The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-08-13
|, r~,actnr William Hudsnp+h U1o lived

eli Il IdIII uSdI buChuSi.
Bat wen Mr.. Hudspeth died three
weeks ago every one forgot about Pete.
There were so many Things to be look
ed after that the grief-stricken family
left him to his own devices. Some of
nose in The funeral procession that
wound up the road to the grave yard
on the hill rmember seeing him fol-
lowing along at the side of the road,
but he was gone when the crowd dis
persed a+ the cemetery.
1t ad been a strange day for Pete.
Eariy N the morning the people who
caMe 10 the house had routed him out
Of his place in front of the door Wnere
lie had lain during the two weeks his
master was in bed. There were many
things whid1, being dog, he did not
understand, There were all those peo-
ule who stood around and talked low,
and there were lots of flowers and
more tuggies tied along the fence than
no mad ever seen around the hitchlng
racks in Buckner.
They wouldn't let him in where his
master was, not even in tie house, al
though he tried to get in several times
and tnen finally they brought his mas
Ter out in a big box and everybody
vent down the road with him. He went
along, of course. Hadn't l. e gone to
town with him every afternoon for
years?
But they didn't stop in town this
time. They went on across the rail-
road tracks and up the rock road.
They went slower up the hill and Pete
was glad of it, for his legs were not
as strong as they had been before the
hair around his muzzle turned white.
The hard road made his feet sore, too,
if he tried to go too far.
He stopped with the rest of them at
the place where the white stones stood
about in the grass and watched them
all go over to big hole in the ground.
But his master wasn't amongst item.
| Perhaps he wasn't in that big box after
al. He'd probably stopped in town as
he always did, and Pete, foolish dog,
hadn't noticed it. 1t was much more
likely than tat his master was in that
box they were putting down in the
Eole
So Pete started back. The loungers
on the bank steps called to laim as he
stopped there, but he paid no attention
TO them. They watched him trot on
Down the street and stop for mo-
1ent at each store Lis master had
used to visit. Then he disappeared out
the road to the farm.
The family, coming back to town,
net Pete, limping little now. They
caught him and took him in with them.
"A few minutes after they got back
home he was gone.
The sexton, working late that night,
heard a whining among tie graves.
Ehen he came to the newest one he
found Pete. The bog lay on the grass
at tie side of the headstone and would
not come away when the sexton left.
The next morning he was still there.
Since then Pete I:as never missed a
day at the grave yard. When he turns
in from the road he goes straight to
the Hudspetfl lot and stays there for
hours at a time The sexton has no
ticed his restlessness. He hunts around
among the stones only to return to
| is masters grave. Finally he goes
back to the town and makes once more
the round of the stores.
AT the furniture store he stops and
scratches dl Iu6 SCIGSuS. WI Su IACy
come to let him in, though, he looks
for moment and walks away. At the
bank, if they open tie door, he trots
around behind the cashiers cage and
into the directors room and then goes
out again.
Sometimes he goes out to the farm
zen. Sometimes he goes back to the
grave yard and the sexton finds him in
the morning, whining at the mound OF
earth. Always he has a restless, trou-
bled air as r.e searches for some one
who can not be found.
One day Clifford Hudspeth, Mr.. Hud-
speth's son, put on pair Of striped
overalls that had belonged to his
father. Pete took up with him immer
diately and will follow him anywhere
when he wears the overalls.
He showed much the same concern a