The Adair County news., 1921-12-27


where in the neighborhood of Atropia.
Two hours later 1 came into sort
of an excuse for road. Being pretty
well winded by the stiff climb out of
the canyon ravine, / sat down at the
roadside to rest a bit and to decide
which way should go, to the right
or to the left. Just as l was making
up my mind heard patter of feet
and a dog barked.
A moment later | could see the
beast, indistinctly. He had been COM
ing up the road and had stopped at
the sight-Or scent-Of me. Since a
dog argued the proximity of a dog
owning human being, called coaxing-
ly: Here, Towser-here-cOme on,
old fellow-that's boy! !" and the cur
iOuS thing about 1t Is that he did 1t,
running up a little way and stopping,
and finally coming to squat before
me and to lift a paw for me to shake
I jOllied him bit and let him nose
me to his hearts content. Then sud-
denly, as if he had discovered long
lost master. he broke away and began
to leap and dance around me. barking
a furious and hilarious welcome. In
the midst of this hubbub / heard hoof-
beats and the squeaking of saddle
leather, and the dogs owner rode up.
At, first | thought the dimly outlined
StetsOn-hatted figure in the saddle was
that of a boy But it was a wOman's
voice, and a mighty pleasant One that
called to the dog: Down, Barney,
and behave yOurSelf-what the mat
ter with you, Sir!'
l stood up and pulled off my cap.
I'm chiefly the matter" l said.
Your dog seems to think he knows
me, and Pm awfully sorry that his
memory is so much better than mine"
= You'd think-anybOdy would think
that a woman riding alone in the
dark on solitary mountain road
would be handsomely Startled, to say
the least. at seeing a man rise up fair
. ly under her horses nose. But if my
little lady were scared, she certainly
didn't parade her fright.
Barney is such foolish dog, some
times she said alphabetically. HE
has double brain, you know; half
of it is gOOd-natured and silly and
the other half is-welI, it's"
The dog had come around again
wagging his tail and at that magic
word half ! stopped to let him stick
his cold nose into my palm. The act
brought me near. enough to enable me
to see him better, and l had to chap
hand over my mouth to keep from
shouting out and soaring the entire
combination into a wild stampede.
For, if you'll believe ME, the dog was
my dog One-half of his face was
white and the other was so black that
1t merged and faded tremendously in
to the night!
II know" l said, Strengthening up
again; my brain acts that way. too,
sometimes" Then: Pardon me, but
would you mind telling me the color
/ of the horse you are ridingT
The young woman laughed and her
laugh was just as jolly and pleasant
as her speaking voice.
| "Winkie is what the eow-men call a
! pintO'-a calico horse" she answered
promptly.
Sure! !" | beloved, 81 knew it ~
and the horse SHE'D and the dog barked
in sheer sympathy. Then 1 apologized.
please forgive the explosion. AS l
said a minute ago, my brain some
| times acts like Barneys: half of 1t
! being gOOd-natured and silly and the
other half-welI, We'll omit the de-
ScriptiOn of the other half for the
| present, if you'll permit me. May L
er-wilI you have the goodness to tell
| me where l amT
T-why-dear me! Don't you know
where you areY
Not any more than harmless, nee
eSSary goat, l assure you"
l couldn't be certain, but l thought
she took a little firmer hold upon her
bride rein.
Did yOu-did you come from An,
! gels?" she asked in a sort of awed
little voice.
"How did you guess it? l was, in,
deed-for a very short space of time
this very day-a member of the An.
gelic band. And if you should ask me
might say that l feel as though had
walked most of the way here from
Angels. I-I-my car broke down, you
know"
Yes she said: 81 knOw"-just as
if she did. Then: 81 can at least tell
you where you are. This is the south
ern slope of Cinnabar mountain. This
road leads on down to AtrOpia, about
three miles below"
yes; Atropia was the place l was
trying to come at"
She stopped and appeared to be think
ing about something. Then she said
Really, 1 think you would better
not go to AtrOpia. It's-well, it's
quite long walk"
THE walk doesn't specially appa
me. I've done so much walking this
afternoon that a few hundred miles
more or less, in addition wouldn't BIZ
worth mentioning. But for some Othel
reasons"
"Yes; for some other reasons" sht
said rpDeatinp If right after me- Then