her eyes which
Id never before seen in the eyes of
~ woman during the five and thirty
ears I had been knocking about the
orld. =,
And have only one more remark to n