Evening star., 1925-04-12


huge. barn-like auditorium OF
L Madison Square Garden. L
was the third day of the West
minister Kennel Clubs annual dos
show, an event as classic in it's way
as the Derby or the Suburban, al
event that decided for the coming
year the right or lack of right to 3
place in caninedom's peerage for some
1000 pedigreed dogs.
The various breeds were segregated
in sections of their own. At the Gar
denis center several Enclosures, shut
in by reddish wood and wire, mark ed
the judging ring, the supreme court
of the dog, world.
To other specialties was added the
exhibition jumping of some six mag
nifcent borzois, or Russian wolf
hounds Mountainous barriers had
been reared in the rings center. and
over these seemingly impaSsa able OBJ
stacles a line of wolfhounds was
leapinE.
OF the seXtette. the largest borZoi
and the peerless high jumper of all
was the snow and mist-Eray Loris
newly acquired pet of Ruth Ferrol
Loris already had won three ribbons
In the regular. borzoi classes, and the
purple and white reserve winners
ribbon as well. And presently he was
transporting specials in the south
erly ring
Small wonder that his mistress
viewed his leaping exploits with
thrilling pride in this splendid pos
session of hers, or that her cheeks
flush ed and her eyes glowed in an
swer to the ripples of ringside ap-
plause that greeted his performance.
So raptly did she view Loris' triumph
hot eIo fnIf Of
ance when Mrs. Hathaway, her aunt,
touched her on the shoulder. Ruth
turned with no very good grace in
obedience to the summons. Beside
her aunt stood a tallish youth, palid
and haggard, whose wide shoulders
slumped with fatigue or illness. Be
side the man. in turn. stood a shaggy
collie, tawny and white, with deep-set,
sorrowful eyes, mighty chest and
snowy little forepaws.
Ruth Ferrol scarcely gave a glance
at the dog and accorded little more
attention to his master. whom Mrs.
Hathaway was introducing as her
own next-door neigh Dor in the coun-
try, Capt. Richard Malvern. Ruth re-
called the name. Vaguely, too, she
remembered hearing her aunt say
that Malvern had come home from
France with two wound stripes and
that he was still much of an invalid
and had been commanded to lead an
outdoor life until he be whole.
Ruth found a chair With LoriS
lying majestically at her feet she
sat there, waiting with impat thence
for the contest which should add an
other to her pets list of victories.
Dick Malvern. with his collie pacing
boredly beside him, stood by her. The
thrill of sharp pity as she smiled up
at him. She longed to offer him her
chair, Yet something told her he
would be hurt at such notice of his
weakness. The wish made her gra-
cious to him, however, and a few mo-
ments later she let her graciousness
spill over to the extent of including
in it his collie.
He's magnificent" she said, lean
ing across to pat the dogs splendid
head. Whats his name?"
HE is Bobby Bruce" answered
Dick simply. "If I had known the
strain a four-day show puts on a sem
sitive dog, I'd never have brought
him. It's been one steady stretch of
torture to him.
Not to Loris," denied Ruth. He
enjoys every minute of it,"
Many wolfhounds do, I've heard"
He checked himself as man
strolled across the ring and came to
q halt in front of the two dogs. The
stranger was thickset and elderly.
A straggly, red-gray beard covered
the lower half of his scraggy face.
Ruth glanced at him idly as he fin
ished a brief inspection of Loris and
then turned to bend over Bobby
Bruce. She knew he was not one of
the two special classes" judges.
Apparently, he was a person of some
Importance or he could not have
gained ingress to the ring.
x x x
TNTENTLY he gazed at Bobby Bruce.
Il Then, with practiced touch, he
took the collie's head between his two
gnarled hands. Bobby started slight
ly at this familiarity and shot A dis
approving glance at his unknown
handler. But instantly the dogs tail
began to wag and a CLINT of true
friendliness lighted his somber eyes.
Why exclaimed Ruth impulsively.
taking advantage of the show-ring
freemasonry which permits people TO
enter upon dog talk without introduc-
tion, why, he knows youi He"
NO" answered the bearded man.
But he knows I'm a collie man. And
he knows l recognize a great collie
when I see one. That's why he and I
are friends already. He's the true
type. L compliment you on him, miss.
l haven't seen his match this side
Of"
"Oh. he isn't mine" Ruth hurried
to correct him. He belongs to Mr..
Malvern. But you're right about him.
He's a dear, isn't he?"
"A 'dear'?" repeated the bearded
man, quizzically, as he laid his hand