The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-11-26
ChNDERS.


I
up, and the wide, Embroidered path
was almost deserted.
Jimmy, muttered the boy "This
dog stealth amt what it's cracked up
ter be. I've good mind now ter
leave the little beast where he Isl"
1t had been growing on the boy for
on hour-this terror. All the citation
or that first moment of successful
theft had fed, leaving behind a lively
fear of pursuit and punishment. The
discriminating collar with its name
and address had long ago been
thrown away, to be sure; but there
yet remained the dog" Cinders," ac-
cording to the collar.
faint with the risk" muttered
the boy at last; and with another
swift glance about him he tied the
end of the dogs leader to con-
venient settee, and ran down a 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 banks and
whines. Two men and woman
coming up the path, glanced at the
dog, swerved, and passed by on the
farther side. A small boy SHE'D n
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
sharper, and brought a cold, fine rain.
The dog. exhausted, frightened and
hopclessly 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 escaped the cold gray eyes of Off
Ger 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
paused, .hen rushed down the path.
leaving 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-all were I'M
familiar and confusing. Cinders,
porn ana bred in the Western town
that was his masters home. had
never been in New York until that
morning when he had come with that
same master on visit East, only to
DC stolen at the very railroad station
by the boy who had so quickly aban-
doned him. No wonder Orders eyed
his surroundings in dismay, Up one
street, down another. across a 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
1t was then that there began for
CindeTs a new existence. An exist
ence OF anxious days and 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. he'll.
melted man with short club chased
him for some distance, but in the be-
wildering maze of paths he eluded
MS pursuer and crouched under q
low-hanging bush until the man,
puihng and swearing, had passed him
BY 1t was trying experience, but
a necessary one; after that Cinders
MIA 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 behi..
trees until night brought darkness
and safety.
AS Tor food-sometimes a bread
crust designed for squirrel was
snatched up by his own hungry little
Jaws, and once It was the squirrel IT.
self that made his dinner. Occasion
any child with a cooky, or man
with sandwich. strolled along una
ware or tho hungry eyes that peered
out from beneath tangled hair and
watched for stray crumb thrown
aside
1t was toward the end Of tho week
that Cindors. skulking under the trees
In the twilight. came face to face with
shabby. hollow-eyed man on one of
the park settees.
HullO! " greeted the man
The dog backed away.
Well, by Jovei you look a little
more hard up than / do. Come here.
sir"
The dog did not stir.
Pretty tough old place. this world
CHIP said the man. with a weary
smile.
Still the dog cid not stir.
Hungry"
Two mournful eyes gazed unswerv-
ingly into the mans face The duet
OF the dogs heels stirred family with
the slight--the very slight motion O.,
a tail foebly wagged
"Humph!" grunted tho man.
thrusting his hands into his pockets
and pulling out dime and four COP
per cents. lie glanced from the coins
TO the dog, and from the dog back to
the coins. "Humphi" he grunted
again, rising to HIS feet. Reckon
you need 'em tho most, old fellow. &"
And he shambled down the path that
led TO the avenue.
When he came back soma minutes