The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1915-11-19

Rough. the red setter, came over
and ribbed his head affectionately
against her. She put out one slender
White hand and stroked him gently
"Yey can't understand me. can you;
Rough? ?" she said, "and it's small
wonder for l don't understand my,
self" She sat down and the dog stood
in front of her, his great amber eyes
fixed on her pale face. "Rough' II
was so different--then. We were as
happv as two children, Dud ana l.
Sometimes it seems only yesterday,
and then | think it happened hun
dreds of years ago. Oh, if | could
tell what broke the dream, If l coula
only, only tell" J.,
Ali day long the snow came down
in soft, steady silence and by ngh'
Lucia had worked herself up INTO
state of frenzied excitement. She was
frightened for the first time in her
memory; her shadow as she walked
across the room startled her, and
when Rough gave low growl ana
pricked up his silky ears she turned
Shade paler. Finally, she called the
dog. and together they went into the
next room, that room of haunting
memories. 1t was there that Dudley
had first taken the pins out OF her
heavy yellow hair and let his aWk-
ward fingers wander through the
wavv golden masses. She took the
lonn over to the bureau and began
combing out persistent tangie
Suddenly Rough gave a long, start
led howl, and the comb clattered down
oY the bare fncr. Lucia had not stud
led dogs all her l:fe for nothing she
krew as she stood there in the dim
lamplight that somewhere, out on the
old trail, a stranger was heading to-
wards them and her hands trembled
as she reached in the pocket OF her
tweed skirt for her revolver. If the
need came she knew that her aim
was sure and steady but her heart
beat wildly at the loathsome though :.
Again that long, lonely call, that
desolate howl of Rough's!
"Old boy" she said, softly, open
ing the door into the other room, "old
hov Won mustn't do that. | under
Stand. vou're worried, but I'm here.
Rouobr Whv what's wrong?" as the
doc scratched madlv at the outer
door 1--WE cant court danger. Rough
that won't do. If it comes we'll have
ia meet IL"
She MT her ear to the door and
waited but the dog continued to plead
with her in low whining tones to LEI
him info the storm.
"If there was real danger" she said
aIoud che wouldn't bulge. He'd
prowj and cringe and whimper, but |
conIdn't drive him ont TO meet it. It
doesn't seem possible that anyone can
he introuble ont there but if they are
=" She nusbed hack the holt and
onened the door a crack: then she
closed if and took down a lantern
from behind the door.
"Rouph. old fellow, We'll have 10 90
and see what's wrong. We can't
make beIieve that we don't know
there's troubje You lead the wav old
how"
The faint Eght of the lantern fell
fickeri1gIy along the snowy ground
and Tucia stood still waiting for the
dog to come back TO her Ont Of th7
darkness into which he had suddenly
vanished came a sharD. imperative
summons He had found the wan
derer and was caIIing 70 Tucia The
rirI nulIed herself from, drift 70 diff
and headed down +bn traiI Once sbe
stumbled and the lantern fell from
her numb fingers bnt she rancbt if
and hurried on If seemed as 4
She would never find the snot wboro
Rough was waiting for her All :
once she felt his cold tongne on b,r
hand and She stonned and raisad +bo
len tern bigh 2bove her head FvnN
as she did So strorg nnT Of MA
blew ont tbe uncorta;n 1igbt and " sba
stood there in the darkne ness ,n @%o c N,5e
scious that tbere ot ber foot my r, cVg
long figure law still and inert " '' Tba :
much sbe had sooI bnForo ,'e ~ i;l Ia =
had gone for ' GOOD '''''' ''e ''S 1T
She stopped and listened to the slow