The daily tribune., 1908-10-28
TIE Obsequies of
Ole Miss jug
BY Joan Ross Irvine.
Copyright. by short.tory Pub. Co.,

1t was an afternoon late In August.
A blue haze, the smoke of distant for
est fires, lay upon the land, lending to
the old familiar hills an air OF mystery,
and remoteness, like that OF veiled'
faces. Down in the valleys and upon
the long hillsides the blue faded softly
Into the gray of the sage brush. and
the gray into the vague green of the
creek bottom.
Mrs. Albright, the wife OF the man.
ager. and l, the governess, of the Big
Red ranch. were sitting on the porch.
Il don't know why" she continued;
perhaps because it's such very lazy
day"
Ten minutes later we discovered
more convincing reasons for the tenor
CT her thoughts. in the weekly paper,
brought by mounted messenger from
the post Office over fifty miles away.
The population of the Big Red com.
prised three women, four men and Ave
children; the cowboys. of whom there
were about fifty. being absent upon
the roundup, while Mr.. Albright was
away on a trip to New York. We were
IS miles from the railroad and from
the nearest town, ten miles from any
other ranch, and quite so from any
one whom We could call neighbor.
And now, as though aware of our un-
protected position, the Indians had
taken occasion to go on the war
path!
"willfully and maliciously!" ex,
al
reading blood-chilling accounts of mas
sacres that had taken place or were
about to take place--accounts which
were further supplemented by the
messengers report OF the burning that
very morning of ranch only 40 miles
away.
At the other end OF the porch sat
the Ave little Allbrights in a circle,
holding solemn consultation. There
WAS Tony. the eldest the 12-year-old;
the twins, aged ten; Billy, seven years
old; and Ethelbert Van Twiller ALI
bright, aged Ave. They were all look
Ing very sober, and each child was
decorated with generous piece of
black silk, torn of the bottom OF an
L.
stood an empty box. over which were
draped the remains of the skirt, and
which probably represented to Tony's
cultivated mind a bier The twins
shared between them a very crumpled
handkerchief, with which they occa-
sionally rubbed their eyes.
What is the matter, children" I
exclaimed, as | took In the details of
the scene.
Tony was silent until he had mar.
shaled his features into state Of due
solemnity; then. In voice carefully
modulated to fit the occasion, he re
piled: AT the break of day Miss jug
departed this life
She has gone over the big divide"
added the twins, who never let pass
an opportunity OF using a cowboy
phrase.
"Ole Miss Jug" as the children
called her. was portly dog OF great
age and immovable dignity. In the
opinions of the nve young Allbrights
she was as old as the Oldest tree"
Certainly she was as old as the old.
est mourners. And now, as Tony
would have said, In the fullness of
time she had gone whence no dog
returneth.
she was a mighty fine dog" said
one Of the twins. sorrowfully.
And" said Tony, visibly brighten
Ing, I'VE are going to give her the
very finest funeral we ever had"
At this the four other young All
bri.hts also frightened, and few mo.
ments later the Ave marched around
into the back yard. where the body
lay in state, and there | could hear
them cheerfully discussing the ar.
rangements for the funeral OF the de-
ceased Miss jug.
Had Tony lived some hundred years
ago, he would have become pope, or
certainly a cardinal, so great was his
love OF ritual The burial OF hen
under his direction became a most
imposing ceremony. Theatricals were
his passion. Robed In a scarlet table
cloth. and armed with bread knife.
e would recite Hamlet's soliloquy in
such . melancholy voice, and with
such expressive motions OF his weap-
on. that the twins would be thrown
into quite an ecstasy OF horror, while
tho younger part OF the audience
covered In terror under the bed
clothes. the exhibitions taking place
generally at bedtime. being more i'm
pressive by candle light.
Late that evening Mrs. Albright and
sat alone on the cool piazza. rock
Ing, thinking, waiting. As long as
daylight had lasted and the little All
brights had borne M company. we had
kept up a pretense OF cheerful conver.
sation. But now that the small folks
were tucked away In bed. and the
men had foregathered In the barn, we
had relapsed into II silence whose
gloom was accented by the deep minor
chords OF night. the croaking Of
frogs. the distant lowing OF thirsty cat
tie waiting for the rains. and now and
then the hungry howls Of the coyotes
holding revel further down the creek