Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-06-25

ways known as Dickie, and that most
his a~cuuaintances had forgotten |
what his was (f they ever I
it, is sufficient to prove that he {
was not solitary in that sense. he !
knew scores of men-women ne
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 sent-
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 Il 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 a castle on the
Neckar. 1t commanded a very hne
view. but it was not in itself a PIC
turesque castle. He had found II by
chance during one Of the lonely rides
which he was wont to take
Heidelberg, on his motor-tricycle. BE-
fore he had found the castle he mad
seldom stayed long in n 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 Sood
one by providing him with enough TO
live upon until he was comfortably
ont 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-
near at meal-times and take his food
with the baron and baroness, but at
all other times he was to be LETT To
himself. The baron allowed him to
play the hermit to his hearts content,
and for some weeks Dickie declared
himself as happy as a king with his
gun. his motor, his camera, and MS
supply of books and magazines.
So things went very well until one
dav the baron, who liked Dickie, and
was a 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
kwaved his hand with the air OF one
who, having lived long and seen
much, is we'll able to select or reject
in a matter of comfort.
Dickie became a trife apologize
We'll" he protested, "a throng OF
j, visitors means noise"
81 shall have, as hitherto, the great
est possible care for your sensitive
nerves." said the baron with a dr.!
smile.
> II think I'll take a holiday till tn
!, hurricane blows over" said Dickie.
u Why not wait and see?" asked tn
baron. Perhaps they won't be s.
:. bad after all"
" In point of fact, the baron had sc
lected his guests with some skill. II
had no intention of opening his hous
to anyone who might turn up. OF tn
/ eight members of the party, two wer
. personal friends of his, and the res
. were friends of these.
" Dickie awaited their arrival gain
. o savagely from the window of his 81
:" ting-room. There were two Germant
- five Americans, and one Englishmal
- Four of the Americans were of the ia.
- sex, and these constituted the fen
mime element of the party. The baro
" had not led Dickie to expect any fer
0 mime element, so their advent excite
little emotion in his breast other tha
that of fierce resentment until |
" caught sight of the last figure in Il
IL group. 1t was one of the America
to girls; but it was not the girl herse
that attracted Dickie's attention. B
hind her, towed by a lead, fickered
white foX-terrier puppy.
4 Now Dickie had no dog of his ov
and he wanted one. He was, MOI
over, particularly keen on having
fox-terrier. Accordingly, he dett
mined to make friends with it ev
~ if that ertailed making friends wi
its mistress.
,es And so it happened that when t
be Crowd-that was the name by viii
led they called themselves-came in
dinner that evening, they found Dicl
ready to make himself complete
nd agreeable. He laughed and TESTED a
told anecdotes, and finally invited t
lot of them, dog and all, to his room
lon He accompanied them on their =
MICS, photographed them, gave thu
by w. NV Of bic hooks. onened
rooms to them. And he undertook
training of the dog, Bobs.
Bobs was a thoroughbred, with
markings excepting two brown a
YER black spots which covered his ey
ate and spread on either side to his ca
When he arrived at the castle he v
entirely uneducated, but under Dicki
tuition he rapidly picked up the III
ments of canine politeness. After
nth week or two he would answer to
itch name, lie down, or come to heel; 6
S. he was beginning to take quite a pro
Using interest in rat-holes. Then
'"e mastered the intricacies of sitting
on his hind legs with a lump of SUI
and balanced upon his nose until he
assured that it was paid for. Al
that he went on to the dead d
for feat, and finally he learned to Il
ose, Bobs had, in fact, been cleverer Il
even he thought himself. With
knowing it, he had awakened
Dickie an nterest-half-suppressed
likes is true--in that mystery, the hear
the q woman.