The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-03-08
OFFERING
 OF A FLOOD


 sired except children. Margaret after waiting years for the advent of a little one fell Into one of those perverslons of the maternal Instinct the lavlshing Of her affection on dumb brute.
 She adopted a puppy which she nam. cd Spot. It grew up to be an ugly little beast. and John hated 1t. Margaret gave lt crib to sleep in. the choicest food. bath daily. and when John was not present even brushed It's teeth.
 "What do you want to make child of dog fory" John would ask snap plshly.
 "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 somewhere-in the wood perhaps. It will be In a silk handker chief. tied at the corners. There VIII be bit Of paper pinned to the handker chief. giving the baby's name and tell ing why its mother left it in the wood. poor woman!
 That's a likely thing to happen" muttercd John
 Take the handksrchlef in your teeth" Margaret went on, where the four corners are tied together and bring the child to me"
 John went to Memphis to foundlins asylum and applied for a baby to adopt. There was none Co be had whose parentagc satisfied him. for he was somewhat particular in that re- spect SO he went back to Margaret disappointed and empty handed, and Margaret went on making a child Of Srotty:
 Soon after this John was reading fin the local newspaper a telesraphlc dis patch stating that the river was rising rapidly above and fears were enter talned that tue lcvec at several weak points would not stand the pressure. His house stood on ground above the highest flood mark. so he did not fear for his and Marguret's safety, but he dreaded the flood for his nelghbors sake and the destruction of his own and their property.
 "John." sald his wife, Hast night ] dreamed that Spotty had gone away and come back with q baby tied up ip a silk handkerchief"
 John gr0aned
 "Spottyl Spotty! Come, get your breakfast" she called.
 Spot didn't respond, and Margaret went out into the yard to look for him She called. but without reply. Sue hunted among the rosebushcS and un- der the magnolia trees. ln the barn. the woolhouSe. everywhere, 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 child-dog.
 The food proved the highest ever known. The lcvce burst above the Oldershaws'. and the country was GOV cred with water Margaret wrung her hands and gave up Spot for drowned and pleaded with John to iako a boat and g. ln search Of his body. John rc- fused until he saw that his refusal was downright cruelty. Then hc got out the oars. unclaimed the boat and after taking his wife in with hlm pulled away Into the wood behind ;he house.
 John Oldcrshaw felt like fool, but he Is not the first husband who has acted stupldly and wisely at the same time In pleasing hls wife.
 They were met by everything that could float. animate and lnanimate. Furniture. dwellings, sections of fenc- ing. barns. were floating about in pro fusion. A wee kitten on board new cd to them plteOusly A lamb on the roof of an outhOuse bleated. Half dressed people who had escaped in boats at midnight were pulling for dry land. John Oldcrshaw saw the wreck about him and remembered that he was looking for a drowned dog.
 "See the little ark" Margarct ox- claimed.
 Whoever has not seen one of those old cradles. now obsolete-as an cradles are. for the matter of that-made Of wood. one end covered with the same material. cannot understand the excla' nation. What Margaret saw was one of these cradles. and, what was more wonderful to relate she heard a bark, and a dogs nose protruded above the gunwalc of the cradle-boat about where the slits for handles were.
 Its Spottyw cried Margaret in ecstasy.
 "So 1t ls." said John.
 "Why doesn't he put his paws on the side and show hlmsclfT' said Marga ret.
 Hes afraid Of upsetting his boat" said John.
 John pulled for the cradle and was soon alongside of it. Margaret seized the tiny craft, and there, lying on soft bedding. was an infant When it saw Margaret looking down at lt. the chlld's face broke into a smile. Its eyes laughed. and it's little arms and legs vibratcd like shuttles.
 Spotty sat and parked and when all fear of oyerturnlng the cradle was at an end jumped Into the boat, kissed Margaret and in all respects equaled the lncesgnt motion of the baby.
 So few people will believe thls story that scarcely have the heart 10 finish it. but the rest of 1t is of more impor- tance than what have told. The baby, boy. was adopted and reared by John