The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1908-06-24

Probably there was never In the
world more solitary man than Dickie
Ferguson. 1t was not that he had
no friends The fact that he was al
ways known as Dickie, and that most
of his acquaintances had forgotten
what his surname was if they ever
knew it, is sufficient to prove that he
was not solitary in that sense. He
knew scores of men-women he
rather looked down upOn-and they
all liked him. Yet he never seemed
altogether at ease in their presence.
He had a distinct dread of display
ing anything that might suggest senti-
ment, and yet, if the truth were
known, he was perhaps as sentimental
a fellow as any healthy Englishman
that ever lived Nature had made
him one of the best companions pos
sible, and habit, which had almost be-
come second nature, tried hard to
make him a hermit. And, on the
whole, it succeeded.
Dickie lived in castle on the
Neckar. 1t commanded very fine
view, but it was not in itself pic
turesque castle. He had found it by
chance during one of the lonely rides
which he was wont to take from
Heidelberg, on his motor-tricycle. Be.
fore he had found the castle he had
seldom stayed long in one place. Pos
sessed of independent means, he was
accustomed to saying that his father
had done him one bad turn by help
ing him into the world, and one good
one by providing him with enough to
live upon until he was comfortably
out of it. He spent the best part of
his time in travelling. The occupant
of the castle was a baron whose dis
tressed circumstances had induced
him to let Dickie a suite of four
rooms on the second floor. His ar
rangements were that he should ap-
pear at meal-times and take his food
with the baron and baroness, but at
all other times he was to be left to
himself. The baron allowed him to
play the hermit to his hearts content,
and for some weeks Dickie declared
himself as happy as king with his
gun, his motor, his camera, and his
supply of books and magazines.
So things went very well until one
day the baron, who liked Dickie, and
was little perturbed at his eccen-
tricities, announced at lunch that he
intended to have some more guests.
Dickie protested strongly.
The baron looked amused and
waved his hand with the air of one
who, having lived long and seen
much, is we'll able to select or reject
in matter of comfort.
Dickie became a trifle apologize.
WELL" he protested, "a throng of
visitors means noise"
Il shall have, as hitherto, the great
est possible care for your sensitive
nerves." said the baron with dry
smile.
Il think I'll take holiday till the
hurricane blows over said Dickie.
why not wait and see?' asked the
baron. Perhaps they won't be so
bad after ALL"
In point of fact, the baron had Sc
lected his guests with some skill. He
had no intention of opening his house
to anyone who might turn. up. OF the
personal friends of his, and the rest
were friends of these.
Dickie awaited their arrival gazing
savagely from the window Of his sit
ting-rOOm. There were two Germans,
five Americans, and one Englishman.
Four of the Americans were of the fair
sex, and these constituted the fem
mime element of the party. The baron
had not led Dickie to expect any fem
mime element, so their advent excited.
little emotion in his breast other than
that of fierce resentment until he
caught sight of the last figure in the
group. 1t was one of the American
girls; but it was not the girl herself
that attracted Dickie's attention. Be-
hind her, towed by lead, f1ickered a
white foxterrier puppy.
Now Dickie had no dog of his own
and he wanted one. He was, more
over, particularly keen on having a
fox-terrier. Accordingly he deter
mined to make friends with it even
~
it's mistress.
And so it happened that when the
Crowd-that was the name by which
they called themselves-came in to
dinner that evening, they found Dickie
ready to make himself completely
agreeable. He laughed and TESTED and
told anecdotes, and finally invited the
lot of them, dog and all, to his rooms.
He accompanied them on their Die
mics, photographed them, gave them
the run of his books; opened his
rooms to them. And he undertook the
training OF the dog, Bobs.
Bobs was thoroughbred, with no
markings excepting two brown and
black spots which covered his eyes.
and spread on either side to his ears.
When he arrived at the castle he was
entirely uneducated, but under Dickie's
tuition he rapidly picked up the ruJ::
ments of canine politeness. After a
week or two he would answer to his
name, lie down, or come to heel; and
he was beginning to take quite prom
Using interest in rat-holes. Then he
mastered the intricacies of sitting up
on his hind legs with a lump of sugar
balanced upon his nose until he was
assured that it was paid for. After
that he went on to the dead dog"
feat, and finally he learned to talk.
Bobs had, in fact, been cleverer than
even he thought himself Without
L.,