Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-01-05

MANNED head. staggered to his feet,
fell. rose again and crept away through
the grass
All this time, in the densest shadow
OF the park, woman huddled herself
under bush, holding her draperies
tightly lest a hutter should betray her
20 these brawlers. Once she coughed
convulsively, and when she took her
hand away from her mouth it was
bloody
Go home to breakfast, Go home
to break fastI" Even she had heard
and was repeating it..
Yes. poor brutel We will go home
once more, once more, together," and
she crept away by the same path.
treading now and then in the dogs
honest blood
The human brute came before the
court next morning. Sobered and re-
pentant, as was his won't and was
discharged as usual, with a reprimand.
What had really happened? The
watchmen said the dog was mad;
they had shot and killed him. :
Why go home2 No one was there to
meet him. All these five years the
dog-yes, the dog had been faithful.
The other one-why go home? Habit
That was all. At the gate he rested
and whistled, by habit. Echoes of the
whistle came from an empty house,
whose door stood wide. No fire on
the hearth, no breakfast. Then he
remembered his own last words to his
only friend, whom he had kicked and
driven away to be shot He sat down
on the bench beside his door, with
groan- A white spotted thing, scarce
he
crawled from under the bench and
laid its shapeless nose on his knee. He
took the dumb brute in his arms and
went into the house and sat down.
The creature was sightless, his head
almost bruised to a jelly. He had
three bullet wounds; one leg was
broken But he had obeyed orders to
the last; he had come home to break
fast!
Good dog! Yeth he 18th. My good,
good dogi" The tears were raining
down the bloated cheeks. A new
power had come near to these two
friends. Death was with them, wait
ing; strange exaltation, a new per-
ception of heretofore vague truths,
new dawning of light had come to the
master. even new power to resolve
and to hold firm. When Death opens
the door into the unknown, the life
here suddenly takes on new mean
ing. The big brute holding the lesser
SO tenderly suddenly remembered how
his mother, had died, holding him, her
last-born in her arms, her lips on his
golden hair.
Then another picture floated up. His
own life-better if she had died Five
years ago she had left him, tired of
poverty and beatings. Only the dog
had been faithful to him through all,
tie good dog now dying in his arms
the dogs life so much worthier than
his own. Never had he seen himself
as he was, before, not in all his forty
years.
Lower sank the head of the man
to the head of the beast and only God
knows what sou1-speech was had be-
tween them; and while they so sat
together change ineffable came to
both. The dog died into we know not
what, brutally murdered, crucified for
loves sake though he was: while the
man died out of his old life and was
born anew to mans rightful dignity,
self control, energy of will. The love
of the brute had saved him: many
human love has done less.
There was a rustic behind him, I'M
usual in that solitude. the rustic of
woman's gown.
Pete! Pete, don't strike me! Let
me come back, let me come home
again, just as the dog camel Won't
you forgive me, won't you let me have
the dogs place, just for a little while,
it can't be longl Look at me. 1 was
in the park last night; the men were
chasing me; / ran / did not know
you and he were under the tree The
dog knew me, he barked and jumped
on me and was glad. 1 saw it all. I
followed and picked him up and
brought him home, part way in my
arms-see the blood where he lay.
Let me stay Pete, o for Gods sake
don't send me into the awful street
again. Do try me, don't push me
away. Don't be crueller than the dog
was; he kissed me and was glad had
come home
o the misery. the horror, the shame
of it! Only God could know which
of these two was lowest in the scale
which OF the three indeed. o the pity
of it, groveling at his feet as the dog
had done only yesternight, kissing the
hands which had beaten her, as tn.
dog had only now donei Was he a
MANI Then how could he forgive her?
Was he not worse than a brute, far
worse than the brute in his arms. in
ell true moral worthiness? How then
could he drive her forth who was only
what he had made her!
She coughed again, and again the
blood was on her hand A sudden
tenderness swept over him. She too