The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-08-08

BEAUTY and THE BEAST

II was Ill SIudll Jog, Out
its ferocity was almost alarming. As
Wistro1n passed the house with the
stone front it darted out from the side
passageway in a perfect fury Of angry
excitement and pursued him with par
oxysmal barkings the entire length Of
the low fence that separated the lawn
from the street. A day or two later
the same thing occurred. This time
Wistron1 made a threatening demon
stration with bis umbrella. It was an
unwise thing to do, for it did not have
a soothing effect on the little animal,
which from that time forth seemed to
lie in wait for the young man, who
lived Only q few doors away. The mo-
ment he came in sight that brown,
hairy streak would shoot from the
passage, leap at him, all but scaling
the tiny pickets, and raise such a
clamor Of hatred that 1t seemed the
whole street must be alarmed. Wis
from became more and more resent
full. The dog got on his nerves.
One morning as W5strom started out
he noticed that the front gate of the
house with the stone front had been
left open. He gripped his umbrella
tightly and took a 6eep breath as he
heard the preliminary yelp Of defiance
at the passage entry. The next mo-
ment the dog was at the fence and tho
next he had discovered the open gate
and was out on the sidewalk at Wis
trom's heels. Wistrom stopped. The
dog retreated, still barking f%uriously
he wen: on and the dog was again yap-
ping at his heels. Ten, without turn
ing, Wistrom brought his umbrella
around with vicious force and-oh,
joy!-caught the dog On the ribs.
"Oh, you coward"
It was q clear, youthful feminine
voice. Wistrom looked up as the
house door slammed and a girl with
very pink cheeks and abundant yellow
hair-a very pretty girl-came running
down :he steps and caught up the
uOWllnG QOS III ner arIuS.
"How could you be so cruel as to
hit a poor little dog like that" she de-
handed, turning IN indignant pair Of
very blue eyes on Wistrom.
Il didn't exactly mean to hit him
so hare" lied Wistrom In some confu.
sion. you see"
But the girl turned her back on him
contem ptuously and ran up the steps
and into the house, carrying her pet
with her.
1t IVES a remarkable thing, but Wis.
from instantly regretted hitting the
dog.
All day long he thought of the girl
with the blue eyes and yellow hair and
the more he thought Of her the more
poignant became his regret. After all,
on eminent authority, it was the ma.
ture and delight Of dogs to bark and
bite ard why should they be struck
with all umbrella for following a pure
ly natural impulse?
For weeks Wistrom looked in vain at
the house as he passed for some sign
Of the pretty girl. He did not even see
the dos;. On Sundays, when he was at
home I'LL day, he did nothing but sit
by the window watching to see her,
Some time soon, he thought, the chance
would come, and then
It came at last, that chance. Wis.
from was walking down an obscure
street one afternoon when he saw q
forlorn and mud-caked little dog that
was shivering and whining disconso-
lately in the shelter Of a doorway,
There was something familiar about
the dog, Wistrorn thought, and he
stopped to look at It more attentively.
Yes, it was certainly the dog. If there
had been any doubt about 1t the way
he snarled and snapped when Wistrom
stopped to pick him up would have In
stantly dispelled 1t. Undoubtedly the
dog hal strayed away.
=
Well, muddy and wet as he was,
Wistrom slowed him underneath his
coat, 10 the cOdI Euu q WALTZ "ohSS
coats ruin, and half an hour later he
was ringing the bell Of the house with
the stone front. An elderly woman an
swered the ring and went into %ecstasies
Of delight at the sight Of the dog. 1t
was quite a touching reunion. She
the elderly lady-was most grateful to
Wistrom, too, and so pleased to learn
that he was a neighbor. The poor dog
she explained, had been confined to the
house in consequence of e. rufianly
young hoodlum having abused him,
and Sc being let out for exercise had
scampared off.
Wistrom coughed behind his hand
"Your daughter will no doubt be glad
to see her pet again." he said, politely.
my daughterT
T-er-supposed the young lady to
be your daughter said Wistrom. "A
rather tall young lady. with blue
eyes"
"Oh," said the lady Of the house,
that was my niece, who was making