Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-18

II shouldn't want my ears cut,
said Fairella. would you? I like
them best the way they were made.
II like Homely's best that way, too.
May take him now, father, without
his being hurt?'
Yes, dear" said her father The
man went away with the other two
puppies, and Homely was Fairella' 8
own.
1t was busy day. She didn't have
time to read word. 1t took every
minute to watch Homely and keep
him out of mischief. He was 80 fat
and clumsy for his size and his paws
were so much too big for, the rest of
him that he kept falling into all the
places that he nosed out. The whole
family stood around and laughed to
see him lose his balance and tum ble
into his dish of milk at dinner, and
emerge with soft paws and black
wrinkled nose covered with cream.
But 1t didn't take him long to find
out that Fairella was the one to
whom he belonged, and he followed
closely at her heels every time she
moved. When she went down to the
brook. he went along, too. OF course
he fell in right away, and seemed to
be so surprised at getting cold and
wet all over that he was content to
lie upon the bank tn the sun and
watch Fairella go fishing. She had
neither line nor hook. She could not
bear to kill worms for bait, and she
loved the little brook with it's cool,
dark shadows and silvery pebbles so
well that she knew the little fish
must love it, too. and she would not
deprive the little swimmers Of their
happy lives. 1t was lots of fun to
catch them, though, in a round net
at the end of stick. and then, after
looking a minute at their pretty, shin
ing colors and fringy fins, to sink
them gently in the clear brook, and
see how gladly they escaped from
their net-prison to their water homes
again. 81:
But today Fairella had a temptation.
for once, when she lifted her net, she
found in it the big minnow she had
tried for days to catch. In size he was
very grandfather minnow. She had
seen him often, and had told her father
how big he was. measuring with her
hands held apart, and her father had
always laughed, and said that Fairella
was telling fish story. And here he
was, the big minnow, right in her net.
and, yes, even bigger than she had
said.
Nov. father'll see that was right"
said Fairella, and she started toward
the house with her net. Then she
stopped and thought. Her father would
not be home until night, and the fish
might die even If she kept him in
water Then she could never catch
him again: he would be dead. dead.
gone from his pretty home, and she'd
always be looking at the brook and
wishing he we're there.
'But now that I've put him back"
she said. as she laid her net In the
water, and saw him dart away like a
streak Of light, II may catch him to-
morrow, and he'll be bigger still. for
he'll have had more time to grow
But the pleasure Of fishing was gone
for that afternoon. Homely was quite
dry and lively again. getting in her
way, tangling himself in the net. and
every minute in danger Of another
tumble into the brook. Besides. 1t was
getting late afternoon. As Fairella
walked back through the orchard. the
shadows were frightening beneath
the trees, and the swifts were begin
ming their great circles overhead.
Fairella felt tired. She thought she
would just lie down in the hammock
while before supper. She tried to make
her puppy lie down. too; but he was
having great sport chasing the crickets
and grasshoppers in the long grass.
It was fun to see his foolish paws
strike clumsily at the big, graceful
butterflies sailing by. Farther and
farther away he wandered. Fairella
could hardly hear his funny little bark
"That's not a real bark at ALL" she
was saying drowsily: 'it's only be-
ginning" and then all was quiet.
"He must be a long way off," she
thought. 81 suppose ought to go after
him, but I'm too tired. He'll come
back. He cans get into much mischief
in the orchard" Then came the funny
little bark again, but 1t was mixed
with q terrified chirping. Fairella
shook off her drowsiness and ran, to
find Homely under the farthest tree
very much excited over little flutter.
ing something that he held between
his paws-a young swallow just learn
ing to fly, that he had caught in the
grass. Fairella took it from him.
smoothed it's ruffled feathers. placed
the tiny, frightened thing in a low tree
out of harms reach, and dragged the
protesting puppy back to the ham,
mock. This time he was willing to rest
for a while, Fairella holding him fast
with her fingers slipped under the rib
bon she had tied about his neck.
"1'n lie down just few minutes
longer" she told him. then we must
20 to supper. 1t is getting too dark to
stay here, but it is 50 nice"
It was comfortable. The puppy snug
gled his warm body against her hand.
the trees spread their green curtains
overhead and dipped and swayed the
hammock with a gentle swing as soft
as sleep. The birds we're singing their
goodnight songs: thousand little
living things spoke from the grass and
leaves, each with a different story to
tell. Fairella was trying to listen to
them all, when the katydids chimed In
with their everlasting argument.
81 wish somebody would tell me
whether Katy did or didn't" said Fair