The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-06-10

first flls hfe rhere was sweeping over MN 'Ha'
awe and wonder Tor aninste nature, which makes
is strongest appeal through the medium OF the newly
born OF very young and dependent creatures And
then there fell on his ears the sentence that took
away the distressing feeling OF which the boy
had experienced during the interview Did ne want
the dog
DO vow mean you will give him 10 me-" he stnt-
tered his voice rendered almost insudibe by the emo
ton of sudden coyetousness for that which Until
second ago had seemed SO utterly beyond him
III YOU want him. why not said the man, COM
fortaby u was told 10 get rid of him No one Will
ever know" and the poy his face shining with happi-
ness his voice normal and exultant onSs more threw
rather than placed the renlainng new aspers on the
sidewalk and sna,csed the puppy from the vnan al
most roughly in his anxiety 10 ransfeFsshirn TO the
sheltering safety OF his own arms,
Well won't need this, now said the footnaH,
drawing large stone from his coat pocket and throw
ing it away. a,"r
The boy laughed Nope he said, you won't need
that and he iondled the puppy anew, "a little thrill
running through him he touched the graceful curve
Of the little creatures neck there where the string
with the stone attached would mercilessly have cut
and dragged and he kicked the stone which had fallen
at his feet-kcked it with goodhumored tolerance
as he would have kicked any other pavement oosta-
cle thinking the time how relentless and hhr-
derous instrument II had Narrowly es0"Peu oe''s'
He lifted the puppy to. his face and kissed IT, and
the puppy licked his in return. The boy crowed
with delight Never before had he felt such an u'-
reasoning tenderness for any living creature-no even
FOR his baby sister ar home.
The footnan smiled toerantly at this display OF
affection.
HES fond Of this" he said and handed the boy
lump OF sugar and carefully cut small pieces.
He NAV be little .tnnd with you at first Let him
HEX the sugar and he'll make friends"
The boy took the sugar and went into new parox-
ysm Of delight as the puppy uttered low bleat Of
delight and oyousy moved his stub of tail when
his ribbon like tongue touched the sweet stuff
Il bought it." the man continued, thinking IT would
And 80 they parted the boy having delivered the
balance OF his newspapers, the foounAn meanwhile
holding the puppy for him once more
As the lad entered the poor little two-room home
in which he and his mother and his younger brother
and the baby lived, he vas rudely expelled from
his heaven OF Joy His mother, usually 50 gentle and
patient gave him SO horrited. so indignant. angrI
look that his delight dssipated. But he made
brave show, nevertheless. of The happiness which
had been SO transient and which had 50 quickly be-
shadow,
The doggie belongs me, mother" he said, and
isn't he cunning; And he loves sugar"
Sugar" his mothers pale face flushed wrath
fully Sugar She was regarding him reprosch-
fully Have we sugar to feed 10 dog when we have
none for our own coffee and oatmea"
oh he needn't have il" the boy said cheerfully
He gets milk chiefly YOU know
His mother became even angrer Her children and
herself were chroncaly underied and she frendless
and = widow, and half ILL., had struggled heroically
10 provide as best she could Tor her little brood
Have YOU any sense at all" she cried. Il can
barely afford to buy The milk that baby needs and
- - fga14a 11trf frAui
the street to be fed Take him right back to where
YOU got him from ar
Il cannot and he began nsrrating, explaining
pleading He really went about it artissically, un-
consciously striking the right note BY appealing TO
her pity But the woman whose mothef-heart had
been lacerated and wrans &c tire very hfeakinepont
ho felt herself on the verge q physical breakdown
With lis attendant horror Of losing her earning ca
pacity was too deeply STRICKEN with her own grief
fo5 her children give sympathy to a mere annual.
She was not to be shaken in her decision The dog
must not stay
4 viii share my food with him." extenuated the
boy.
Nonsense how will you DO your schooi-work and
serve the newspapers if you have even less to eat
than now"
The boy said no more A guf seemed TO open up be
tween himself and his mother she spoke these
words This longer his moiler--hs
mother Who had always seemed beautiful TO hr''-
though she lived chiefly in calico wrapper these
days-dzys that were spent the sewing machine and
that lasted from six in the morning until eleven II
night and though her hair thinning Nisibly ABOVE
me temples so much so that little hecks bare scalp
were revealed Yet in hls sight she had always been
wholly beautiful-more beautiful more fine than the
adie ia bToadcloth suits with rich furs or in dainty
silks and lingerie hats Of whom she sometimes caught
heetne grnpses as they whirled by in automobiles.
This woman was not his mother-hs mother who WAS
SO kind and gentle that with tender little gesture
she would to this day, big boy that he kiss
bruised arm or burned finger TO help make It
well Surely this not his mother, Who would re-
fuse bit OF food puppy who. most :ncoDceya
bic Of all, thought Of the necessity of his eating
only connection with the work to be eouen out OF
him
He did not lnoN which hurt him mot Now it