The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-04-25
WEEKLY SHORT STORY
HER TEN-CENT DOG.
BY Donald Allen.

II Was on the smooth highway In
irons of a villa on the banks of the
Conectitut river. Miss Viola Rams
den, visiting the family, stood at he
gate as a lad about u years OF age
came alonG leading a dog. 1t WAS a
smli dog, and it locked detected and
lonely.
No boy leads a dog the way a man
does. He hauls and pulls and jerks
and uses menaces and threats. No
matter wether the dog leads willingly,
the treatment is about the same. This
boy was pull-hauling this dog about
and telling him how he would knock
his head off and break his ribs and
bury him alive, when the girl stepped
In front of him and said:
boy, you ought to be ashamed Of
yourself to use a little dog this wayl
You've got that rope so tight around
his neck thaS he's almost choked!"
Maybe you'd like to speculate?"
Queried the lad with an impudent leer.
This dog and me can be parted for
the small sum Of 10 cents. Want to
pay it?"
ON, you want to sell il? Is it your
dog?"
Born in the same house and hung
up like brothers. l do not love him,
however, and I'm taking him down the
road TO his doom. BY investing the
small sum OF a dime you preserve his
life"
IN buy him." said Miss Viola. You
wait right here till l bring the money"
Five or six minutes later the canine
had changed hands and the boy was
making OFF. The family laughed at the
visitor for her sOftness OF heart, but
when the purchase had been bathed
and combed and dried and fed he was
an altogether different looking animal.
Say, now," said the mater of the
house, I've seen that dog somewhere
In the city following some man about.
Let's see, ! do believe it's VIII God
frey's dog. If it is
But shant give him up" said the
girl. Il paid 10 cents for him, and
he's mine!"
"Mr. Godfrey is a very nice young
man"
Il don't care"
Il don't care
His father owns the wooden mills"
That make no difference"
And if he knew that his dog and
good-loohing young lady were here
he'd certainly invented some excuse TO
call"
And he'd be told that neither of us
was at home. l. can't be his dog. The
boy said he and the dog were born in
the same house. He was an impudent
boy, but i don't think he lied. There
fore, if Mr.. Godfrey or Mr.. ANYBODY
Else comes here he'll be sent about his
business"
The l0-cent dog had struck $4,000
home, and he just set out 20 take solid
comfort. He full of romp and play
and tricks, and he had no idea of re-
signing. On the fourth day of his
reign ne accomplished his mistress
down to the boathouse. She could not
manage rowboat, but she meant to
learn. She had said nothing to any
member OF the family, and thus had
not been warned that the water, be-
SIDES being inhabited by shad made up
or millions of bones apiece, contained
snags, eddys, cross currents and ocher
perils to beware of.
1t was good to see the confidence
with which the girl stepped into a row.
boat and got out the oars after deposi3-
ing the dog "Gyp" in a comfortable
spot. She had once attended a regatta
and witnessed some beautiful rowing,
and she felt she could row Just like
that II the time ever came. 1t had now
come. with oars slipping and sliding
and splashing, she got far enough from
shore for the surrent to seize the craft
and take control. It was not a rand
current and Miss Viola was not
alarmed. She rather fancied the drift
ing until "Gyp" began to bark in an
uneasy way. She chided him, but he
Kept 1t up until she saw that her boat
was drifting down on a half-sunken
scow. In her attempt to use the oars
they both were floating away.
The barking of the dog and Che
screams of the girl were for help. No
one in sight! There was a boathouse
quarter of a mile below, but no one
about the place. For a 10-cent dog.
that "Gyp" did a heap of barking.
With his nose pointed az the boathouse
he made as much noise as if he weigh
ed hundred pounds. Straight on TO
the old scow drifted the skiff, and
when it struck there was capsize.
Into the water went girl and dog. The