The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-06-10
Dear Old Rover" By William Wallace j.

Dear old Rover For the first time In
our lives-yours and mine-we'ye got to
part"
The above words were spoken by Sidney
Bart as he fondly caressed q common
looking old dog who. not understanding
his young masters remarks, wagged his
shaggy tall and laid his nose antectionately
against sidney's shoulder
when | was only big enough to toddle. :"
went on Sidney, you came to our house
one morning and whined at the door for
admittance. ! heard you and let you In.
My. what dear little rolly-polly fellow
you were, to be sure You were Just the
cutest baby pupil l have never since seen
one half so cute. ! took you right up into
my arms and waddled to the kitchen with
you. My dear mamma was fixing breakfast
remember everything perfectly, though |
was only two-and she dropped her work
to look at you and tell me l might keep
you, for you were a little cast-of"
Here Rover looked into his masters eyes
as II asking the meaning of "cast-off. y
Sidney, seeming to understand his dumb
playmate perfectly. said: Now, Of course.
l have never told you before that you
were a CASTOR, for | thought 1t might
make you feel badly but such you were.
There were certain families living In our
district who would put all the little pups
born on their farms into big sack-1ust
after the manner In which some people
carry kittens away-and when 1t was
night would take them secretly round to
the farm houses and drop one at each
door. OF course, they waited till the
puppies were old enough to eat and whine.
Well, you had been born at place where
you were not wanted, and your mothers
master had disposed of you'after the man.
ner just described !; that Is to say, you had
been dropped at our gate. where you re-
NAMED cold and shfvering till daylight.
when you made your way to the door,"
Rover dropped his ears and sat down,
looking into his masters face with pitt
full expression as II recalling that very sad
period of his early doghood For few
minutes Sidney iapsed into silence; then,
giving Rover another gentle and ahec-
tionate hug, he said:
well, dear old Rovie, from that day to
this You and have been chums. But now
we have got to part. What worries me most
Is the fact of your age-Im SO afraid
you'll be misused because you are old and
slow and not so watchful as when you
were young. And, come TO think Of 1t,
Rovie, I'm two years older than you-am
Just 12-and am yet kid, while you, at
10, are an old doggfe. Now, isn't that
stranger
Rover looked very seriously into Sid
ney's eyes; bent his head forward and laid
1t YEARLY across his masters knees, as
II saying: What, will you now part from
me in my poor old age? And we have
been such true friends always-you and
$50 true, for our sincerity has been
tried"
But Sidney did not seem to be reading
old Rover's questions now. He sat on the
kitchen doorstep, with bis own head bent
forward in detected and melancholy
way. He could hear voices In the house
voices OF his uneie and aunt, who were
experimenting the private sale of the
houses furnishings. "Let everything go
for what 1t will bring" his aunt was
saying. My house is too full to hold
any of this extra stun. 1t Is all old and
no account"
''Old and no account" repeated Sid
ney, In a whisper, tears nlling his eyes.
The things that his aunt called 'old and
no account" were very precious to him,
having belonged to his dear parents,
things In the way of furniture, bedding,
clothing and hardware. But as there was