Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-02-07

Go on" answered the BOY, with
charming impudence. You're jealous"
"Ooh!" cried the girl. a dimple COM
ing in her soft cheek and adjoining it
like a jewel. very we'll, I'll never kiss
you again"
won't you? Just wait till We get
into the train"
All, boy, that was long ago now. and
times change.
1t must have been nearly IS months
before l saw the pup again. On this
occasion, having called at the boys
home and strolled out into the gar
den, l saw, sitting in the sunshine, out
in the very center of the lawn, an I'M
shapely, disreputable looking dog, APP
~parently lost In a deep reverie, and
wearing on his head an absurd model
of a top-hat. On hearing my footsteps
he rose and shambled across the grass
to meet me, his hat (which was Sc
cured with an elastic band) cooked
knowingly over n eye.
why, you remember him!" cried
the boy. This is the dog | bought at
the farm. We call him Marcus Au'
relius because he's always meditating'
He's awfully clever; I've taught him
heaps of tricks"
The animal sauntered up and wiped
his paws on my trousers by way OF
greeting.
Hello Marc!" said his master. "Sit
up!"
The dog promptly Topped down tui
length on the grass.
81 didn't tell you to die" cried the
boy. "Sit up you little blackguard!"
Marc, with his top-hat hanging un
der his chin like a nose-bag, rolled
over and entertained is by dying
on his back.
THAT'S just like him." said the boy
'it's the easiest trick he's got; ant
whenever I tell him to do anything
else he always will 'die;' he won't st
up or run round after his tail"
Marc having died" for what h
considered a reasonable length o
time, now rose to his feet and saun
tered back to his m%editations, THU
time wearing his top-hat on the bacl
of his neck, as though 1t was a sol
dier's %knapsack.
whats he got that on for?"
why / want him to get accus
toned to it, because Pm going to teacl
him to wear it when he goes out int
the street."
What can he do besides die?"
"Well," answered the boy, Il thin
he'd make a good sporting dog be
cause he's always digging holes in tn
garden, and l think he's kill rats if h
had the chance. ] tried him once wit
a mouse that ] caught in the stable
l let it loose on the kitchen floor, an
somehow Marc lost it, and it ran ava
somewhere, and we couldn't find !
and mother made an awful fuss. Sh
doesn't like Mare, I'm sure she doesn'
and he isn't allowed even to lie
front of the dining room fire, but a
ways has to go into a basket. Wome
never value a good dog; they don
know one when they see him. Do the.
Marc?"
The dog-who appeared now
have finally determined to carry h
top-hat as a chest protector-on hea
ing his name called, awoke with
start from his reverie, and after a M
ment's hesitation, as though he forge
exactly how the trick began, turne
slowly over and died"
Many years have slipped awe
since l first saw Marcus Aurelius med
tating on the sun-lit lawn, and thoug
| knew him as a baby, | find him
be quite a gray-haired old man. \
top-hat appears rakishly perched upc
his shapeless head, and he stretcht
himself with perfect confidence upc
the sacred hearthrug and suffers I
rebuke.
Mare" says mother, with a slig,
tremble in her voice, where's yo'
master?"
The dog wags his stumpy tail, b
it is a heartless proceeding, and
\ does not even raise his head. Pe
: haps he knows as well as we do tn
= wide seas roll between himself al
c Australia, and long before the boy W
ever think of crossing them agai
: Marcus Aurelius will have perform
. his old trick in sober earnest a.
= shambled off down that dusty pathw;
. trodden years ago by the family
Juvenile porkers, the old sheepdt
: and all the other friends of his you