The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-07-07
WHY TEEAIE UNDERSTOOD /:
BY JANET REESE.
ssssssssssssssssssssssess'


living room, and ceased abruptly at
a sharp exclamation tof impatience
from young Mrs. Charleston. A little
brown body Quivered perceptibly at
the rebuke, and then sank its sleek
head hopelessly on it's front paws and
gazed mournfully into space.
For three long. agonizing days
Teenie's one beloved puppy, the last
of the litter. had been missing. Pa
tiently Teenie had searched the large
house from garnet to cellar. but no
baby was to be found Then she had
searched the lawn and the outhouses,
all without avail. Spurred by anxiety,
she had surreptitiously made several
tours along the broad, white road
which ran past the house, a place on
Which she was forbidden to venture
alone, lest she be crushed by the In.
solent chugging cars which spea past
the house. But up hill and down dale
NO puppy was to be found.
At first Teenie gave vent to her
grief by oft-repeated sobbing little
cries, but these had grated upon the
nerves Of the pretty mistress, and she
had slapped Teenie smartly 1t was
after the slapping that Teenie had
crept to the living-room corner, and
only In a moment of forgetfulness did
she now wall forth her suffering--mo
ments that usually came when she
walked from a troubled doze to the
harsh reality of her little life and its
emptiness.
II the mistress could have made
Teenie understand, she might have
told her that the puppy had gone tc
live two miles further up the white
road, with people who would be vary
klnd to him, and where there were
little children who would love him
dearly But Teenie, unusually intelli
gent as she was, could not have un'
derstood so much, and probably wouh
not have been reconciled had she
known the facts; and the young mis-
tress, not always as thoughtful as she
might be- perhaps would not kave
taken the trouble to enlighten the lit
tie dog had 1t been able to understand
And so the mistress went on reading
her entertaining little book, and Tcenie
lay in her dark corner nursing the
dull ache of her heart.
A half hour went by, and no sound
came from either. Suddenly hurried
footsteps sounded along the uncarpet
ed hall A timid knock came upon the
closed door, and a disheveled, red-eyed
nurse maid appeared At sight of the
mistress the maids face went WHITE,
and for a moment she could not
speak.
What is the trouble?' asked the
mistress sharply.
"Oh, ma'am, Master Jacks not In the
house or the garden. Thomas and mes
been searchin for him for the last
hour. Amt we, Tlomas?"
Eyes, ma'am?' Sputtered Thomas
gazing pop-eyed over the maids shoul
der at the mistress.
From then on pandemonium reigned
Already it was growing dusk, and dry
eyed and terror-clutched, the young
mother alternately paced the floor and
watched from the windows. There was
nothing to do but wait, wait, while her
hastily summoned husband and the
servants searched the surrounding
country for her five-year-old boy AT
last the fear and agony within grew to
such proportions that for sheer rsliet
the mistress gave vent to trembling
cry, and. sinking upon the floor, buried
her face in her hands. And then, from
a dark corner of the living room, came
an answering cry, and the next mo.
ment hot, feverish little muzzle tried
to force itself gently between Mrs
Charleston tense, white fingers. For
q brief moment the fingers did not
relax, and then the hands fell slowly
from the face of the mistress. AS
they reached her lap, they clenched,
and hunted look crept into her eyes
as a new thought took shape in her
mind and grew rapidly. Suddenly she
cried out:
"Teenie, Teenie, you know, you
KNOW. anu II was l. ! WIZ lOVh away
your little one, who made you suffer
as suffer nowi And then, oh, Teenie,
Teenie, punished you for crying! And
now you try to comfort me. May the
Blesssd Mother forgive mel"
1t was then that the telephone bell
rang, and Mrs. Charleston sprang With
nervous haste to her feet, almost up
setting the little dog In response
to her trembling Well" there must
have been exciting news.
"Ohl" sobbed the mistress, joyfully
'iat your house? We thcdght he was
lost, Mrs. Doom. I'm SO glad, SO glad
Came after the puppy because Teenie
cried for it? oh, Mrs, Doonl Well, II
you don't mind returning it-Teenies
been SO unhappy You'll bring them
both in the car? Thank you. thank
you, Mrs. Doori
sTeenie, darling!" cried che mistress,
they're coming home, Jackie and the
puppy, and they'll be here-here--"
but just then the mistress tainted from
happiness, and Teenie barked excited.
ly for help.