The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-10-12
GIN DER
BY ELEANOR H. PORTER.

half way through the PARK the oOy
with the dog stopped and looked about
him. A chill wind had sprung up,
and the wide, Embroidered path was
almost deserted.
"Jiminyp' muttered the boy.
"This dog. g.stealin' amt what it's
cracked up ter be. I've good mind
now ter leave the little beast where
he is p
1t had been growing on the boy for
an hour-this terror. All the elation
of that first moment of successful theft
had fed, leaving behind lively fear
of pursuit and punishment. The in
eliminating collar with its name and
address had long ago been thrown
away, to be sure; but there yet re-
mained the dog-"Cinders," accord
ing to the collar.
'Tain't wuth the risk, muttered
the boy at last; and with another
swift glance about him he tied the
end of the dogs leader to conve-
nient settee, and ran down side path
toward the avenue.
For one amazed instant the dog
stayed motionless, then he strained at
the cord with all his small might,
giving series of frantic barks and
whines. Two men and a woman,
coming up the path, glanced at the
dog, swerved, and passed by on the
farther side. A small boy SHE'D a
stone, then ran but backward
glance assuring him that the cord
still held, he turned and SHE'D larger
one.
The wind from the east grew sharp
er, and brought cold, fine rain. The
dog, exhausted, frightened and hope
lessly miserable, crept under the bench
for shelter. He was there when the
tall, blue-coated man came down the
path ten minutes later, and so he es-
capped the cold gray eyes of Officer
O'Callahan. {.
The rain increased with the dark.
BY midnight, hunger, cold and terror
had driven the dog almost wild. Lit
tie by little his jerks and pulls loos-
ened the cord about his throat, until
one last frenzied effort disentangled
the knot and set him free. He paus-
ed, then rushed down the path, leav-
ing behind him the cord still fastened
to the settee.
At the edge of the park the dog
stopped. The endless blocks, the
lights, the shadows-al1 were unfa-
miliar and confusing. Cinders, born
and bred in the Western town that
was his masters home, had never
been in New York until that morn
ing when he had come with that same
master on a visit East, only to be
stolen at the very railroad station by
the boy who had so quickly abandon
ed him. No wonder Cinders eyed
his surroundings in dismay! Up one
street, down another, across third
trotted the weary little feet, hour
after hour, until at dawn the dog
reached once more the park, and de-
jectedly dragged his way to the bench
which had so recently held him a
prisoner.
It was then that there began for
Cinders a new existence. An exist
ence of anxious days aud apprehen-
sive nights /; of little food and less
shelter; of small boys with stones,
and big boys with sticks. His long,
silky hair grew soiled and matted, his
body lean, and his eyes wide and ter
fortified. Once a blue coated, hel.
meted man with short club chased
him for some distance, but in the be-
wildering maze of paths he eluded his
pursuer and crouched under a low
hanging bush until the man, putting
and swearing, had passed him by. 1t
was trying experience, but neces-
sary one; after that Cincers hid when
blue coat came in sight.
Both the park and the adjacent
streets Cinders claimed as home, but
after his experience with the blue
coated man he grew more wary and
when in the park spent most of his
| time hiding under shrubs or behind
trees until night brought darkness
andAsafety.
As for food-sometimes a bread.
crust designed for a squirrel was
snatched up by his own hungry little
Jaws, and once it was the squirrel it
self that made his dinner. Occasion
| ally child with a cooky, or mar
with sandwich, strolled along una.
ware of the hungry eyes that peered
out from beneath tangled hair ant
watched for a stray crumb thrown
aside.
It was toward the end of the weel
that Cinders, skulking under the tree'
in the twilight, came face to face will
shabby, hollow-eyed man on one oi
the park settees.
"Hullo p greeted the man.
The dog backed away.
"Well, by Jove you look little
more hard up than do. Come here
SIR"
The dog did not stir.
Pretty tough old place, this worlt
-eh?" said the man, with wear.
smile.
Still the dog did not stir.
Hungry"
Two mournful eyes gazed unswerv
ingly into the mans face. The dus