Barbour County index., 1910-01-26

1aStS on the terrace at Glenarm and
tea almost every day in the shadow of
st. Agatha's, and one dinner of state
in the great Glenarm dining room; but
more blessed were those hours in
which We rode, Helen and l, through
the sunset into dusk, or drove a canoe
over the quiet lake by night Miss
Pat, l felt sure, in so often leaving me
alone with Helen, was favoring my at
tentions; and thus the days passed,
like bubbles on flowing water
She was in my thoughts as l rode
into Annandale to post some letters.
and | was about to remount at the
poSt-oft1ce door when | saw a crowd
gathered in front of the village inn
and walked along the street to learn
the cause of it. And there, calmly
seated on a soap box was Gillespie,
clad in amazing checks, engaged in the
delectable occupation of teaching a
stray village mOngrel to jump stick.
The loungers seemed highly enter
tanned, and testified their appreciation
in loud outlaws. l watched the per-
formance for several minutes, Giles
pie meanwhile laboring patiently with
the dull dog, until finally it leaped the
stick amid the applause of the crowd.
Gillespie patted the dog and rose,
bowing with exaggerated gravity.
Gentlemen" he said, Il thank you
for your kind attention. Let my slight
success with that poor cur teach you
the lesson that we may turn the idlest
moment to some noble use. The edu-
cation of the lower animals is some
thing to which too little attention is
paid by those who, through the pro-
cesses of evolution, have risen to a
higher species. | am grateful, gentle
men, for your forbearance, and trust
we may meet again under circum-
stances more creditable to us all-in-
Guiding the dog"
The crowd turned away mystified,
while Gillespie, feeling in his pocket
for his pipe, caught my eye and
winked.
"Ah, Donovan" he said, coolly, "and
so you were among the admiring spec
tators. l hope you have formed high
opinion of my skill as a dog trainer.
L
Plymouth Rock rooster to turn a
summersault. Are you quite a1one?"
You seem to be as big a fool as
ever!" | grumbled in disgust, vexed
at finding him in the neighborhood.
"Gallantly spoken, my dear fellow!
You are an honor to the Irish race and
mankind. Our meeting, however, is
not inopportune as they say in books;
and | would have speech with you,
gentle knight. The inn, though hum
Bile, is still not without decent COM
forts. Will you honor me-"
He turned abruptly and led the way
through the Office and up the stairway,
babbling nonsense less for my enter
tainment, | imagined, than for the be-
fuddlement of the landlord who leaned
heavily upon his scant desk and
watched our ascent.
He opened door and lighted sew
eral oil lamps, which disclosed three
connecting rooms.
You see, | got tired of living in the
woods, and the farmer I boarded with
did not understand my complex char
acter. The absurd fellow thought me
insane-can you imagine it?'
Its pity he didn't turn you over
to the sheriff" l growled
Generously spoken, But l came
here and hired most of this inn to be
near the telegraph Office Though as
big fool as you care to call me |
nevertheless look to my buttons The
hook-and-eye people are formidable
competitors, and the button may in
time become obsolete-Stranger things
have happened. l keep in touch with
our main office, and when l don't feel
very good | fire somebody. Only this
morning l bounced our general man
ager by wire for sending me a letter
in purple type-writing; | had warned
him, you understand, that he was to
write to me in black. But it was only
a matter of time with that fellow He
entered bull pup against mine in the
Westchester bench show last spring
and took the ribbon away from me. |
really couldn't stand for that. In spite
of my CLASSY splash in thf asparagus
bed, I'm man who looks to his dig
nifty, Donovan. Will you smoker"
L HSnted my pipe and encouraged
him to go on.
How long have you been in this
bake-oven?"
Il moved in this morning-you'r
my first pilgrim. | have spent the
long hot day in getting settled. l had
to throw out the furniture and buy
new stuff of the local emporium,
where, it depressed me to learn, furni-
ture for the dead is supplied even as
for the living. That chair, which l
beg you to accept, stood next in the
shop to coffin suitable for a carcass
of about your build, old man. But
don't let the suggestion annoy you,
read your book on tiger hunting few
years ago with pleasure, and I'm sure
you enjoy a charmed life.
CTO BE CONTINUED.)