The Cairo bulletin., 1908-02-19
THE STORY OF
A RUG
Pa Selected II with He usual
Good Taste

said
"A rug?" cried ma.
"a rug?" cried Bee.
"a rug?" cried the rest OF the fam
lily, and Shep, the family dog, looking
as handsome as a picture. took adyan
tage of the excitement by barking
loudly and tossing one Of pas slip
| pers In the air, pretending 1t was
naughty sheep. Shep had a new rib
bon and he had been giving himself
| airs all day.
MA, | ought TO say, Is an authority
on old china, Bee Is studying sculp-
ture. and the rest Of the family hopes
TO be poet some day Pa is very
stout and he has any number OF
ohins).
Yes" said pa; "a friend of mine
who is in the trade gets them very
cheap. and | arranged that he should
buy one for me and ship it by express,
A six by three, my love"
Just the size for the parlor, my
lears." said ma eve need a new
rug for the hearth, and unless l am
mistaken here is the expressnan
now"
She went into the parlor and made
4 place for the rug, while pa carried
il In and united it, 1t had green
ringe and border which shaded into a
an, Inside this was blue and inside
he blue was an olive streaked with
orange. Large heads of cabbage dot
ted the design wherever there was
oom for them, these vegetables being
portrayed in pink and yellow, while
lash of green with red spots breaking
tut all over it composed the center.
Now, the beauty of these rugs is
his. said pa, beaming at us. When
me side is worn out you can turn
them over and the other side il just
he same"
Il think, my dears," said ma, that
he diningroom would be the better
place for it, after all.
We found a dark corner for it be-
lind a door and pa sat and admired
while ma and Bee shuddered to
themselves. Pa is very touchy in
anything rejecting upon his taste, and
lie seemed to think that his choice OF
his rug assured his reputation for all
lime.
And the beauty OF these rugs, said
he, is that they last practically for
ever"
The next day we put 1t up In the
spare room and pacified pa twho
missed it the moment he got home)
by telling him that it was too good
for any dining-room. This Modified
him, but the next morning he got a
letter from Aunt Jane saying she was
coming to spend a few days. Ma ran
upstairs, and when she came down she
avoided Bees eye. Bee ran upstairs
and when she came down she avoided
ny eye | wasn't going to have it, so
ran upstairs and put it in mas room
When | came down ma looked at me
and sighed and fetched ii down into
he kitchen. Shep looked at it very
houghtfully. The groceryman knocked
On the back door, and ma hastily
threw the rug down into the cellar.
Shep ran after 1t, thinking II might
be sheep to mind, but as soon as he
saw what it was Se cried to be let uD
again and scratched the cellar door
until the whole house ratified.
Perhaps" said Bee, IF you hung II
out on the line some one might steal
L"
Hang that out on the line?" cried
ma Il would die first"
And added
"Besides-no one would steal IT,"
She looked refectively at Shep.
Leave it to me, my dears," she
said at last; II think have plan.
And as soon as pa had eaten his
dinner that night, an extra special
feast. she unfolded her plan.
Pa" she said, that dog Of ours
gets to know so much that sometimes
am almost afraid of him. When you
picked him out as a puppy ! must CON
ess that / had my doubts about your
choice, but. as a matter of fact, he is
a most wonderful dog, Most wonder
'ul, Now. what I've been thinking is
his: Here's winter coming on with its
cold. blizzardy weather and that old
pet hasn't thing on the floor of HIS
coop. We've never made him pres
ont yet, but he's such an extraor-
llnary dog that don't you think we
NIGHT, as a family. let him have our
new rug? He would appreciate It so
much. The pet. Look at him, pa
Isn't be a picture?"
DO Won think il would fit?" asked
pa. doubtfully.
Bee snatched the rug and ma ran
out at once. with shep in glad pur-
suit. They staid out so long that pa
began TO wonder.
What's the natter he called.
He won't 60 in" cried ma
ole swears and growls." cried Bee.
Make him go in" commanded pa.
A vague form fitted through the
gloon. paused for a moment. but reso-
lutely turned and disappeared down
the street.
Hes run away" they cried in a
chorus Of despair. and then in tones Of
loving sympathy and admiration they
added tin concerD;
The dear old pet!"
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