The Columbus journal., 1910-04-27
IT lac Rabbit Hunters
BY CARL JENKINS

sociatsd Literary Prssa)
IL beg pardon!" gasped the
hunter. a. he came to . stop within
I'VE feet q her. You see-you
know"
Yes, I sec that you took me for Q
small boy out With his flrst gun. and
I know that I have shot n many rab.
bits ~ you have. II your dog had
| barked I should not have shot"
"Oh, no harm done-not 1t all. I
think most Of the shot missed FOXY.
Yes. he should have barked. Yes-just
| 60"
But you Just the same n called me
an assassin" said the girl. who saw
that the stranger vas . good looking
young man.
SORRY. you know-very sorry." he
replied. IL don't think meant II. >"
And you said I shot your dog on
purpose!"
"Sony-very sorry. must have
been excited"
And that I probably desired to n
sassinate you!"
"Sorry-awfully sorry. The dog yelp-
ing in pain must have excited me. Per
NIT me to introduce myself a. Philip
Meadows Of the city. and stopping
with my uncle. Judge Spears. for q few
days. -Miss-I must express
my deepest regrets"
Miss JEANNE could do no less than
give her name. and by that time the
! wounded dog had crawled to her feet
and was asking her forgiveness for BE-
ing shot An examination showed that
he had received 1ve or six Of the lead
en- pellets.
| Are you . competent dog doctor!'
Miss JEANNE asked.
"WellHer-no." blushed tho young
man.
But I am. though I have no dog 1t
present. The shot must be picked out
and the dog taken good care Of for
some days. I shot him, and I'll take
him home with me and cure him"
But you didn't mean to shoot him.
! you know: and my uncle's coach
man"
May putter around and do Just the
wrong thing" she finished. The dog
shall 90 homo with me. and In . week
I shall have him a. well a ever. Mr..
Meadows. care must be taken not to
let . wounded dog relapse. Did you
know that?"
Gracious. NO! II Foxy should pine
for me. would he have . relapse? You
know he has been my constant COM
panion for the last three years"
Miss JEANNE looked him straight IN
the eyes until he dropped his and then
ventured:
IF you are not afraid Of being A.
sassinated By the young fellow you
might call In day or two and see how
Foxy Is getting along. oh. but you
needn't call after all You may tele-
phone"
But Foxy win want to see mo and
I him. II you don't mind"
We'll. II I'm not at home. Foxy win
/ be In the kennel"
. Foxy turned out to be Q dog that
knew a thing or two. He gave one
look at his master. which might have
been accompanied BY q wink. and then
trotted OF with the girl. who had given
up any further hunting for the day.
At the house the dog was tied up and
two pellets picked out of his neck
BY the aid Of q penknife. and from
thence on his attitude was that Of .
| dog having q mission.
On the afternoon of the second day,
Mr.. Meadows appeared and was intro
duced to the mother though he had
very little conversation with her. The
talk was mostly between him and Miss
JEANNE. and It was dog talk. The
kennel was visited. the patient inter-
viewed, and rabbit hunting was dis
cussed from various standpoints. Foxy
showed no disposition to follow his
master home. and the master was
secretly glad Of It
III had . GIRL" said the cook In
the kitchen to herself. after the young
man had departed-'H I had . girl.
which I haven't got. and she should
60 hunting and shoot dog belonging
to . fine young man. and that fine
! young man should call and sec about
! the dog"
And she shook her head and looked
wise and said no more until next time.
Mr.. Meadows called again. He was
passing and thought he would ask
about Foxy. He called . third time
and q fourth and he astonished his
uncle BY telling him how he loved the
country in winter. and though Foxy
got well the calling did not cease.
When It had settled down into .
regular thing the cook sighed and
shook her head and said:
Didn't I predict It! Didn't say
that day she came home with the hurt
ed dog at her heels that q hurted
dog always leads to matrimony and
happiness? And amt It going to IN
this case?"
The man always has the most
friends when he needs the fewest
|alue of Peat