Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-29
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HAPPY
HAWKINS
CHAPTER XXIII-Continued.

farthest from the park. and by the time
he reached the Burton place 1t was near
" dark. He did not pause. but hurried
on, hoping either TO overtake the girl or
else meet her on her return.
He had Just reached the center of the
rear hedge of Pennington Park when he
saw Bayard coming toward him In the
dusk He and the dog had established
terms of neutrality. if not actual friend
ship, and Bayard came up to him with
out hesitation. Dick patted the dogs
head effusively; but the next moment ne
saw the girl coming toward him on the
opposite side of the road. He was just
about TO cross when he saw that she was
not alone
Drawing himself close to the trunk OF
an adjacent tree, he waited breathleSslS
until she had passed, but could not ldentl-
fv her compa Mon, except that II was a
man and that it was not her father
Rayard had resumed his position as ad-
vance guard. and Dick stole stealthily
after without questioning the proprietv
of the action. Dick was healthily prlmi-
rive The pair in front walked at fair
pace while Dick was apprehens1ve OF De-
ing discovered. and so did not come close
enough to overhear their conversation
When they reached the rear gate he
heard the girl ask a question at which
the man laughed. Dick knew the laugh;
II belonged to Claude Lorrain, and as the
teeth in the darkness.
With hands thrust into his pockets and
bitter thoughts in his heart DICK proved
down the road TO Minister. luxurious
rage steaming in his heart ANY one but
I,orrain! a cad, a hypocrite. lihertne-
Dick had used most of the terms of re-
proach before he arrived at the first MIN
ster street lamp.
Associated ideas invariably Influenced
him. and this lamp recalled the night on
which he had read the note which had so
uplifted him. Without pause ne counter
marched and returned to the oak tree at
an increased speed.
..If that were meant for a message, and
was fool enough 10 miss II, and she d1d
walk alone expecting TO meet me. why
she has a right to fiaunt even that para
site in my face" he exclaimed MS IN
tentions being better than his logic
He reached his hand into the opening
in the oak and found a note. He crossed
the road and walked hundred YARDS 70
clump of bushes before reading IT. IL
was the same note at which he had be-
come incensed on his previous call. Across
the bottom he read his own message:
hope YOU enjoy Your evening walks-Wllh
Bayard:" and beneath this in the girl S
hand were the inscrutable words:
THANK YOU.
He turned off his torch and sat down
TO think. but found himself in no mood
for il. The SuperciHouS face OF the count
insisted on intrudins; and at last he
turned ON the flash and scrubbed: L re-
greet that one dog did not prove sufficient
escort"
Slipping the note into its former rest
ing place Dick started toward Minister
The crude barbarity of his message was
exactly the caustic balsam he needed,
and by the time he had reached Minister
his face was completely turned to the
future once more. lie very rarely pro-
tracted the wake over dead past.
As the lamp again impressed itself on
his vision he stopped short and raised his
right fist ut was an evil day for old
William Burton when his daughter threw
me over for such a creature as That, he
said. solemnly. IF | get him where |
want him. / shall crush him as l would
egg.
AS the National steel mills was rather
a large egg for the Dickie Nut Lock Com
pany TO crush. this speech. made on
lonely back road. may be looked on as
one of those boyish threats OF surety
private nature which will ever and anon
burst from the oldest of Still Dick
brought his right fist down on his left
palm as though he fully meant it.
When he reached the station he con-
sidered the ACCESSIBILITY of making call
on his uncle. The fact that this would
take him by the front gate of the Burton
place was offered in the general argu-
ment. but in the end he shook his head
and continued his way to 96 Nathan
street.
Entering his private office. he found
among the fictitious entries with which
bona fide announcement that William
Burton had rung him up. had expressed
dissatisfaction at his absence and had re-
cuested a personal interview as soon as
possible.
Il should like to have it now. Willie.
right this inmate he said. diSreSpect-
fully. as he gave the demonstrative Null
ngan a rough fondling: but | guess you
will have to wait until day after tomor-
row. am just as anxious for this meet
ing as YOU are but / have better self
control. I'd give a six-wheeled buggy to
know Just how to hook YOU, Willie
He laid the bulletin down on his desk
and looked severely at the bulldog, who
continued TO wiggle his stumpy screw tail
expectantly Il suppose you think that
in addition to the multitudinous cares OF
my public and private ltfe i can still find
time TO take YOU for nightly Walk he
Indignantly asked the dog.
Muliigan licked his lips 20 signify that
this was his firm conviction. and Dick
resumed in the same accusing voice:
.'For the life of me, / cannot see where
y,,u get your assurance from. You toll
not and neither 90 YOU make blum at IL,
and yet you expect your meal at the
very minute. which is nerve enough; but
in addition. YOU require personal service
from the president of the Dickie Nut Lock
Com any--which is the limit of all things.
Remember, now" he said, as he picked
up Lis heavy stick and held Ii at
threatening angle, If YOU chase any cats
or fight any dogs without my PERMISSION.
shall write copy of the general orders
across your back with this wand OF my
authority. Now. come on.
The unassUmed sincerity of the dogs
welcome and his uushakable faith in him
Rad fully restored Dicks poise. and they
set forth on thel. nightly ramble very
ia uutily.
y dog has no place in the present So
cial economy. and many there are who
wonder at the tenacity with Which the
dog lover continues to exist, but tilSS is
the whole secret-he. himself. knows he
Is & four-fiusher, many others know II
and use il TO their personal advantage.
hut his dog refuses TO believe ii unto the
very end. He can slip down the ladder
of Hfe knocking off a bit of cuticle at
every round. but there at the bottom sits
his dog. wagGing his tail in laudatory
greeting. and eager to lick every sore
spSt and make il we'll again. That is the
whvfore of modern dogs They don't
really pay dividends, but they are about
the only intelligent creatures left who do
not spend half their time preaching. We
don't want 10 be preached at. we want
to do the preaching ourselves and so the
wisest of us keep dogs. Dogs can listen
the vocabulary out of a lodge member
and continue to maintain every appear
ance of interest. II is not asserted that
there IS any connection between the two
facts but 1t is certain that when every
one kept dogs-real dogs-there were very
few divorces.