Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-01-04

upon to show off his charming ways
and perform the many little tricks
Clara had taught him he would run
and hide under the barn, which was
his fayorlte retreat in time of danger,
1t taxed Clara's persuasive powers 10
the utmost to coax him out on such
: occasions, but he always relented fin
ally, and crept forth in response to
her gentle Come, Billy. Come. Billy"
Then lie would cuddle down in her
arms and caress her with his little red
tongue, giving all the while his short,
quick barks of anxiety. and altogether
would conduct himself SO admirably
with the exhibition. Al such times
as these Clara thrilled with mortlrca.
ton TO think that she had ever been
so base as to choose n zebra for i pet
in preference TO Billy.
And Billy was not only cunning, he
from catching chickens. which is the
besetting sin Of his race and he did
not bite peope-as a rule Indeed, the
only person he ever fastened his sharp
white teeth upon with malevolent in.
tentions was the county treasurer who
drove all the way over from Batavia
to see him, and then dared TO presume
so far upon his Importance as IN office.
holder, as to twist Billy's tail-a IA
miliarity which Billy very properly
resented.
For four months or more after join
ing the Harris family, Billy slept in
a bed made expressly for him III Il
corner of the sitting room. There came
Il day, however, when Mr.. Harris de-
cared that Billy was too big for SO
much cOddling, and that he must sleep
in the barn with the other animals.
The first night of his Punishment Billy
cried constantly, and Clara, hearing
him, wept and walled in sympathy
The second night he rested but little
better, nor yet on the third night nor
the fourth. A week passed, and Bill
ly's days and nights We're one long
period of mourning. Clara pleaded,
but Mr.. Harris was obdurate. He
might as we'll be broken in now as any
time" he said, decisively.
Clara made plans of her own then.
You poor little darling she muir
INJURED tenderly into Billy's ear, you're
dead for want of sleep, that's what you
are. Ill fix you. I'd he afraid 10 20
clear down to the barn for You after
dark, but if you'll keep real still /
can put you in the kitchen we'll curb
Nobody will think of looking for you
there. They'll think you've run away,
and when they've quit lokOing for
YOU ana gone TO bed can slip out and
get you and take you in, and then
you'll get one nights rest, anyway
The kitchen we'll curb was great
wooden frame about four feet high,
provided on the inside with Il. trap
door, which WAS always put down
when the work OF the evening was
over. Clara waited until bedtime drew
near, then she slipped out into the twi.
light, and after giving Billy reas.
surfing hug and kiss, she reached over
and dropped him inside the curb. She
waited Il moment after throwing him
in, expecting to hear his soft body
fall on the trap door with little thud.
The thud seemed long time coming,
and when it did come, it was not Il
thud at all, but faint, PARKWAY
splash.
"O-o-oh" walled Clara, wildly; "the
trap door was O-O-open He's gone
clea ea-ear dow-ow-own. He-e-eip.
He-e-elp"'
Il meant to put Billy to sleep. l felt
so sorry for him." she sobbpd in eXpla.
nation, when her father and mother
and Mr.. and Mrs. Butler came rushing
out to learn the cause of her frantic
screams. Hes in the we-e-el. Oh.
Billy. dear, dear Billy. Did l hurt
YOU? Get him ou-ou-out, somebody.
quick"
Long lines and graphing hooks We're
brought in haste and the angling for
Billy was prosecuted tirelessly and
increasingly. About midnight they
fetched him up from the depths of the
clear, cold water.
But Billy had been asleep for several
hours then.-Emma L. Wise, in the
Chicago Record-Herald.