Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-02-10
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THE DOCTOR AND
THE DOG
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The doctor stood on his toes and
looked over the privet hedge, as he
was privileged to do. He was seek
ing the origin of the urmistakable
sounds of woe that had broken in
upon his meditations and called a
halt in his walk. He found 1t after a
moment in the detected little figure
huddled in a corner Of the porch. The
face was hidden from the light Of the
glad spring day in the folded arms,
and a fluffy mass of chestnut curls
bobbed accurate time with convul-
sive sobs.
"Why, Mazie! Maize, little girl"
exclaimed the Doctor in amazement.
for never had he seen sunny Maize in
tears.
At the sound Of the dearly loved
voice Maize raised a drenched face
and essayed speech.
Dixie" - she sobbed, and could
get no further.
But one word told the Doctor that
he was witnessing the kind Of grief
which may not be passed by with just
assurance of sympathy. So he en-
tered the gate and going up to the
huddled mass placed large but gen.
tie hand under its chin and forced
the drowning brown eyes to meet his
oyn.
Now, little girl, what about friend
Dixie?" he asked.
Friend Dixie! Friend indeed! The
child felt that here was help-may-
be.
They've sent for a policeman to
shoot Dixie" she said unsteadily.
Then with fresh burst of sobs,
'Dixie's gone mad"
The Doctor looked startled for a
normal voice.
And where Is friend Dixie?"
Locked in the wcodhouse-locKed
in tight" was the sobbed reply.
The Doctor arose.
"I'm going to the woodhouse, little
girl" he said. But you must not
come-you must stay right here"
1t was fully twenty minutes before
the Doctor returned. But when ne
came he came with a twinkle In his
kind eyes, and in his arms a SILKY
cocker spaniel with no madness but
only a great love and gratitude In 1ts
soft eyes and friendliness toward all
the world in the fluffy tail that beat
a tattoo against the Doctors coat.
The two women who, in the mean
time, had Joined Maize on the porch,
grew pallid and speechless and mo-
tionless with fright, and from the dl-
rection of the window, where an
ebony face had been pressed, there
came a scream of mortal terror. But
the little girl, with a child's love and
a child's trust, stretched out her
eager arms and the Doctor put her
friend and playmate into them. Then
he turned to Mazie's grown-up image
and said, while the twinkle In his eye
spread to his whole face:-
Madame, with the assistance OF
your cook, who handed me the where
withal from the kitchen window, I've
exercised Dixie's devil. 1t wasn't
rabies, however, but an aching tooth
and that's what is the trouble half
the time when a dog exhibits what are
apparently symptoms Of madness.
Then, at their look Of utter amaze
ment, the Doctor sat down on the top
step and mopped his handsome old
forehead and laughed. 8,
please excuse my hilarity,' ne
said, but this whole scene reminds
me forcibly of the first time l saw
that theory put into active practice.
mo, the idea isn't original with me.
I first head it advanced and after
wards saw it proved in my college
DAYS. And I'm going to tell you the
story, first for Dixie's sake, then be
cause 1 think your minds reed divert
II ing from a trying experience, and next
because I want to see that policeman
when he comes, and last because the
story's good story.
"My chum of that halcyon period
was a young Virginian named James
Reed. Along with a number OF others
Jim was enamoured Of the belle OF
the college town, and one OF his num-
erous presents to her was toy FOX
terrier, with a lengthy pedigree ana
proportionately abbreviated tall.
Jim's inamorata became much at
tached to the dog, and with good rea-
son, for Bobs, like Dixie, was both
beautiful and valuable.
"One afternoon Jim and I called at
the young lady's home. Hardly had
we touched the bell when the door
was flung open and the object or
Jim's alteration, wild-eyed and pallid,
rushed on the porch, exclaiming:
-"Oh, jim! Bobs has gone mad and
will have to be shot!"
CTo my certain knowledge, Jim
had always been Mr.. Reed to herr
"'Oh, I guess not Jim replied
calmly. Dogs that are treated as
Bobs is don't go mad. Suppose you
let me have a look at the pup
1.-The young lady was on her dig
nifty in a moment: but 1t was q very
fearful dignity, for she certainly did
love that dog, though I'm inclined to
the belief that it wasn't altogether
for the dogs sake.
Don't you suppose she sobbed,
that l know when a dogs mad ?
Why, he's foaming at the mouth and
yelping and rolling all around the
yard and. But you had better come
and look at him or you will think I'm
lust like other hysterical women
"Jim's look must have told her just
what sort of celestial creature he
thought she was like, for she blushed
and looked at me and then looked
down. Then she led the way to the
kitchen window, which commanded a
good view of the yard. On the way
through we passed the other members
Of the family, crouched In the dark
est recesses Of the hall.
"Sure enough, Bobs was lying with
his dainty little head in the gutter, to
all appearance madder than the mad
dest March hare. Jim watched him
Il a.. IL