The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-09-05
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FAIRY TALE Il
o. NaYy G'aham 6onner III
o @A-NGR S&Ss
SAVING TAIL.

Nancy E0d been a ltItlC bit worried
over Sir Benjamin E0con'S right eve.
which had looked at her IN such a
runny way the day before.
I'm sure that pis thought l was
up 70 something" She said 10 herself.
And that evening she spoke 10 her
aunt. the mother OF Jack ana Marian.
Il don't believe that pig thought We
wanted - give him q party ar sill.
though the other pigs may have
thought So. But he acted IS though
we were just doing il 10 appear due
and aS though he didn't think we were
at ALL"
oh" laughed Mariun'S mother, and
Jacks mother, too. for that matter. Il
imagine the pigs were glad 70 have a
party and didn't stop 10 think why you
gave it 10 them"
Now, Nick was in Jacks class in
school during the few days OF the chill.
dren'S visit, and Nancy was in Mar
ian's.
II was after school the following day
that Marian said she had something
quite special 10 do at home. and she
wished Nancy Wouldn't bother 10 hurry
back but would stay and play with
the other girls.
She behaved so Queerly about Il that
Nancy couldn't imagine what was the
trouble. Cant l come along. too?"
she asked, bur Marian said
I'D feel much better ii YOU played
with the others"
Nancy rushed up 70 Nick as soon IS
he came out of school.
ION, Nick" She said, "somethiug is
the NATTER with Mariau. She be-
HAYES 81 Querrly. She said she want
ed TO have me play with the other
girls, for she had something special
to do at home. She really wouldn't
let me 20 home with her. would
have been mad only She was just too
queer for anything. l don't under
stand"
Jack was the same way, Nancy;
lets go back, anyway and see what
Is up"
They hurried down a street. running
most Of the way and then turned down
another and ran almost all Of five more
blocks to reach their cousins home.
Nick went halfway down the hall
when he bumped straight into Jack
coming up from the cellar stairs. He
was holding in his arms the little fox
terrier Marian had just bought a week
before with her birthday money. The
dog was only a tiny puppy still, a love
" little soft white puppy with one
brown ear and one black one and two
black spots on his soft white back.
ooh, did Buster get hurt?" Nick
shouted. Buster. of curse, was the
small, gay, naughty, happy puppy.
"NO. he didn't" said Jack. "And
it's none of your business. anyway.
You're visitors even if you are u
cousins. And we'd planned about this
long before you came"
That's So" said Marian, who came
up behind Jack, "if we want to have
Busters tail cut, it's no ones bust
ness but our own. 1t was just like
you two to find out somehow"
Going to have his tail cut?" gasped
Nancy, and burst into tears.
Eyes, fox terriers look absurd with
long tails said Jack everyone says
so. And, besides, he'll be all well in
a week, quite We'll"
"And for the sake Of a little style"
said Nick. his teeth clenched tightly
together, you'd let that dog suffer for
a whole week. l just wish l could cut
off a part of your arm, that's what I
do"
"The bones are soft" murmured
Marian. He'd look foolish with a tail,
so everyone says"
"What do you care what everyone
says" screamed Nick; "you are two
horrld, cruel children, and if you don't
let that poor puppy, who has never
done you any harm, and who Is at your
mercy, alone, we'll never be your Wis
itors any more, and you'll never be
friends of ours. We mean it, too"
And they did. mean it, for they
didn't care what anyone thought OF
them rs long as they saved the puppy
from being hurt.
But after Nick and Nancy had told
would mean for Buster, OF course they
didn't do such n cruel thing. They
weren't really cruel, only they didn't
know that such n thing hurt dread
fully They had never been told the