Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-11-23

| churn; neither do you"
| Tom wentworth had a special apt
ness for machinery. His friends often
wondered why he remained a farmer
| instead Of turning his entire atten-
| ton 70 mechanics. About six months
! previous and soon after his marriage
! TO the schoolna'am. Helen Latrobe, he
had devised an ingenious attachment
to the churn by which Don. the in
! teiligent st. Bernard. could do the
/ work. However. the enormous St
! Bernard heartily disapprOved of the
whole thing, and, though he did the
work obediently, it was with an unmis-
taxable air of having compromised his
| dignity to a marked degree. When
ever his master placed the machine in
readiness Don's brown eyes invariably
took on an expression that said az
| plain as words:
Aren't you ashamed to subject a
fellow Of my caliber to such a mental
| task-I 40 come Of a long line Of
aristocratic ancestors?''
Breakfast over, the inventor. still
nursing his wrath. was obliged to per-
| form the necessary drudgery himself
and even the tempting aroma of Hell
ems fresh baked mince pies failed to
lessen the deep revenge he meditated
| against the rebel when he should re-
turn. But the day slipped by, and
! Don failed to appear.
! Rafora rafiriz0 HaIen uaot err g
| the veranda to enjoy the mellow moon
light She was tired with an Excess
sive WEAKNESS such as only the house
! e. NH hoI nd aIo oil
! day can know But the calmness Of
the night and its quiet starlight rested
her. Suddenly she felt moist nose
thrust under her arm. and a pair Of
brown eyes looked into hers, pleading
for pardon and incidentally for sup
per. OF course he received q generous
| allowance Of both and showed his ap-
| probation by a vigorous wagging of
his tail
On discovering the deserter Tom
promptly dragged him TO the wash
house and locked him in.
Don't be rough with him." begged
Helen.
"Tll teach him to run away from his
work." declared the man.
You'll let him out in the morning.
! Of course? Don must enjoy his
/ Thanksgiving with the rest of u.s.
you spoil that dog, Helen" he an
J swered frritably. "He doesn't deserve
/ any Thanksgiving. No; he'll stay
right there in the washhouse till next
churning day"
Helen had owned Don ever since her
uncle had brought him, an awkward,
| sprawling puppy, to her girlhood
/ -
| most human. When she had come a
happy bride to Tom Wentworth's
home she had brought Don with her.
| At first when her husband proposed
| his working the churning machine she
| protested. But his insistence, coupled
| with repeated assurances that the la-
| Dor would not hurt her favorite, had
| finally won a reluctant consent.
Like a rose set in frostwork the
| morning dawned, with just enough
| crispness and snap in the air to make
! it a typical Thanksgiving day. Helen
| rose early and descended to the kitch-
| en- just as Tom had started a fire in
! the range Don's unused rugs behind
! the stove appealed keenly to her, and
she again pleaded for his release But
| Tom stubbornly refused and hurried
| off to the stable to feed the horses and
| milk the JERSEYS.
Hearing the family astIr. the I'm
| prisOned dog renewed his whining and
scratching. and Helen could not repress
the tears as she mechanically prepared
| breakfast. The few scraps which Tom
tossed through the window of the
washhouse seemed an insult TO the
prisoner and herself. 1t was the first
time since their marriage that he had
done anything to seriously hurt her
feelings. but she was too proud to say
so or point out how unjust and IN
feeling his action was in her eyes.
The ample Thanksgiving dinner was
made ready and eaten without mucE
satisfaction on the part of either hus-
band or wife. When It was cleared
away Tom hitched his sleek grays
to the new buggy and asked Helen to
drive with him to Meadeville 10 Visit
his father. She refused in a manner
so different from her uual amiabiity
that he looked at her In wonder, then,
without comment. drove away.
No sooner had he disappeared down
the road than Helen took a plate OF
choice bits and chicken bones 10 the
washhouse and with some difficulty
pushed open the small sliding window
Don was lying on the floor. his head
resting dejectedly across his paws.
When she emptied the plate before him
two sorrowfuI eyes were lifted be-
seechingly to her face. Then as he
ate he wagged his tail in gratitude.
Fearing the effect of commiseration.
she disguised her feelings and spoke
cheeringly to, him. then quickly with
drew. But if Tom had not carried the
key away In his pocket she would
have defied him and liberated the pris-
oner. She thought Of the ak; it would
be an easy matter TO break the lock.
but she could we'll guess the result Of
such an act on Toms quick temper,
and she did not wish to provoke q
quarrel.
- 4ho ch Grsf