The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-21
EVENING STORY
Love My Dog, Love Me.
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

LONC WY lug, LUfC VIC
BY LOUISE OLIVER.
Laura swan about a bit in the water
of the lake, then climbed into her
canoe and pulled up shore a bit to her
| favorite haven, where a little arm of
| water reaching around a breastwork
of rocks, crossed a fiat, sunny strip Of
| beach.
| In the canoe were store of rein
| forcements, carnal and mental-candy
and novel-also a towel to dry her
hair. Laura had lovely hair, of which
she was Justly proud.
There was only one thing lacking to
| complete her absolute contentment-
| her dog. She colored wrathfully when
| she thought of him, for she had very
| substantial suspicious that only the
| lake separated her from her pet.
| Suddenly there was a sneeZe almost
directly over her head from the top of
a rock. Laura looked UP quickly and
| frowned. A man in swimming clothes
was sitting there quietly watching
her.
! Its just as WELL" said Laura tart
! ly. that nature takes a hand some
times to announce new arrivals.
| Pardon me, fair mermaid, but you
are the newcomer. I was here first
There was nothing to say to this.
and she decided to leave without fur
! ther parley, when it occurred to her
that as she had been coming to this
| particular cove nearly every day for
three months each summer for the
last ten years, it was not for her to
! let a stranger rout her now
You're soldier, aren't you?" she
! asked.
/ II have the honor"
You belong to that machine gun
! ha he 10
| Yes =
I Perhaps then you can tell me what
became of my dog"
Laura took a piece of chocolate and
| then looked him steadily in the eye,
| as impressively as a decidedly oblique
! eight feet would permit. Authority
4 should never have to look up. More
over, when Laura looked up, with her
chin tilted back. and the sunlight
i dancing in little spurts of flame on
4 her hair.T she looked more like a
model of hope than anything else.
refused to be terrified, altho he al
most forgot to answer. but for a DIFF
ferent reason. =
/ Your dog! What kind of dog?"
1 "A Calrn. Not very big; white with
| brown spots, short hair
/ "A Cairn, he said thoughtfulIy.
Let me see. 1t would be pretty hard
to tell. We have dogs and dogs and
then some, you see. All camps have.
It's a sort of Mecca-seems to draw
EN- like magnet"
I Il don't suppose there are many
| like Laddie," she remarked. Dad
gave him to me for my birthday. and
i as I had my choice of him or an
other row of pearls for my pearl col
lar, you see what I've lost. Besides
he was a splendid companion, such a
good swimmer. Will you look when
you go back and see if there is a dog
4 of his description in Campo"
I 81 certainly will. But how can
let you know if I find him.
i I come here every day." she an
swered. IF you could bring him
here
/ Il might manage it, he said. slow
I ly. But what if 1 miss you?"
Laura was thoughtful. She was
aboutto say, Then come to the house,
won't you?" But she decided it would
soldier shou1u he present himself
there Her mother would be sure to
| fuss, too. That was one thing about
soldiers. they all Loo ked alike, but
dear kno-vs who they were!
oh, I think We'll manage to meet
/ here, she said. II always come at
this time
All right. Tomorrow then" he
said. Il must go back now. Good
bye" and diving into the deep water
on the other side of the rock, he was
gone.
The next day as usual. Laura pad
died into the cove And there was
her soldier with dog.
! Mercy! That's not my dog" she
cried. That looks more like an ant
| eater than a dog
I hardly thought it was" he an
I, swered, crestfallen. But it was the
| only one 1 could catch. Perhaps I'll
! have better luck tomorrow"
| AS usual, Laura had brought along
some magazines and some candy. She
| offered hine some of the sweets with
an apology. II don't approve of candy
nowadays, But the boys insist on
sending it to me from town. I've
finally made them stop, but I have an
accumulation of about fifty pounds.
Some day, II can get permission, m
going over to your camp and dis
tribute the whole thing"
That will be Splendid he cried
4 with enthusiasm. Not the candy so
! much as the visit. There's nothing
cheers the boys up so much as "a"
he was going to say pretty girl LAS
nice looking young woman" he fin
ished- But must go now. You see,
| I haven't much time to call my own.
I'll try and bring your dog tomorrow"
/ But the next Say it was the same
thing. No Laddie, Instead fox ter
| rior which barked necessarily.
THAT'S not my dog. either" said
1 Laura. O1 course, he answers the
| description. but still a Cairns Cairn.
| You ought to know one when you see
it."
i ST must confess I don't" he an
swered. but I'll try again if you'll let
4 me-"
| Then the conversation turned to the
| war and his prospects of going across.
Time flew fast.
For six days the soldier came with
1sdogs. different one each day, and
/ never the right one.
Il "Mercy@ said Laura despairingly.
you cant go on all summer bringing
| dogs I think I'll go to camp tomor-
row myself. Dad got permission from
the major and I'll go in my car and