Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-12-17
"Well," Billy's laugh was hateful.

well" Billy's laugh was hateful.
III you wait until a girl cares for you.
you'll wait a long time. Burton"
1t was a dastardly thing to say. but
Billy was disgruntled, and Burton
knew it was true. He knew that, ex'
cept for his money, he could not have
touched the outer rim Of the circle IN
which Marcia and Billy moved. He
was an alien, an outsider, Il Pariah!
The automobile drew up to the curb
in front of the big apartment house in
which Burton lived. The little man
got out and Billy started to follow.
No" Burton said. and Billy stop
ped, and ~stared-''no, l don't want you
to come in tonight, Billy. My man
will take you home. I know you were
upset and all that, but l can't quite
get oven what o said to me just
now. And l am not quite sure chat l
! shall aver get over 1t, Billy"
He was Just a little puffy, red-faced
plebeian, all bundled up in a fur coat,
and with his breath coming short, but
in that moment Billy knew that his
hold upon the little mar was gone. He
had killed the goose with the golden
egg
AS Burton went slowly up the steps,
the door opened. letting out a flood of
yellow light. There was a yelp, and
something soft was hurled against his
legs.
What is it," he asked bending
over. &
Il kicked him out, SIR the elevator
boy explained from the doorway. ITS
a stray dog. He's been about here all
day, sir
Well, you are a nice brute!" Bur-
ton commented as he picked the moan.
ing creature out of the snow and with
the cur in his arms he entered the
elevator.
The boy carried him up and landed
him on the fourth loo with the warn.
ing: You'd better let him alone. sir.
He's a common cur"
"Humph!" was all the answer that
Burton vouchsafed, and when he had
let himself into his room he dropped
the trembling little creature on the
rug.
so they kicked you out, did they?"
he asked. well, you're not the only
one, pupsie."
A half hour later as the dog. washed
and fed. lay luxuriously in front Of
the fire, Burton said again: so they
kicked you out? Well, 1 know how it
| feels"
Over the Fireplace was a Burnes'
Jones head Of a girl. 1t was the ono
thing in the room that Burton had
selected. All the other ~elegancies
were the result of Billy's taste. But
that one picture Burton had chosen
because it reminded him of Marcia.
Eyes, l know how it feels" he re.
peated slowly, and suddenly as he sat
there looking at the beautiful droop-
ing head he caught his breath in a
sob, and his own head vent down on
his arm, and the room was very still.
The little dog staggered up on his
weak legs, and casting an inquiring
| eye upon the huddled up figure. Then
he put a paw on Burton's knee and
whined.
Burton raised his head and looked
straight into the anxious brown eyes.
ooh, look here" he said unsteadily,
you know how it feels. You're ugly
and common, and nobody wants you"
The other paw was laid on his hand
as the little brute gave sympathetic at
tention.
Say, let's get out" Burton contin-
ued. You don't fit in here, and l
don't. My mans out tonight, thank
the Lord, or he'd make no end Of a
row about you. There's an old aunt
Of mine up in the country, and she's
as poor as 1 used to be, and she's got
a little farm. I'm going to make it
a big farm before I get through; and
out there I can be the big frog in the
puddle, and We'll tramp around the
country, and there'll be people I can
talk to and not feel they're lookin'
down on me-
The little dog, hesitating, crawled
into his lap. With the rough head
tucked under his chin, Burton had a
sudden comforting sense of compan-
ionship. Here was no SNUG, self-satis-
fed aristocrat, but a friend who loved
him.
You're pretty nice" he whispered.
Il guess we're two of a kind"
His voice broke. And for a long
time they sat there together, the little
common dog and the little common
man, seeing visions of the freedom Of
Gods country and the life of their
kind.-Elmira Telegram.
Sun Cooking.