Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-08-05

knew he slept, If he slept at all, in his
favorite corner in the garden porch,
but they knew not how often through
the long, lonely night, when tired Of
his bed he got up and walked, and
when weary of walking lay down
again.
One day Baltyne faced the doctor
in the hall rs he going?" he asked,
almost demanded
Yes" was the answer, and II en-.
tered Baltyne's heart like sword
thrust.
II was very still all about the big
house that night. save for the smoth-
cred sobbing of a woman away of
somewhere among the cushions where
the lights burned low. But if any of
the watchers passed out back, they
heard the steady click click, click of
the old dogs nails on the floor of the
garden porch. like the measured tick
ing of the great clock in the hall, as
he walked the hours away up and
down, up and down in the darkness,
all alone.
At last the time was come. Hope
had died with yesterday. The medi.
cine bottles had been put aside. The
nurse sat down, like the doctor, 70
wait
Often at intervals. during that day,
the dying boy asked after his dog.
Along in the afternoon he raised his
head, and in his delirium called the
dog, and instantly the pointer was
at the window. For hours he had
been walking, unobserved by the anx.
ious watchers inside, up and down
the narrow veranda that ran along
the side of the boys bedroom. AT
the sound of his masters voice he
stood up and beat the window with
his front feet. At the sight of him
the boy seemed to forget his suffering,
and. smiling, begged them to let the
dog in. Baltyne-big, brave Baltyne,
with tears washing down his wind,
Drowned face-looked at the door and
the doctor nodded Then Baltyne
opened the door that led to the little
veranda and the dog glided in. His
whole frame quivered as he entered
the room, and as he caught sight OF
the boy he uttered a little, lettering
whine that grew until he reached the
bed. As the boy wound his arms
around the dogs neck the whine
swelled into a cry,-not a bark nor a
growl. nor yet melancholy howl that
a dog will do away in the dark,-a
sobbing cry, not unlike that which
came from the other side of the bed
where the boys mother was kneeling
Almost Immediately the boy became
calm and sank into a sort of stupor
that was like sleep When he had
closed his eyes, Baltyne lifted the old
dog tenderly and put him outside the
room At the door the dog turned
his head looked back at the bed, and
uttered a low, quivering cry,-that
was all
When the door was closed he re-
sumed his walk, up and down, UP and
down along the narrow veranda.
That night the boy slept as he had
not slept for weeks The doctor was
surprised to find him fresher and
stronger the next morning. He got
out his bottles and began to help the
boy, who continued to show some
signs of improvement. He slept again
in the afternoon, and on waking asked
for the dog. The meeting between
the little master and his mute friend
was marked by the same mutual hap
piness, though neither was affected as
on the previous day The dog went
out quietly this time. Like the boy,
he had grown stronger.
The Doctor gave the family a little
hope, and that night Mrs Baltyne
slept
After a nights rest she rose some
what refreshed and went out while
the house was yet quiet. AS she
passed out under the great trees she
saw the old dog dragging himself up
the hill. When he saw her he picked
up nest that had been torn from a
tulip-tree by the night wind, brought
it and put il down at her feet and
then fell down to rest. In the nest,
I
robins. so like you, poor old dog, y
said his mistress, laying hand light.
/ ly on the pointers head.
From where she sat resting on q
rustic seat she could see, away down
( by the swimming pool, where the wet
leaves had been lately disturbed.
The next morning they missed the
old dog, and Mrs. Baltyne, remember.
ing her early morning experience OF
the day before, went down to the pool
/ and there she found the old dog hid
ing and boarding like a missr to the
last.
At the end Of a month the boy was
able to be wheeled down to the pool
The old dog romped out ahead, and
when the nurse arrived with the in.
valid. followed by the parents, the old
dog tore into the leaves, barking
Here, Master" he was trying to say,
"see, I have eaten nothing. Here,
where we have Toasted so often to.