The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-12-12
THE BOSS TRICKSTER.


cross. Cindy can tell you-Cindy,
come here"
Il declar ter goodness, Mis- Roberts,
dat chile am so pOsest ter hev a dawg
Use scared ter hear him go on. An
dat ar is nifty nice kind; he got mos
es much sense es 1 hes mysefr, an he
doan nevah bark, jest fit ter play wifi
chilluns."
How long has been here?" asked
Mrs. Roberts as she stepped down to
earth again.
Use cawn't exackly say, but he's
done 'customed to de place an
reckon feels at home, an dat chile jes
too happy for ennyting waltzln' roun
wifi him fob company all day"
Mark had his arm around the brute's
neck and was rubbing his own smooth
cheek against the blunt head, the dog
accepting his caresses with such evil
dent appreciation that Mr.. Roberts,
after watching them a moment said:
Il haven't any use for a dog, but If
the boy wants this one to play with
have no objection. But keep him
away from me-"
Hes to stay in the yard, remember
that, Cindy," said Mrs. Roberts, sharp
ly. Il suppose Mark could be fur
nished with a better companion, but
he'll get tired Of him, or the dog will
run away. I wish his owner would
find him"
If they had read the lost and found
notices in the papers they would have
seen a startling advertisement anent
this same dog with a reward of three
figures offered for his safe return. But
they did not, and Mark and Cindy
could not read, and they might have
kept it to themselves in any event
as they did the dog.
Time passed and the father and
mother did not get over their objection
to Marks playmate, which indeed they
seldom saw, being much out in So
ciety, at which time the child was
supposed to be sleeping in his little
bed. So in truth he was, and often
'old fellow" the only name he had,
was curled up on the foot of the bed
after a rOmp through every room up
stairs with Cindy in attendance. And
he was there one night when the
family came home late from the the
atre, but with a cunning discrimination
he had jumped down and hidden, and
they did not see him when they looked
in on the sleeping boy.
In the early morning hours Mr.. and
Mrs. Roberts were awakened from a
sound slumber by a fearful crash, and
simultaneously with the sound the
white bulldog hurled itself through
the transom of their door, carrying
the frame with it, as it landed in the
middle of the room. They had only
time for one horrible thought, that the
|, animal had gone mad-when they saw
flame and smoke rushing in and knew
they were saved from death The fiat
was on fire-there was time for the
} family to be saved, all the rest was
lost And it was found later from
light scratches on Marks face that the
l dog had tried to awaken him, bu
failed, and then performed a feat tina
l was almost superhuman and denoted
= an intelligence of the keenest fibre.
] When they were settled in a new
D home ''old fellow" was the hero of tn
S hour. A silver collar graced his ath
S letlc neck and his story was told il
r print. Mrs. Roberts gave him tn
4 privilege of the drawing-room, bu
l. Mark and Cindy were reserved for hi
l. special friends and sometimes h
seemed a little tired of them. H
J. dropped and they sent for veterlnar
G surgeon, who could find nothing def
r mite the matter, but concluded he ha
S inhaled smoke the night of his life
l. saving feat. But the hurt was deepe
l. than that, as they soon learned.
/, They were walking in the park an
Y sat down to rest. Mark and "old fe
d low" making a striking picture and a
g tracing attention as usual Then o,
e Cured a tableau more striking. I'll
II dog saw a man at a little distance. ia
d toward him, leaped on his shoulder
d and almost bore him to the ground h
d the violence of his caresses. He ha
is found his own.
- why he's the boss trickster Of IL
Albion Clubs kennels" said the MAJ
II "Hi, oldfellow, jump for the genu
It man"