Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-11-21
DOG
EPISODE
By MABEL GARDINER


had been playmates and were now in
innate friends. he Billy to her and she
Rox to him.
No one would think of calling Mr..
MacEllgott Don any more than he
would think of calling Billy Mr.. Bar
ton. The former was decidedly Scotch.
the latter especially American, though .
there was Irish blood in Billy that had |
brought with it taste for repartee,
and he usually did things as no one |
else would do them. MacElligott was |
as matter of fact as a clock.
However, Mr.. MacElligott did one |
thing that worked up Mr.. Barton-he !
paid attention to Miss Winterton. |
Billy didn't go to RoXie and grumble,
pretending that he had always consid-
cred her as belonging to him and OBJ
jecting to the attentions of this inter
loper. The truth is he had never
thought about her belonging to any
one till the interloper appeared. The
Barton and Wlnterton places being
side by side, Billy had fine position
for observation, and his rival never
went in or out next door without Bill
ly's noticing it. One evening when
MacElligott was leaving as the clock
struck II Billy saw Roxie go to the
door with him, and after the visitor
had gone she went to the dog kennel
at the rear of the house and. Slipping
the collar off Hector. let him run for
the night. Billy knew that the usual
time for releasing Hector was 10
O'Clock, and his remaining chained
was that Mr.. MacEligott might stay
after that hour. An idea popped into
Billy's head.
one evening later on he saw his rival
enter the Winterton home. At 10
O'Clock the visitor had not departed.
A few minutes before II Billy vaulted
the fence between the two places and
approached Hector's kennel Hector
knew him well and wagged his tail
and laughed. 1t seemed to Billy that
the dog knew what he was coming for
In another minute Hector was loose
and Billy was going back to his own
| home.
Eleven o'clock seemed to be the usu-
al hour for Mr. MacElligott's departure,
and it was not changed on this occa-
! sion. Fifty-nine minutes before mid
night Billy heard the front door of the
Winterton domicile close and a figure
go down the walk to the gate. He also
saw a dark spot making an arrow line
for the figure. The figure must have
seen the dark spot too, for it jumped.
caught a branch and with surprising
agility pulled itself up into the tree to
which that branch belonged. The dark
spot was Hector. who, after circling
around bit, looking up hungrily, lay
down at the foot of the tree. Billy
saw some one go to Hector's kennel
and back to the house again. He in
ferred that this person was RoXie, who,
finding that Hector had been unloOsen-
ed, had gone to bed. About what the
DRY she had formed as to who un-
loosened the dog Billy didn't trouble
himself. Having seen all quiet at the
Winterton's, he turned in himself.
But he turned out early in the morn
ing.
Looking out through his window, he
saw Hector apparently asleep under
the tree. Billy dressed himself and
just before breakfast went out and
strOlled about. Hearing a voice COM
ing from the Wintertons' place. Hi,
you there; would you mind calling off
this dog?" he went over the fence and
looked up.
what are you doing there, sir?' he
asked sternly.
by Jove; I've been here all night"
why didn't you call for assistanceT'
"Well. you know it's not very dig
nified position for a fellow to be in, up
tree with a dog watching him"
81 can't take the responsibility of re-
leasing you" said Billy. You may be
a burglar. I'll call some one"
For heavens SAKE don't
But Billy's heary was hard as flint.
He went to the trout porch and seeing
ROXie in the dining room beckoned her
to come out
"What is it?" she asked
"IIave you missed anything in the
house?
"No, not that know Why do you
ask"
, because Uec h?s got n man up a
tree suppose hps a burglar"
Miss Winteiton called her father
and the rest OF the family, for that
matter-and, Billy leading the way,
they went out to view the burglar.
"Why. it's Mr.. MacEligott," exclaim-
ed ROxie.
Who's Mr.. MacElligott?" asked
/ Billy.
Miss Winterton gave Mr. Barton a
look. AS she looked a light of intelli-
, gence came into her eyes. But she said
nothing to Billy. She took Hec to his
kennel and put his chain on him.
Then she returned and introduced Mr..
MacElligott. who had come down from
the tree, to Billy. The former she in
vited to breakfast, but he declined and
went away crestfallen.
, That same day Roxie said to Billy:
what did you unchain Hec for last
night