The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-15

A nostalgia for the woods seized him:
he became nomadic in his effort at self
effacement, and his father, who hated the
sight Of his under sized offspring "sink-
ing around like whipped dog" was nos
sorry. No wonder Billy passed as ''sullen,
sluggish, sneaking''
Billy exulted in woodcraft. He knew
the Doggy hollows where the violets and
blood-root grew; the songs of the birds
were the familiar voices of his friends,
and he studied the habits of the birds
and chipmunks with the fervor of nat
uralist. Billy did not miss his mothers
kisses so poignantly in the forest.
In the course of time a new interest
came into Billy's life One day in pass
ing the rectory he saw little, yellow
pig frisking about the lawn in the most
unaccountable fashion. Billy stopped
short in amazement. 1t wasn't pig after
all but could it be-yes, it was dog,
tawpy, little rolyboly with black stripe
down his back, and tail that curled like
a pigs, and a face that reminded Billy
of old Uncle likes bulldog, and it was
black and looked less dangerous. Billy
sided up to the fence and Whistled soft
ly. The pug frisked over with his nS%e
inquisitively tilted. He shifted at Billy
and then backed off, Evidently he was
not prepossessed. Billy dived into his
pocket for his lunch and held it coaxing-
ly between the palings, but the pug was
not to be baited with coarse bread and
ham. He had never eaten SO mean
meal in all his petted, well-fed life. Billy
did not consider this bad beginning,
however; he was so accustomed to being
snarled at by the surly country dogs.
Billy finally broke the ice in this wise.
Having heard Of the pug's prediction
for candy, he determined to play his
trump card. He had carried in a safe
inner pocket a nickel which he kept part
ly for the lack of a suitable investment
and partly because the consciousness of
ownership expressed in dollars and cents
is so sweet TO boy. Now Billy had so
fallen under the spell of the pug's en-
chantments that he cheerfully spent his
nickel, penny by penny, for the tooth
some commodity which was the price OF
the dogs good will. And the weeks OF
joyous fellowship that followed left Billy
nothing to regret in his bargain.
Billys new found happiness came to
a sudden end, however, when he saw
sinister signs OF departure about the
rectory. The rectory's guests were go
ing, and the impending separation from
his dear, canine pIayfellow filled him
with despair. Now, Billy could not know
that the dog had been given to the rec
tors wife. He assumed that as it had
arrived with the strangers it would also
depart with them.
Billy thought the situation over in BIT
ter rebellion. Gradually he evolved a
way out of his trouble. He remembered
with a thrill the long disused shanty in
a clearing in the woods, where he kept
a rusty old musket and other valuables
safe from the vandalism Of his step
brothers. What could be simpler than to
secrete the dog in this safe place-yes,
indefinitely? Billy would bring his own
portions of meat and cakes for him to
eat, and there were few corn sacks in
the barn which would do admirably for
his bed. Billy acted upon the alluring
plan.
A week elapsed and Billy heard ru-
mors of the distress at the rectory
which took the edge off his satisfaction.
The rector's wife had actually been seen
in tears-a state of things poor Billy