The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-03-28
OFFERING
 OF A FLOOD

one fell Into one of those perversions or the maternal Instinct, the lavlshlng of her affection on dumb brute.
 She adopted a puppy which she nam cd Spot. It grew up to be an ugly lttlt beast. and John hated 1t. Margaret gave lt crib to sleep In, the choicest food. a bath daily. and when John was not present even brushed It's teeth.
 "What do you want to make a child Of a dog gorY' John would ask snap pishly.
 "I love spotty dearly" Margaret would reply.
 One morning John overheard his wife talking to the dog; "Spotty, dear. l want you to go and bring me baby. You'n find it somewhcre-ln the wood perhaps. It will be In silk handker' chief. tied at the corners. There will be bit of paper pinned to the handker' chief. giving the baby's name and tell ing why its mother left lt In the wood. poor womln."
 That's a likely thing to happen" muttercd John.
 "Takc the handkerchief In your teeth" Margaret went on. where the four corneN are tied together and bring thc child to me"
 Jolu went Co Memphis 10 a founding asylum and applied for baby to adopt. There was none to bc had whose percentage satisfied him. for he was somewhat particular In that re spcct. SO he went back Co Margaret disappointed and empty handed, and Margaret went on making a child of Spo;ty.
 Soon after this John was reading in the local newspaper a telegraphlc dis patch stating that the river was rising rapidly above and fears were enter tained that the lcvce at several weak points would not stand thc pressure. Ills house stood on ground above the highest flood mark, so hc did not fear for his and Margarcts safety. but he dreaded the food for his ncighbors' sake and thc destruction Of his own and their property.
 "Johu." sa.d his wife Hast night ! dreamed that Spo;ty had gone away and come back with baby tied up In a si,k handkerchief"
 John rroaUcd.
 "Spcty, Srot;y, Come get your breakfast" she ccllcd
 Spot didn't respond. and Margaret went out Into t'c yl-l 0 loos for him. She called. hyt without reply. She hunted among tIc rv,vbdSGcs and rn- der thc magnolia trees. .u thc barn. the woolhousc. cycrywhcrg. but there was no Spot. Then she set an the negroes hunting. but when the sun went down that night there was no sign Of the cald-do-
 The rold proved the highest ever known. The lcycc burst above the OilcrshqwF. and the country was cov- cred with water. Margaret wruug Ter larss and gave up Spot for drowned and pleaded with John to take a boat and g. In search of his body. John re- fused until Lc saw that his refusal was downright cruelty. Then he got cut th, oars. unclaimed u.e boat and after taking his wife m with him pulled away into Che wood behind the house.
 John Oldcrshaw felt like fool, but Le Is not the first husband who has acted supllly and wisely at the same time m pleasing Eis wife.
 They were met by everything that could float. animate and nanimate Furniture. dwellings, sections Of fenc- Ing. barns. were floating about in pro fusion. A wee kitten on a board new cd Co them piteouSly. A lamb on the roof of an outhouse bleatCd Half dressed people who had escaped in boats at midnight were pulling for dry land. John Ollcrshaw saw the wreck about him and remembered that he was looking for a drowned dog.
 "Scc the little ark" Margaret cx. claimed.
 Whoever has not seen one of those old cradles. now obsolctc-as all cradles are. for the matter of that made of wood. one end covered with the same material. cannot understand the cxcla- nation. What Margaret saw was one og these cradles. and, what was more wonderful to relate. she heard a bark. and dogs nose protrudcd above the guuwale of the cradle-boat about where Che siits for handles were.
 "Its Spotty" cried Margaret in ecstasy.
 "So lt ls," said John.
 "Why doesn't he put his paws on the side and show hlmself?' said Marga- ret
 "Hc's afraid of upsettlng his boat" said John.
 John pulled for the cradle and was soon alongside of lt Margaret seized thc tiny craft and there, lying on soft bedding. was an infant When 1t saw Margaret looking down at lt, the chlld's face broke Into a smile. It's eyes laughed, and its little arms and legs vibatcd like shuttles.
 Spotty sat and harked and when all fear of Ovcrturning the cradle was at on end jumped into the boat, kissed Margaret and in all respects equaled the lncessant motion of the baby.
 So few people will believe this story that 1 scarcely have thc heart to finish lt. but the rest of It Is of more impOr- tancc than what have told. The baby. a boy. was adopted and reared by John and Margaret Oldershaw. and not tlll he was grown did he discover that he was the son of a rich planter not far up the river, both of his parents hay Ing been drowned when he was swept avay bv fine flood.