The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-29
THE UNFINISHED
STORY OF CUFFY
BY James Barnes.
Copyright, 1905, by Harper & Brothers.


Leavenworth. Suddenly from about rose
bush the walk the figure of a sturdy little
at 1an o On d han
he saw his mother he stopped short and grimy hand
sought his forehead, and he stood there Stiff in at
titude of attention.
corporal John Clay Winston,' said the little lady
on the PIAZZA right upstairs and wash your hands,
stiff position and marching with his strong little legs up
TO the hep piazza 1T was bear, he added -,
. "What!" exclaimed his mother; ga bear!''
eyes m ma 'am,'' the answer; ''and felled off
At that moment down the road came the sound of
ehildrens voices, mingled with low droning singsong
that sounded like an attempt at some rough sort OF
music.
''There he is!'' exclaimed Corporal John pointing
with fat finger down the path
Something impelled Mrs. Winston to rise from her
standing about climbing fences frocks.
She took him by the unwashed hand, and they both
down toward the gae the boys face bright with
at the discovery that his mother liked bears too.
1t was gaunt, shaggy animal, with a sorrowful,
down appearance that numbered along between two
- roughlooking men, of whom emitted the strange
droning sound have mentioned before. In the BEARS
iron ring attached to strong cord held by
spike at one end Of which the bear stood very much in
dread for he only had to threaten him with it to make
him dance shufhng awkward accompaniment to the
singing.
So down side street.
lighted and the children gathered around just before
the supper hour for the days growing Short Mrs
''Chdren, did ever tell you about Cufy9''
~"No!'' they all exclaimed in breath. 'Never
Now, Mrs. Winston had told stories over and over
again; in fact each children had his her
favorte story which the others would listen with that
similar favor. How in the years of storytelling "Cuf-
fy,' had slipped Mrs Winston IS memory it was
hard to find out but he had nevertheless
"Cufy' began Mrs. Winston, ''was bear. When
first knew him he was very little bear indeed in
fact, nothing more than fluffy ball of black fur He
geants at the post which stationed the foot
Of of the great Rocky Mountain peaks He had
funny little puppy eyes, and he hungry and squealed
that all felt sorry for him. and almost regretted
that his mother, great big cinnamon, who had been
''To tell the truth, cuy brought up like very
human little baby he took milk from bottle, and would
each Of you did, Specially way
"Wel, Cufy grew, and grew fast that before long
it all could do to lift him into lap and then it
seemed only few weeks before he big that when
he stood up his hind legs he was quite good deal
taller than was; but all this time he gentle
If he were little wooy lamb instead of strong young
bear. His sharppointed teeth would begin to gsten
when he opened his mouth but he only used to open it
smile He had look for any except the
orderly who used to to black the majors boots and
the reason this, heard that the orderly,
caring Cuy curiosity, had struck him the
with backing brush whereupon Master Cuffy
had retaliaed by rolling the orderly down short fight
of stairs boots backing, brushes, and ALL After that
there scarcely concealed condition of hostility be-
tween x2at the two o .
great, Big Clumsy overgrown animal that had no idea
Of his strength would loll about and laugh
Sse
would follow about like dog His playfuness be-
gan grow to something absolutely alarming It all
tight to have dog or kitten lo over its back and
extend its paws into the air and ask to be pushed about
by the feet and played WITH but when you get great
big bear that weighs almost four hundred pounds throw
ing himself about, it is liable to create commotion
but, nevertheless Cufy always gentle with and
could restrain him by simply speaking to him in in
ttured tone of voice. T.
''One day, for I was very little girl and somewhat
reckless slipped away to the station, and insisted upon
with FOR had bee1
built out to the post. viii forget the consterna
ton created among the passengers and brakemen TIT
travelled upon ticket to Woodville. When dis
embarked we created quite as much of sensation a
before. When arrived at my aunt house, who lived
few minutes walk from the station allowed tt
enter the front yard and had to escort Cuy al
the way back to the train again must have presented
very funny picture trying to the great big bea
70 upon the platform surrounded with the gapin