Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-07
The Daily Story
Her Dowry-By Mark Travers.
Copyrighted. 1914. by Associated Literary Bureau.


her into her room and shut the doo-
Hector had defended her, but the mar
had succeeded In shutting him M IN
the room with Mrs. Thorne.
Hector was of the hound breed az
keen of scent. Hackstan was anx,o,,-
| to follow the burglar, and after ne,gb,
bors had been called he left in pursr,,
| led by Hector and armed with =
volver Mildred gave him. The do,
quickly took the scent, and the t,ro
pushed out into the night on an or
rand OF vengeance.
Hector kept his nose to the gron,d
without barking There was no watsr
in which the rObber could lose ~
scent, and IL there had been II {.
doubtful If he would have used Fl fo-
he had not much reason TO suspect tina.
he would be so quickly followed. And
he had shut the dog in the room with
his victim.
Hackstaff felt so deeply the OUTRAGE
that he thought little Of meeting with
man who was doubtless armed and
would shoot TO Kill. On went Hector
with his nose to the ground, and on
went Hackstaff some twenty Yards he
hind him. This pursuit had continued
for some time and day was breaking
when Hackstaff heard in a thicker
ahead a simultaneous growI of the dog
and the cry of a man. Running for.
ward, he saw by the dim light man
on the ground and the dog at his
throat.
Cooking his revolver, Hackstafr push.
ed forward and saw that the man had
evidently been taken unawares by the
dog He had lain down to rest or TO
sleep perhaps, and Hector had him
at disadvantage. So fierce was Hec-
tors attack that his enemy had all he
could do to resist his grip and no time
to draw a weapon. He gasped to
Hackstaff to call the dog of, and Hack
staff, covering him with his revolver.
did SO. Then, directing him to put his
hands above his head, he disarmed
him and, ordering him to rise, began
the march homeward.
Hackstaff. after persuading Hector to
let go his victims throat, being abb
sorbed in the man, thought little about
the dog. Presently Hector came trot-
ting along with a little cotton bag IN
his mouth. Hackstafr took it and put
1t in his pocket
Drawing the burglar to a road, Hack
staff waited till a farmer driving q
team came along, then put his prisoner
on the wagon and took him to the jail
at the county seat, where he was lock-
ed up. Then Hackstaff set out to the
Thornes'. He found a crowd about the
house and learned that Mrs. Thorne
had been mortally wounded. Since
Mildred was attended by friends, he
did not disturb her, going at once to
his own home.
Mrs. Thorne died the next day, as
much from shock as from wounds. It
was not till the day after the funeral
that Hackstaff went to see Mildred.
She told him that in her refusal OF
him she had been influenced by the
fact that her mother needed her, and
she did not believe that she would be
happy or make him happy so long as
her mother lived. She was ready to
marry him, but he must take her with
no dowry except the place in which
she lived, which was of little value.
She had supposed that her mother had
some money hidden away, but nothing
had been found.
Hackstaff gladly accepted this with
drawal of her answer to his PROPOSE
ton, and since Mildred was now en-
tirely alone an early marriage was ar
ranged The burglar was tried, but
since there was no evidence forth
coming except the scent of a dog that
he was the man who had committed
the murder the jury refused to con-
Wet him. But he was a hardened
and was wanted for another
for which he suffered.
A short time after the marriage OF
and Mildred Thorne the
husband one day put on the coat he had
worn on the night of the murder. Put
ting his hand into a pocket, he drew
forth a little bag
II wonder where that came FROM
be said, looking at it curiously.
whats in it:" asked his wife.
Thursting his hand in the bag, he
drew forth a number of diamonds.
Then he remembered Hector's trotting
beside him with the bag in his mouth
while he was engaged with the pris-
,ner.
been taken from Mrs. Thorne on the
night of the murder, and they proved
% be worth $4,000.
The robber had thrown them away
when captured. How he knew they
we're in the house and Mildred did not
Know of it is a story in itself
After all. Mildred's dowry was sat
sfactory TO herself and her husband.
As for Hector, he lived from that
line forward the life Of prince OF
logs. His mistress insisted upon hav-
ng him with her night and day. Since
Ter husband was not with her In the
daytime she relied upon the dog for
protection. What induced Hector 10
lick up the bag the robber threw away
$ hard to determine. 1t was certain
v a case OF rare canine intelligence.
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