The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-05-13
The Sorrow of a Setter

By CY WARMAN

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The next day when the old dog
started down to the corner TO meet
his master the pup romped out ahead
and raced down the walk, so that he
could not stop until he had bumped
into his masters knees, The doctor
stopped ana caught the frisky young
pup and petted him. Hugh dropped
the stick he had picked up and walked
back to the house When the doctor
opened the front gate the old dog
trotted round to the back yard. The
man followed and tried to make up,
but Hugh only wagged his tail and
said. with his sad eloquent eyes:
"Oh. don't bother about me, I'm all
right" But the doctor felt the slight
and remembered what his wife had
said.
That night he put his traps in the
kitchen, and next morning Hugh
came up. as usual. to call him. The
doctor pretended to doze off. but Hugh
made no move The man turned his
face to the wall, but still the dog stood
mute and motiunless.
When the man got out and made the
dog welcome the latter did not romp
as usual. but laid his head against his
masters face, sighed and turned
away.
In the field that day Trip. the pup,
was as noisy and numerous as foot
ball player at "A reception given in
honor of war hero. He barked and
bumped into everything and every
body. but instead of being disguised,
as Hugh thought he should be. the
doctor seemed to enjoy II. He made
no effort to disguise the fact that he
was sighting the old dog, but ap
/ peared to glory in it. He gave the
pup the best of it, and when, after nc
end of help, the noisy one retrieved q
wounded bird. the doctor made great
/ fuss over him.
That night, when they got home,
Hugh would not touch his supper.
Hes ill.," said the doctor.
Let Mary take it, said the doctors
wife. and from Mary's hands he ate
showing that he was not sick.
| The next day the old dog would not
| suffer his master to come near him
When he was cornered he growled
and showed his teeth. They shut him
up in the kennel, and he chewed the
gate down, though he had never beer
known to gnaw that way before.
On the third day he refused to ea
altogether, and the next day disap
peared The doctor walked miles II
search of the lost dog, but none knew
anything about him.
Some days after the dog left hom'
the doctor was going up from the stor'
10 his house at noontime. AS he wa
passing the Merchants bank near tn
post Office, right on the principa
street, he saw soiled and sorry-look
ing dog lying in the shadow of tn
bank on little patch of grass tina
grew between the walk and the build
ing. The man looked at the thing TO
a moment, and then squatted an
called to 1t in a gentle, kindly voice
The dog opened his eyes, turned, an
, looked at his master, The man cam
up and touched him, but there was n
growl now. All the snap and resen
, ment was gone. After much coaxin
the old fellow got up and followed hi
master home. They sent the pu
away and let Hugh see him going, bu
/, it was too late. The little friend VIII
used to play with him came, out b
!, did not know her. The doctor trie
in every way to win back the los
love, but it was dead.
: The old dog was dying. He was nc
r only starving, but his great grief wa
/. eating his heart away. His hair wa
r dry and stiff, like parched stubble
r his once beautiful brown eyes wer
= CLASSY. 1t was evident that he ha
D concluded to quit, and that he kne'
g it would take time,
4 Al the end of a week all the neigl
4 bors knew about the trouble at tn
8 Doctors. Busy men who had no tim
Y for dogs, and rough, hard men VIII
l. swore in the market-place and bei
o their horses in the alley, sympathize
Y with old Hugh. OF course, the chi
+ dren from end to end In that stree
y anu many IOulu vi queen dNeHu
s and beyond the park, knew that Hug
t Strong was dying, and nearly all
+ them seemed in some vague way
|. blame the doctor.
+ Il wish now" said the doctor to h
> wife one day. that | had just hunte
as long as Hugh was able to hunt an
I quit when he quit"
d One afternoon, the tenth day
e Hughs illness, some school-childre
e stopped to ask after their old frien
d They tiptoed round to the back yal
II and saw the doctor sitting with h
II head between his hands and his {
bows on his knees. Just in front
e him and only few feet away the o
< dog lay, his thin nose stretched o.
+ between his wasted paws. The do
e tors back was towards the childrt
| Il L, Il h., -.