Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-03-18
Mr.. wENTWoRTH's DOG.
BY Donald Allen.


copyright, 1911, by Associated Liter
airy Press.)
It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon
on certain day when Miss Ethel
Blaine left the manor house known
as The Willows for walk down
the highway and then a turn to the
left into the hills. There was cave
there among the rocks and scrub
pines, and it was her intention to pay
it visit.
At just the same hour, on the same
afternoon, Mr.. Hugh Wentworth left
the manor house known as The
Popnlars for walk up the highway
and then turn to the right into the
hills. There were cartridges among
the pines, and he had his gun along
to make victims. He was accompan-
led by his dog. 1t wasn't a high-bred
dog and a thing Of beauty, but he
had mission to perform before
getting of the earth.
The distance between The Willows
and The Populars was two miles.
There wasn't a willow within three
miles OF The Willows and there wasn't
popular within four miles OF The
Populars. Miss Blaine had just re-
turned home from year out west. and
Mr.. wentworth had been civil eng1n-
eering in the south.
Miss Ethel found the cave all right.
1t wasn't much of cave One sit
ting down in it was only four feet from
the entrance.
There was romance there, however.
One could sit down on stone and
hear the pines whispering, the SOUR
rels chattering and the partridges
clucking. One could think Of the In
dian maiden who committed suicide
there rather than wed rich young
white man. Counterfeiters and horse
thieves had used that cave. Gallant
knights had slept there and cooked
their own breakfast Of bacon and
eggs while out on tours to rescue
damsels all forlorn. Lovers had sat
there and pledged their vows.
No place could have been better
adapted to meditation. True, sort
of animal odor chung to the cave. but
one could think of the past and won
der over the future. Many girls have
to meditate on street corners and in
back yards. Miss Ethel had sat in
the cave meditating for long half
hour, and had become sleepy over 1t,
when the dog Of destiny aroused her.
He uttered bark close by. and she
heard human voice not far away
crying out:
"sic 'em, Rover! Go for It, old
boy!"
At the back end Of the cave there
was 2 small tunnel between jagged
rocks. The girl thought she heard
"a stir back there, and the animal
:odor became more pronounced.
Hunt him down-hunt him down.
cried the voice as the dog barked and
whined.
The dog appeared at the mouth Of
the cave and glarcd and growled at
the. girl. He had seen girls before,
but never one in a cave. She wasn't
on his masters land, but she was In
ambush and a suspicious person. And
the dogs master, who seemed to be
DELAYED by the tangle. shouted again:
go in, Rover-go in! BY George,
believe it's a fox! After his scalp.
old mani"
Then q red fox, whose den was at
the back end OF the cave, and who
had been keeping tab on the girl
from the first. made rush for Tree
dom. At the same moment the dog
made rush into the cave.
Miss Ethel rose up to be knocked
down again. and while the animals
were fighting beside her body up
came Mr.. Wentworth and blazed
away with his shotgun. He was an
excited young man. He put as many
shots into the dog as he did into the
fox, and at least one struck the girl IN
the hand and assisted her materially
to scream out Dog and fox wrangled
away into the pines together, and> the
partridge hunter stepped forward and
exclaimed:
+ Heavens above, but I've killed a
girl!''
mo, you haven't" was the reply
as Miss Ethel arose and held out her
bleeding hand. mo, you haven't