The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-01-21

ladies. There had been other break
fasts on the terrace at Glenarm, anL
tea almost every day in the shadow Of
st. Agatha's, ard one dinner of state
ir the great Glenarm dining room; but
more blessed were those hours in
which We rode, Helen aud |, through
the sunset into dusk, or drove canoe
over the quiet lake by night. Miss
Pat, | felt cure, 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 I rode
into Annandale to post some letters,
and l was about to remounc at the
post-office door when | saw a crowd
gathered in front of the village inn
and walked along the street to .-arn
the cause of it. And there, calmly
seated on a soap box was Gillespie,
clad in amazing cheeks, engaged IN the
delectable occupation of teaching a
stray village mOngrel to jump a stick.
The loungers seemed highly enter
tanned, and testified their appreciation
in loud outlaws. l watched the per
Torrance Tor several minutes, Giles
pie meanwhile laborlng patiently with
the dull dog, until finally it leaped the
stick amid the applause Of the crowd.
Gillespie patted the dog and rose,
bowling 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 % which too little attention is
paid by those who, through the pro-
cesses of evolution, have risen to a
higher species. l am grateful, gentle
men, for your forbearance, and trust
we may meet again under circum-
stances more creditable to US all-in-
GLIDING 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. hope you have formed high
opinion of my skill as a dog trainer.
once, would have you know, taught
Plymouth Rock rooster to turn a
summersault. Are you quite alone"
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
| bic, 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 a door and lighted sew.
eral oil lamps, which disclosed three
connecting rooms.
You see. got tired of living in the
woods, and the farmer l 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 r
nevertheless look to my buttons. The
hook-and-eye people are formidable
competitors, and the button NAV in
time become Observation-Disclosures things
have happened. keep in touch with
our main office, and when | don't feel
very good | fire somebody. Only this
morning | bounced our general man.
ager by wire for sending me a letter
In purple type-writing; l had warned
MIN, 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. I |
really couldn't stand for that. In spite
OF my CLASSY splash in the asparagus
ped, I'm a man who looks to his dig.
nifty, Donovan. Will you smoker"
| lighted my pipe and encouraged
him to go on.
How long have you been in this
bake-oven?"
L moved in this morning-you're
my first pilgrim. I have spent the
long hot day in getting settled. I 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
Tor the living. That chair, which I
To