The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1911-04-20
FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH

If you enter Nine. Bergnes cottag
you see on black column just irsid
the door a stuffed dog which seems t
guard the house L hat is Clarine, an,
II you pat the dog in passing by. yol
will win the undying gratitude of tn
old lady, and that is worth having. a
least, If you are child, for Nine
berghes' larder is full CT pots of delic
ious jam and her dining room is a yer
table paradise to all the children o
the neighborhood.
Nine. Bergnes was widow even il
my childhood and lived alone will
Marion, her old servant maid, her Jan
pots and her rosaries. The priest anC
few people of the village occasion
ally visited her, and every spring, dur
ing the month of St. Mary, all the little
girls were invited to pick roses in hel
garden to decorate the altar x
IS One afternoon wnen the servant haC
gene to the village, Nine. Bergnes
doorbell rang. She opened the door
and found herself facing young, anc
rather good-looking man, who asked
for work.
Work, my boy" tho cid lady re
piled; what kind OF work do you sup
pose 1 can give you? | have only q
small garden which the Swiss tends tc
during his leisure hours, and l have
no need of any other help
But | am dying with hunger and
can hardly stand on my feet"
Then come inside and L will give
you something to eat"
The man entered and Nine. Bergnes
had him sit Gown in her DINING room
and give him some cold chicken, bread,
cheese and bottle of wine. He looked
around at everything in the room. At
his feet he had little dog, which
Nine. Bergnes, who did not care for
animals, kept close eye ON. When
he had finished examining the din
ing room and admitting the beautiful
solid silver-ware, he said: And dc
you really live here alone in this
lonely placer
"Oh, no." Nine Bergnes replied. 81
have Marion, my servant girl, and her
nephew, the Swiss, who sleeps here
several nights . week"
Not every night them You are Ger
tainly right in being careful. being SC
close to the highway
so many crimes are committed
said the old lady with q sigh.
The vagrant took . big swallow
praised his charitable hostess, wine
and rising from the table. said: ".
thank you, madame, for your kindness
to me, and wish that all honest men IL
search OF work might be treated the
same>everwhere. l shall have to &c
now. since you can give me no work
There is nothing to be had in this vii
lage, so l must go 'arther, but before
1 leave you ask you to accept this
cog as a present.
He whistled and the dog jumped te
its feet.
But do not like Dogs the old la.
dy objected
ut is not question of liking, but OF |
making them useful. This dog will |
guard your house better than a man;
t would rather be killed on the spot
han let anybody pass it, l love it my.
self. but having no work or shelter ]
would rather give it away to some
body who viii be good to it than drag
t around with me. 1t is dying with
lunger."
Nine. Bergnes was moved. Marion,
If course, would 'growl a little, but
liter all the man was right, she did
iced a watchdog. She decided tc
Keep it.
Its name is Clarine, said the
tramp as he left.
An hour later when Marion came
back from the village the deg would
lot let her enter the house until Nina.
Bergnes had petted it and formally
he maid. Marion did Acold
some, but she saw it might be count
ID on to keep intruders out, so she
quoted down. She was always liz
lie afraid the nights when her nephew
lid not sleep in the house. He was
lot coming tonight, so it was really
! blessing to have dos. In q
,loset she found an old travelling rug.
placed it near the door, and Clarine,
after having been well fed, laid down
o sleep on her post Thus it was
,very evening-at the slightest noise
,larine was on the alert
At last it almost ruled the house
md was treated like a queen
A few nights later at midnight
lime. Bergnes was awakened by the
log barking furiously.
Marion" she cried with trembling
-oice.
The servant came rushing in, her
eeth chattering with fear.
They will murder us; We must
ry for help She opened the win
ow and screamed: Help! Murder!"
t the top of her voice.
In the hall outside there was the
oise OF a struggle. The dog barked,
nd pudging from the oaths of the in
ruder it bit him too.
Help! Murder!'' the old woman
creamed.