The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-03-17

OF her woe, she carefully steadied her
voice for this reply: Uncle Sumner al
ways likes homeIy dogs"
The natural inference was that Sib-
yl's pet had been a disappointment to
her, and thus my father viewed the
case. The truth was far away, as sub
sequently appeared. Sibyl saw in the
selection Of Bogy browning confrma-
ton of her previous observations and
deductions. My father had ever kind
word for crop cared eur, and such
would look after him on the street and
wish to be his dog. He would buy
scrawny horse of teamster and turn
it out to pasture for the rest of its days.
and he would give his patronage to the
freckled newsboy with a nose like
little piece of putty. Sibyl had seen
these things, and her sentence complete
would have been this: Uncle Sumner
always likes homely dogs-and me-"
This incident of long ago was in my
mind as the ship that brought me home
sailed into New York harbor. 1t had
come up out of the past as the result
of much delving among battered rub
tssh of memory. 1t showed that Sibyl
had recognized her misfortune early in
life, and in connection with the fact
that l had never received a portrait
OF her in all the years of my absence it
possessed melancholy value. We had
exchanged letters at rare intervals
essays | would better call them, sketch
es of travel on my part and on hers
the quaintest comments upon matters
impersonal-and l had asked her for a
picture more than once, without even
eliciting so much as a refusal.
A customs tug slid up along the side
of our big ship, and there stood my ia
Their on the little crafts deck. Not a
day older he seemed to me, straight,
stalwart, handsome and distinct from
all others. When he came aboard our
vessel, he seemed to be the captain or
an admiral over the captains head. 1t
was impossible to see him anywhere
without the feeling that he must be in
command.
1 had called to him as the tug ran
alongside. but lie had failed to see me.
Upon our deck he looked straight at
me for a seconds space without recog-
milton; then he started and raised his
hands, surprised.
'.MarShall" he exclaimed. taking my
right hand in his left and laying the
other on my shoulder ''Marshalln
He seemed to find an assurance in
the name, as if it helped him to realize
that there was no mistake
why, you've grown a foot" he
cried. You're taller than | am. And
you've changed sol can hardly be-
lieye it's you"
1T began while l was in Europe"
replied, but l got the height while
lay abed in Pretoria. 1t quite often
happens, of course, that a fellow grows
an inch or two under such circum-
stances, but l got nearly three
Ny father complimented me most
heartily upon ny added stature af;a
robust appearance. When he had last
seen me l had stood scarcely feet 10
and had been hollow in the chest from
a long habit of budding over a table
when reading.
"Sibyl will be struck dumb at the
sight of you," he said. s'She likes men
of good height, and that's why every
little five footer falls in love with her.
How is Sibyl looking these days?"
| asked, with carefully yelled anxiety.
''Bless the dear childr' he responded
enthusiastically. She's the picture of
health
When that's the best that can be
said of a girls looks, let Cupid drop
dead in the scuppers and be washed
overheard. l turned my face away
and groaned.