The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-08-17

WEEKLY SHORT STORY
AN ARTIST AND HIS DOG.
Nv Earl Jenkins

country families for five miles around
that the little farm known as ROseland /
had been sold 70 some one in the city, I.
but the name of the buyer had not .
Roselands had been owned and oc- /
cupied 10y an old recluse for years. .
His hobby was growing roses, but he .
would never sell or give one away.
They simply budded, blOomed and fad
ed.
On one or two occasions Miss May
Sheffield, who was by all odds the best !
looking young woman who drove past
had stopped and tried 70
melt the old mans heart, but it was in
vain. Had she been red headed and |
cross-eyed and had a big mouth and /
nose tilted up at the end he could not |
have been more surly with her
Neither praise, hattery, smiles nor
cash would melt him. Red roses, pink
roses, white roses, roses enough for a
dukes wedding, and yet the passers-
by could not have one of them.
When it was known for certain that
the old recluse had departed, and that
the buyer was coming down from the
city in few days to take possession,
Miss May put on a determined look
and said:
We'll, I'm going right over there to-
morrow afternoon and set some cut
tings from those rose bushes. I don't
believe the buyer Will care. Al any
rate I'll chance it,"
He's probably a married man. said
the mother, and YOU don't know what
his wife may say about it."
If she's mean enough 10 say any
thing I'll offer to pay. Why, we've Civ
en- away cuttings and roots and bulbs
by the CARLOAD"
At ? o'clock next afternoon, after
walk of a mile, Miss May arrived at
Roselands. She had brought a knife
along, and she lost no time selecting
the bushes and making her cuttings.
When she had bundled them up she
took a look into the cottage through
| a window, and was amazed TO find that
a lot of new furniture had been NOV
ed in. Weeds and grass had also been
cut down, and it was evident that the
buyer was ready to take possession If
| the trespasser had delayed a single
day longer
And then she heard the chug of an
auto, and lost il as the machine stop
ped at the gate, and there came the
sound of mems voices and the barking
of a dog.
Should the girl walk out with that
bundle of cuttings under her arm and
her chin held high in defiance? No, of
course not Should she 90 without the
cuttings? Should she break her way
to the fields in rear through the rank
grass and weeds?
A shed with vines climbing over it,
and the door standing half open caught
her eye, and few seconds later she
was concealed.
A good looking young man, talking
with his chauffeur, came up the path
and unlocked one Of the doors and en-
tered. Half a dozen trips we're made
by the two, and when they came to an
end the hiding girl knew that the
chauffeur had driven away alone, and
the master and his dog were seated on
the doorsteps within Is feet of her.
She scented the smoke from a pipe,
and she heard the man say TO the dog;
We'll, old fellow, we are here at last.
Wonder if We are going 10 be lone
some? Well put III a few days clean
| ing up Roselands and then We must to
our canvasses."
An artist. Ell? That's what Miss May
| had thought as she peered ut the
mans face through a crack in the shed
He had brought the last of his effects
and was going to stay right there. How
| then. was she to get out unseen?
no rain for a week and everything
around here wants water" cOntin-
| ued the man. I'VE must put the hose
on and wet down. You must look out
| for the tramps and I'll take care of
| the roses. And say, Carlo, be a little
careful as to the dogs You get ac-
quainted with around here. They
must be up to the mark. They say a
man is judged by his dog. Something
in the shed there? Go and see
The dog had scented the trespas-
ser, and now he ran down and stuck
his head into the shed and barked in
alarm.
only cat, old boy" said the man,
land you needn't drive her away. We
want a cat to make it seem homeilke'
May be a coon or a rabbit, from the
way you bark. I'll come down and help
you rustic ii out. Here"
you needn't trouble yourself to any
great trouble" said Miss May Shelf
field as she appeared in the open door
way. "T-thunder!" exclaimed the
artist, as he fell back in amazement.
Sir" said the naughty girl before
him; you called me a cat!"
"I-I-by no means"
And you called me a coon!"
But II never meant to-
And you called me a rabbit"
yes, but you see"
And you ordered your dog to hustle
me Quit"
"But didn't know"
And when I am hustled out you
| swear at mel"
But my astonishment-my sur
| prise"
And now l am expecting a blow
from a club"
"Miss-young lady-my dear"
But as you haven't hit me l wish to
thank you for your clemency and bic
you good afternoon"
And with head held high and the gai'
of a duchess the girl swept the fioun'
dering man aside and walked to the
safe and up the road.
The dog followed her for few
. PAGES in a wondering way and then re
turned to his master, to be addressed