Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1907-10-04

was worse. and the next, worse still
Inere was a fat bottle which he
brought again and again from his
pocket and put to his lips after a eau
tlous look about him. He stayed
longer and longer each night. and
sometimes he seemed to sleep, so low
was his head bowed on his breast,
AT such times the dog spent long
minutes in motionless watching of the
silent figure, giving occasionally 4
low whine-a whine which met with
no response.
There had been almost a week of
this when one night the man slipped
from the seat and lay half on the
ground. Cinders leaped to the mans
side and licked his face, his hands.
and again his face He whined. then
barked, then stood quiveringly alert
for the slightest movement. At that
instant down the path came several
boys eating bananas.
There was a chorus of jeers. then
fusillade of banana skins. Cinders
fierce and bristling, faced the crowd
and barked. He growled and showed
his small white teeth, as from all
sides came men and boys on the run.
More banana skins, and even small
stones, struck the man, the dog, and
the ground nearby. Still the dog
stood firm, thrusting his tiny. fierce
little self between the inert figure
and the crowd
Suddenly the man opened his ewes
One glance at the mob, the dog, and
the flying stones and banana skins
cleared his brain. With a snarl of
rage he caught the quivering little
dog in his arms and staggered to his
feet. Th ere was cry of "The cons
a-comin'! and the man found him
self all at once alone with the dog.
while up the path came a blue-coated.
hurrying figure. ClaspinC the dog
yet more firmly in his arms, the man
turned and walked rapidly in the
opposite direction
Come, come, what's the meaning
of all this?" called the policeman. be-
tween short. painting bresths, as he
reached the shabby mans side.
Z Nothing" returned the man, la
conically
But the crowd-what were they
doing?"
"Stoning the dog-and me-.
"Stoning youi Been drinkin-2"
do / act drunk" retorted the
man, sharply.
The policeman gave him a LONE,
shrewd glance
Mighty near it," he growled.
Then he tried new tack.
Whose dog is it?" he demanded.
Mine" There was a ring of de-
fance in the mans voice.
Where's it's collar? Got a Il
cense?" probed the po lceman.
1T will have by this time to-mor-
row."
Looks TO me mighty like the little
beast I've been chasin in these 'c-e
parts fur the last month. I've had
moren dozen complaints of stray |
dog; but 7 couldn'C catch the little |
varmint.
You'll not have any complaints of |
this dog" said the man, quietly, IS
he turned eff at one of the side paths. |
1t was then that existence for Gin
ders changed yet again. 1t became
now thing of kind words, scanty but
gladly given food, and a bed in one
corner of sparsely furnished room
up many fights of stairs. There
were the same walks in the park, only
now he both went and came with the
man. There wassthe same bottle, and
there was the same cautious tipping
Of it to the mans lips-but perhaps
less frequently now. At all events.
there never again came a time when
the man was not fairly erect and in
his right mind as he sat on the
bench.
AS the summer passed the mans
clothes became more shabby. and his
cheeks more hollow At first he had
gone away from the room each morn
ing and returned at night clinking
4 few loose coins in his pockets; but
now days and days passed when he
lid not leave the room until night, |
apparently preferring to lie fer hours
On the bed in the corner with his face
10 the wall. II
Where's the use?r he would say
more and more frequently. as Cinders
vould leap upon the bed and coax 3
Tim. dog fashion, to go out for