Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-15

and after the expressman took hin
away the flood of tears that she >hat
kept back so long broke forth.
Harry gasped when he saw what the
expressman had for him. 1t certainly
must be all off with Madeline now, he
thought. To think that she would
send Cutey back! There was nothing
to do but accept him.
When Harry was transferred a little
later to a bank in the west there was
only one thing that troubled him
what would he do with Cutey? The
little dog had meant much to him in
the lonely days that followed his
breaking off with Madeline and he
had become quite attached to it. The
idea OF parting with it hurt. There
wouldn't be any place to keep the dog
when he arrived In the west, and the
lseason out there was just at its worst.
If he had thought of that he wouldn' It
have been so hasty in applying for a
transfer; but at that time he had only
one idea, and that was to get far
enough away from Madeline to forget.
At the last moment he thought Of
sending Cutey to his sister in the
country. He would be we'll taken care
OF and safe from harm there, he was
sure.
The first letter Harry got from his
sister after his arrival in the west
startled him. Cutey had been stolen
How 1t happened the sister wasn't
sure, but the villagers blamed it on a
gypsy band that had been seen in the
neighborhood. He wired notices to all
| the leading papers in the vicinity of
/ <L1 ~, nh, L. -.
but without result. He wondered if
Madeline had stolen it, but dispel1ed
! that thought from his mind. Madeline
wouldn't stoop to thing like that.
The west didn't prove such balm
to the wound as Harry had hoped,
and finally he decided to go home
again. AS the train upon which he
was returning to the east neared the
station he knew so well he found him
self wondering If he would meet Made
| line and how she would receive him.
Maybe she would listen to an apology
now. He could give her back all her
presents, just as she had sent them
back to him-all except Cutey. That
settled it, she wouldn't be able to for
give him, knowing that Cutey was lost.
He buried his head in his hands and
would have passed the station if the
conductor hadn't aroused him.
Although he had been in the city
nearly week, Harry could not muster
enough courage to cali Madeline by
telephone. A vaudeville performance
appealed to him most as a retreat
from very lonely and tiresome even
ing. The performance was dull, until
near the end an animal act was staged.
Harry sat bolt upright as he caught
sight of familiar little object on the
stage. Yes, it was the same walk and
the same little wag Of the tail; the
markings were just the same and the
color exact. The quaint little bark
assured him. There wasn't two dogs
in all the world with bark like that!
1t was Cutey! What had he best do?
He could hardly restrain himself
when he saw the little dog COW before
the brutal looking trainer. To see the
police, he thought, would be the best
plan, and he hurried from the theater.
He tried not to appear excited as he
explained to the sergeant at he;police
station. =
"Have you any way of Identifying
him as the dog you had stolen p asked
the sergeant.
Harry thought for minute. There |
was only one person in the city beside |
himself who could identify the dog, |
but he couldn't possibly ask her. 1t !
looked as if Cutey was lost to him for |
good. But rather than let the dog |
be in the hands Of that man any longer |
he would call Madeline and ask her |
to come to the station house. Perhaps |
she wouldn't mind when she knew 1t
was for Cutey.
"They don't answer the phone" the |
operator told him after he had spent
nearly ten minutes at the telephone.
He hung up the receiver with sigh,
around and faced-Madeline.
She was standing In the doorway that !
led to the chiefs office, staring at him
in wonder. AS she recovered herself
she dropped her eyes quickly.
This young woman has lost dog
and claims that a performer has it at
the Lyric theater," the chief addressed /,
the sergeant. "She says the dog would
know her, but has no other means Of |
it.
ooh, yes I have" Madeline inter-
rupted. "This a-this young man
knows Cutey. He can identify it.
Please, Harry, dear!" She was so ex-
cited that she did not realize what
she was saying.
The sergeant was amused. "This
young man is also making claim to
dog at the Lyric; the same dog, most
likely he said.
yes, it is his dog
yes, it's her dog!" The two we're
talking at once.
well, you see, it is our dog. We
are to be married. mean, we we're
to be married. Oh, what am saying?
Harry, why can't you explain? I'm so
excited and nervous!" Madeline was
almost crying.
Harry's GOODNESS almost surprised
himself. eff you will send an officer
to the theater with us, we will assure
you the dog doesn't belong to the man
that has it, at any rate" he said. I'VE
can decide which of US owns 1t after
ward. You see, we both have very
strong claim tc it."
The chief agreed. .
At the theater the trainer claimed
that he had bought the dog from