The Monticellonian., 1918-10-25


 suit with his front paws, and almost cast inc angry man full length into q mud puddle
 "Drat the beast!" ejaculated MT. Stagg. "I'd rather have an epileptic fit loose around here than him. Now, look at these clo'es, I declare. Car lyn, you've jest got to tie that mongrel up-and keep him tied '"
 All the time, Uncle Joel" whis- pered the little girl.
 es, ma am, all the timel If find him loose again. I'll tie bag of rocks to his neck and drop him in the deep est hole ill the brook"
 After this awful threat Prince lived precarious existence, and his mis- tress was much worried for him. Aunty Rose said nothing, but she saw that both the little girl and her canine friend were very unhappy,
 Mrs. Kennedy, however, had watch cd Mir. Joseph Stagg for years. In- deed, she had known him as boy. long before she had closed up her own little cottage around on the other road and come to the Stagg place to save the hardware merchant from the con tfhged reign of those "tritling crea- tures' of whom Mrs. Gormley had spoken.
 As a bachelor Joseph Stagg had been preyed upon by certain female hafpies so prevalent in a country com munity. Some had families whom they partly supported out of Mir. Stagg's larder; some were widows who looked upon the well-to-do merchant as marrying proposition.
 Aunty Rose Kennedy did not need the position of Mr. Stagg's housekeep- CT and could not be accused of assum- ing 1t from mercenary motives. Over her back fence she had seen the havoc going on in the Stagg homestead after Hannah Stagg went to the city and Joseph Staggs final female relative had died and left him alone in the big house.
 One day the old Quaker-like woman could stand no more. She put on her sunbonnet, came around by the road
  which she found open. and walked through to the rear porch on which the woman who then held the situation of housekeeper was wrapping up the best feather bed and pillows in a pair of the best homespun sheets, preparatory to their removal
 The neighbors enjoyed what followed. Aunty Rose came through the ordeal as dignified and unruf1led as ever; the retiring incumbent went away wrath fully. shaking the dust of the premises from her garments as testimony against "any sich actions"
 When Mir. Stagg came home at sup per time he found Aunty Rose at the helm and already different air about the place.
 Goodness me, Aunty Rose" he said, biting into her biscuit ravenous- ly, T was a-going down to the mill hands hotel to board. couldn't stand it no longer. If you'd stay here and do for me, I'd feel like new man.
 You ought to be made over into new man, Joseph Stagg," the woman said sternly. "A married man."
 ''No, no! Never that" gasped the hardware dealer.
 If I came here, Joseph Stagg, it would cost you more money than you've been paying these no-account women"
 T don't care" said Mr. Stagg reck- lessly. "Go ahead. Do what you please. Say what you want. I'm game"
 Thereby he had put himself into Aunty Roses power. She had reno- yated the old kitchen and some of the other rooms. If Mir Stagg at first trembled for his bank balance, he was made so comfortable that he had not the heart to murmur.
 Of course, Carolyn May let Prince run at large when she was sure Uncle Joe was well out of sight of the house, but she was very careful to chain him up again long before her uncle was ex- pected to return.
 Prince had learned not to chase any thing that wore feathers; Aunty Rose herself had to admit that he was Il very intelligent dog and knew what know that in trying to dig out mole he would be doing more harm than good?