The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-10-12

tail feebly wagged.
"Humph !" grunted the m n,
thrusting his hands into his pockets
and pulling out dime and four cop
per cents. He glanced from the coins
to the dog, and from the dog back to
the coins. "Humph p he grunted
again, rising to his feet. "Reckon
you need 'em the most, old fellow" J"
And he shambled down the path that
led to the avenue.
| When he came back some minutes
later he threw a hurried look about
him, then drew sandwich from the
paper bag in his hand.
Come, sir, come-good fellow r.
he called softly.
A bird chirped overhead.
"Come, sir, come Where are
you, Weary Willie? 7" called the man
again, peering into the shadows.
/ The silence was unbroken.
| Until it was quite dark the man sat
on the bench and waited then he
rose and walked away.
On the next night twilight found
the hollow-eyed, shabby man on the
same bench. The dog, too, found
him there.
"Humph !" growled the m IN,
throwing that same quick look about
him, and Dragging from his pocket a
paper bag. "Seems to me you were
a good while coming - He extract
ed sandwich, broke off a generous
piece, and tossed it to the dog.
Snap went the famished jaws, and
the dog came at once to attention" !"
"Ah, ha p crowed the man. 80
you were hungry p He threw Sec
ond piece, then another, and another.
"There !" he exclaimed, when the
sandwich was finished. "How do
you feel, Weary Willie?"
The dog whined, and took tenta-
tive step forward.
whats your name-Jack? p"
There was slow wagging Of the
dogs tail.
'Fido?'"
The tail wagged harder.
Grover p"
There was quick, short bark.
"Come here, sir" ordered the man;
but at the outstretched hand the dog
turned and ran ; the memory of those
friendless days and nights was not to
be SO lightly cast aside.
It came to be regular thing after
that for the shabby man to bring a
nightly sandwich to the bench in the
park, and for the dog to come and eat
it. There was always an exchange
of courtesies in the shape of jovial
greetings and sharp barks, and gradu-
ally the dog lost his fear. Three
times he tried to follow his new friend
home, but the sharp go back,
sir, go back p brought the little eager
feet to halt, and sent the dog slink-
ing back to the shadows, there to
stand with wistful eyes gazing after
the shabby figure disappearing down
the street.
CATER all, where's the use of it,
Weary Willie?" asked the man one
night when, the sandwich gone, the
two sat together on the bench.
"Where's the use of it? There's no
one to care what becomes of us, you
and me. Let's chuck it p'
The dog thumped his tail against
the seat.
"Humph ! Think it's joke, do
you? Well, maybe it's, maybe it's"
There was something queer about
the man that night. His voice shook,
and was not quite clear his step,
too, was far from steady, and he
dropped on the seat with a curious re-
taxation of all his muscles. The next
night it was worse, and the next,
worse still. There was fiat bottle
which he brought again and again
from his pocket and put to his lips
after a cautious 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
low whine-a whine which met
with no response.
There had been almost 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 chorus of jeers, then
fusillade of banana skins. Cinders,
fierce and bristling, faced the crowd
and barked. He growled and show
ed 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 near by. Still the dog
stood firm, thrusting his tiny, fierce
little self between the inert figure and
the crowd.
Suddenly the man opened his eyes.
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. There was cry of "The cops
a-comin' !"-and the man found him
self all at once alone with the dog,
while up the path came blue coated,
hurrying figure. Clasping the dog
yet more firmly in his arms, the man
turned and walked rapidly in the op-
posite direction.
"Come, come, what's the meaning
OF all this?" called the policeman,
between short, painting breaths, as he
reached the shabby mans side.
Nothing" returned the man, la
conically.
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