The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1905-02-01

Dear Miss Barclay-EIere is the bearer
i Lon, pursuant to your expressed wish OF
| Yesterday. Perhaps 1t is q bit cowardly
put CONFESS haven't the, heart to kill
him myself He and have been chums a
long time, and he IL the only being ]
know in the whole south. So, while ex-
press my deepest regret for the annoy
ance he caused you yesterday. let me be-
/ speak for him an easy and painless death,
for he has his good points. Very respect
fully, ROBERT CARLETON
"Well!' CALCULATED Miss Barclay
when she had read it. 'Oh, myv' She
glanced furtively up and down the
street and across the way and seemed
about to run. Nobody was in sight,
however, save a ragged negro boy car
rying valise around the corner. How
foolish Of me!' she smiled. She re-
read the note and looked at the dog.
Don wigwagged her friendly signal,
and the tears came to her eyes. XIII
| such dear fellow! Never"
She sat down on the grass and puck
Fered her brows as she thought. Pres
emily a light came into her eyes and
She gasped. Then she frowned and
smiled
'Impudent rascal" she said Hes
trying to get acquainted with me. It's
perfectly outrageous of him. She
tried to be angry-very. very angry.
But somehow she did not quite sue
ceed. She remembered the picture of
tall, flushed young fellow with
well bred face standing before her
with look of miserable apology, and
she was bound to confess that she was
not able to feel just as indignant as
she ought. She read the note once
more
( "1mpudentv' she said to Don. I'm
pudent-but--but cleverv and she
laughed. The dog laughed back and
whacked the ground violently with his
tail.
Then the real serious part of the puz-
sEle occurred to her. She did not know
the mans address. How then could
she send this valuable animal back to
him? And really did she not owe him
an apology for her rude remark to him
yesterday? He had not been to blame
and he had tried so hard to apologize.
After awhile she decided to advertise
-discreetly. 1t seemed the best solu-
ton Of the distracting problem. She
united the rope and led the dog around
to the rear of the house, where she
turned him over to the housemaid, and
went in to telephone her advertisement
to the paper.
Fifteen minutes later she found her
self out in the back yard again. Don's
eyes met her reproachfully. He was
confined ignominiously in a chicken
coop.
Miss Barclay tried her best to think
1t was all right. Then she gave it up.
He was such u splendid dog after all!
She took him from the coop and al
lowed him the freedom of the back
yard. Don did not abuse the privilege.
He seemed to understand that he was
on parole. He lay down at her feet and
watched her adoringly. She wandered
away to the hammock and tried to for
get the whole incident In book. Don
kclloyed. sat down and peere6 solemn
" over the edge of the hammock with |
grave eyes which seemed to say,
What are you going to do about itT'
That evening Carleton picked up the |
paper and read:
r. C.-Your dog has been pardoned and |
released on his own recognixance Please /
come and get him. LIB
And when Carleton called Don had |
been promoted. He was in the parlor,
lying on the best Persian rug.
'Bless old DOM" said Carleton fer
vently six months later HE caused
1t all. He's diplomat worthy the
court of st. James,"
'Yes," said Miss Barclay, with a shy
smile, "he's almost as great diplomat
40 his master, save that he lacks his
1mpudence.''
Perhaps" assented Carleton cheer
'ully, but much goes with impudence
which might possibly be- missed by
mere diplomacy" And he kissed her.