The Clio messenger., 1918-10-04

May Ut ldSt. pose you are nuHSry. |
1t isn't going to do you a bit of good
to eat; but you don't know it. III ask
Aunty Rose If she has something for
you"
She got up wearily and went across
the yard. Aunty Rose stood just In
side the screen door.
''Don't you want any dinner, Car'lyn
May?" she asked.
'No, ma'am. l guess I'd better not
eat" said the child.
"Why not?".
"'Cause my stOmach's so trembly.
I just know I couldn't keep anything
down, even if could swallow it. But
Prince'll eat his, please. He-he don't
know any better"
"Tut, tut !" murmured the woman.
Hes the most sensible of the two of
you, l declare"
The minutes of that afternoon drag
ged by i'm most doleful procession.
There was no idea in the little girls
mind that Uncle Joe might change his
intention and Prince be saved from the
watery grave promised him. When
she saw the hardware dealer come in
to the yard almost an hour earlier
than their usual supper time she was
not surprised. Nor did she think of
pleading with him for the dogs life.
The little girl watched him askance.
Mr.. Stagg came directly through the
yard, stopping only at the shed for a
moment. There he secured strong
potato sack, and with it trailing from
his hand went halfway up the knoll
to where there was heap of stones.
He stopped down and began TO select
some of these, putting them in the
bag.
This was too much for Carolyn May.
With fearful look at Uncle Joe's un-
compromising shoulders, she went to
the tree where Prince was chained.
Exchanging the chain for the leather
leash with which she always led him
about, the little girl guided the mon
grel across the yard and around the
corner of the house.
Her last backward glance assured
her that the hardware dealer had not
observed her. Quickly and silently she
led Prince to the front gate, and they
went out together into the dusty road.
"I-I know We oughtnt to-" whis-
pered Carolyn May to her canine
friend, "but l feel I've just got to save
you, Prince. II can't see you
drOwnd-ed dead like that"
She turned the nearest corner and
hn hn
closed, gable-roofed cottage where
Aunty Rose had lived before she had
come to be Uncle Joe's housekeeper.
Carolyn May had already peered
over into the small yard of the cot
tage and had seen that Mrs. Kennedy
still kept the fiower-beds weeded and
the walks neat and the grass plot
trimmed. But the window shutters
were barred and the front door built
up with boards.
Carolyn May went in through the
front gate and sat down on the door
step, while Prince dropped to a COM
Portable attitude beside her. The dog
slept. The little girl ruminated.
She would not go back to Uncle
JOe's-no, indeed! She did not know
| just what she would do when dark
should come, but Prince should not be
sacrificed to her uncle's wrath.
A voice, low, sweet, yet startling,
aroused her.
"What are you doing there, little
girl?"
Both runaways started. but neither
| Of them was disturbed by the appear
ansce of her who had accosted Caro-
| lyn May.
"Oh, Miss Mandy" breathed the lit
tie girl, and thought that the carpen-
ter's daughter had never looked SO
pretty.
"What are you doing there?" repeat
ed Miss Parlow.
"We-we've run away" said Caro-
lyn May ut last. She could be nothing
but frank; it was her nature.
"Run away!" repeated the pretty
woman. "You don't mean that?"
"Yes, ma'am, / have. And Prince.
From Uncle Joe and Aunty Rose" /"
Carolyn May assured her, nodding her
head with each declaration.
| ooh, my dear, what for?" asked
Miss Amanda.
SO Carolyn May told her-and with
tears.
| Meanwhile the woman came into the
yard and sat beside the child on the
step. With her arm about the little
girl, Miss Amanda snuggled her UP
close, wiping the tears away with her
own handkerchief.
81 Just can't have poor Prince