The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-04-01

"OR months the white POOule nad
known that something was wrong
between the two people whom he
severally acknowledged as his
master and mistress and Jointly
as their property.
What races in the park after their BIZ
cycles. What drives with them in
hanson cabs, sitting between them
with his tongue out and u knot of blue
ribbon under his left ear! What rows
on the river! What races in the Square
garden! What bones to gnaw on ones
own mat just inside the dining-room
door! What u life for II dog-in short,
what an ideal dogs life it had been!-
When had the change begun to come
about? When the Second Man had
come to call and stayed late-the man
who had patted the White Poodle
without sincerity and offered his mis-
tress miniature bulldog who had
won n first class.
30, you are so kind" the White
Poodle's mistress had said. with Wild
rose flush in her cheeks and sparkling
eyes "And I should adore it. But
Lawrence might not care about him,
and Ruff might be jealous"
Ruff had given q bark at hearing his
own name. But Lawrence Ruff's mas
teri had not minded, so the tawny-
coated. bandy-legged, wheeling th!uE
they had made such II fuss about had
been introduced Yarr! The White
Poodle could never remember that
miniature bulldog without snarling in
disgust.
Then he usually lifted one side of his
black upper lip and showed Il sharp
white tooth-one of the teeth that had
made such short work of the minia-
ture bulldog who had won the prize.
The bulldog had been taken away, but
the Second Man, the man who had
brought him to the house in the
Square, kept on coming. though the
White Poodle disapproved of him so
much.
1t was this Second Man who had
brought about the breach between the
two people he loved best upon earth.
How he knew this the White Poodle
could not imagine. but he was certain
of it as dog could be.
And then had come that bother
about the Diamond Star-a thing very
hard cold. and prickly, that shone like
an electric light The White Poodle's
mistress had worn it upon a certain
cold October evening.
w XIV Hou St' tii'l' 'iiS
White Poodle's master had asked in
stern cold voice that made the Poodle
tuck his beautiful tasseled tail between
his legs and press against his mis-
tress's gown.
And she had answered TT was Civ
en- to me-" in Il contemptuous, indiifer-
ent tone that brought an ugly look into
her husbands eyes as ,he said, by
Colonel Dane, l suppose"
Suppose what you please the
White Poodle's mistress had answered.
And the little laugh that accompanied
the words was not like her real laugh
in the least.
II do not suppose, I suspect--and
With reason said the White Poodles
master, breathing, it occurred to the
White Poodle, as though Il bone had
stuck in his throat. II was in Corr &
Dortimer's this morning, paying bill
for the resetting of your sapphires-"
and he laughed harshly. "I heard the
clerk ask the foreman if the diamond
star ordered by Colonel Dane had been
sent to Bryanstone square. And the
man said 'Sh!' and glanced at me. And
now you will take Colonel Danes pres
ent off and hand it to mel"
She had grown very pale; the White
Poodle had never seen her so pale be-
fore. save once when she had swooned
Then she had said:
Lawrence, before this goes too far
before you utter words which l can
neither forget nor forgive--hear the
only explanation l have to offer you.
This diamond star was not given me
by Colonel Dane!"
WAS not Il jewel of the same de-
scription sent to you by Dane? Don't
hesitate, but answer
Yes
"Where is it?"
II sent it back to him.
The White Poodle's master was as
white now as the White Poodle's mis-
tress. He spoke very slowly, and the
words cut like lashes from a whip.
You sent it back to him-perhaps.
But he sent it back again, and you are
wearing it at this moment--to please
him"
"O!" she said, and shrugged her
shoulders as though she gave him up
as hopelessly unreasonable. "If that
is the view You take
THAT is the view | take." the White
Poodle's master had said, moving to-
ward the sofa as the servant had
opened the door. Il hope you under-
stand me clearly"
Dinner, m lady" said the butler,
and for once the White Poodle had not
barked with joy
After that night his master was
generally away at the club and his
mistress lawyer called frequently to
see her; and several members of her
family visited her and several men,
bers of her husbands, and the first
had called her Il poor thing and said
she had done perfectly right, and the
second squeaked and held up their
front paws in horror when she told
them that she and the White Poodle's
master We're going to have a separa-
tion The Poodle did not know