His Dog

Ch

place, instead of going into the deteriorating of his inner man. And he worked the b

in Link's bank account. Within three years of Ferris's meeting with Chum the place's last mortgage was wiped out and a score of neede

e, but it was bringing results that made it more than worth while. Ferr

on that had been inevita

n on his privacy. Convivial folk make detours round him, as if he were a mud puddl

y unless he so wills. Which is not cynicism, but common sense. The convivial elemen

taineer with a sour farm that was plastered with mortgages. Now, he had cleared off his m

on or at church, began to treat him with a conside

ul. And with gruff friendliness he met the advances of well-to-

m. The collie had been well content to wander through the day's work at his master's heels; to br

sk; or to lie in drowsy content in front of the glowing kitchen stove on icy nights when the gale scree

much to the occasional visits at the house of other farmers and townsfolk during the e

wadays, once or twice a week, Link was wont to dress himself in his best as

in these outings. Oftener of lat

ht, Chummie

edge; his head between his white little forepaws; his sorrowful brown e

o live and to die at the side of the man he has chosen as his god; to follow that god out into rain or chill; to st

one at home, oftener and oftener of late, as his own eve

ome because She d

daughter of Hampton's postma

tted the ne'er-do-well Link Ferris to that sanctuary. But of late he had noted the growing improvement in Link's fortunes, as evidenced

and asked him to come and see her some time, her sire made no objection. Inde

ink Ferris, from the first, eyed her with a certain awe. When a mystic growing attraction was added to

At the age when most youths are sighing over some wonder girl, he had been too b

im it smote him hard. And it found h

t aloofness and lofty self-will and icy pietism in a maiden do not always signify that she is a saint and that she must be wors

k upon. She was not like any of the few girls Link had met. Wherefore he built fo

ent from the local swains she knew. She recognized his hidden strength. The maternal elemen

Crews; nor patronizing like young Lawyer Wetherell; nor vaguely repulsive like old Cap'n Baldy Todd,

m. Link welcomed the chance callers gladly, and showed them over the place. Dorcas's housewifely eye rejoiced in the well-kept house,

arshaled the sheep for the night. The dog was beautiful. And he meant her no harm. He even tried shyly to make friends

she had sought to oust with a stick from its hiding place under the steps. Since then Dorcas had had an unconquerable fear and dislike of dogs. The feeling was uncon

hibiting so proudly to the guests. Her shrinking was imperceptible, even to a lover's solicitous

Chum. And-being ultraconservative, like the best type of collie-he found their handling and other attentions annoying. He

th loud squeals of rapture, bodily on the dog; and had clasped her fat lit

th a child. And Link watched with some slight perturbation th

little hands in his sensitive neck fur was bliss to him. Wiggling all over with happiness he sought to lick the chubby face pressed so tight against his ruff. Fr

y were clear of the farm without mishap to the baby. For Olive had been dearer to Dorcas, from birth, than anyone or anything else on ear

ve been ruled out of any novel or play. It consisted chiefly of a mouthful of half-swallowed, half-explode

the speech was along a line perfectly familiar to every woman since Eve. And Dorcas understood. She would have u

her calm soul. But the flutter failed to reach or to titillate the steady eyes. Nor

an I know. And I'll marry you, if you're

Cleopatra answered thus, when Antony offered to throw away the world for her sake. But it was a

and of angels could not have thrilled Link Ferris as did Dorcas's correct and demure assent to his

e couple be

tham to obtain his consent to the match. Dizzy with joy and relief he listened t

er Link Ferris floated through a univ

the jar of

since the beginning of the engagement. She approached it very tactfully indeed, leading up to it in true feminine fashion by means of a

to-day, father says. He's crazy

ely on general principles-early in their acquaintance, and had told him of its origin. Link was certain she would come to love Chum, o

of time for Dorcas to make friends with Chum in the long and happy days to come. Ye

ou he'd be glad to pay you $100 for the dog. It's a splendid offer, isn't it! Think of all the things we can get for th

, too, if I was to bid ten cents for the best farm in Passaic County. But the feller who owned the farm wouldn't be in earnest. He'd be taking it as a fine joke.

se any time before you find someone who will pay that for him. He's

e pay of a hired man to me, besides all the fondne

you came to see me you didn't talk of anything else, hardly, except that dog. Everybody says th

y. "There's not a dandier, better pal an

e's only a dog, you know. And if you can get a good price for him, as you

tersely. "And Chum ain't for s

that it be allowed to do the driving, henceforth, and that its owners do the hauling, Dorcas Chath

as herself. He had been pathetically eager to concede any and every mooted point to her, with a

f Link's feelings, not with the faintest idea that her love-bemused slave could venture to oppose her. She k

nged for her wasted diplomacy, Dorcas cast aside her kindlier intent and drove s

" she said. "It will save bickerings and misunderstandings, later on.

" declared L

that

e with one. I don't want to hurt your feelings, Link, but you'll have to get rid of that gr

inality grated on his every nerve. Her ultimatum concerning Chum l

ppreciate them. But apparently she must be taught at once that Chum could not be sold and that the col

Chum. A couple of fellers had got me drunk. And they set on me in a lonesome patch of the road by the lake; and they had me down and was taking the money away from me, when Chum sailed into them and druv them off. He had follered me, without me knowing. In the s

ered the girl loftily, "now that you have stopped drinking

h me. He made me feel 'shamed of myself. And he was such good comp'ny round the house that I didn't get lonesome enough to sneak down to

t seem to realize that a dog is only an animal. If you can get

ends with Chum, I'll sick the dog onto him; and have him run Iglehart all the way to his own shack! He's-! There! I didn't mean to cut loos

t isn't the point. The point is this, since you force me to say it: You must get rid of that dog. And you must do it before you

-faced, staring at her. His mind was in a muddle. All his narrow world

d, expectant; the jaws "laughing"; the deepset brown eyes abrim with gay affection and deathless loyalty for the man who

a pet falcon. Whatever a falcon may be. Whatever it was, it must'a been good to eat. But he set a heap of store by it. Him and it was chums. Same as me and Chum are. Then along come a lady he was in love with. And she stopped to his house for dinner. There wasn't anything in th

very cold, and her slender nose whitening a little at the corners of the nostrils.

e. Honest, you have. Can't you understand? Your little finger means a

og," she su

t to say that! But Chum's served me faithf

don't care to be howled at. The case stands like this: You must choos

"His girl said: 'You gotta choose between me and tobacco.' And he said: 'I'll choose tobacco. Not that I value tobacco so all-fired much

white anger of a grave-eyed woman making her cold voice vibrate, "or you will drop my acquaintance. That is final

osed the door softly behind her, instead of slamming it. Through all his swirl of

ce from somewhere above him. Olive had crawled out of bed, and in h

or. "When you and Dorcas gets married together, I'm comin'

he in trying to swallow a lump in his own throat, he failed to hear the sound of st

t that Link had not definitely refused her terms. A night's reflection and an at

ollie when a loved human is unhappy-but Chum was at once aware of his master's woe. The dog, at first sound of Link's approaching steps, bounde

ich he resumed his advance; but at a solemn trot and with downcast mien. As he reached Link, the collie whined softly under his b

e collie's demeanor, he stooped and caught the silken head between his hands. The gesture was rough, a

know it without me having to say a word. And you're doing your level best to comfort me. Just like you always do. You never get cranky; and you never say I gotta c

still whining softly and lick

th YOU, Chum. Not with you. You'd mope and grieve for me, and you'd be wond'ring why I'd deserted you after all these years. And you'd get to pining and maybe go sick. And the feller that bought you wouldn't understand. And most li

house. There, with the dog curled at his fe

ng down the path after her, eagerly demanding to be taken along. Dorcas with much sternness bade her g

at the fork. The baby's face cleared. Now she knew in which direction Dorcas was going. That fork led to the Glen. And the Glen was a fa

frain from walking alone on the motor-infested Sunday roads. She set off at

There, strolling unconcernedly, some yards in front of him, was a tall girl in white. Her back was toward him. Yet he would have rec

" call

o turn. Just then ensued a wild crackling in the thick roadside bushes which lined the hillside from highway to crest.

y vine. As the youngster was running full tilt, her own impetus se

bend, ten yards away-a car that was traveling at a speed of something like forty-f

futile spring-Dorcas's scream of helpless terror was

catapult launched itself across the wide road

of his teeth in the shoulder of her white dress and a lightning heave of his mighty neck and sh

s time by no impetus of its own. The high-powered car's fender had struck it fa

tiful collie. The car put on an extra spurt

ignant, the baby opened her mouth to make way for a series of howls. Then, her eye fallin

t of life than what it is to come back to it again. Well," he went on harshly, turning to the weeping Dorcas, "the question has answered itse

ifully still body with loving tenderness. Dorcas, weeping hysterically, fell on her knees beside Chum and put her ar

No good to tell him you hate dogs; or that you're glad you've saw the last of him.

t!" sobbed the g

All he asked was to be with me and work for me and love me. After you said he couldn't keep on doing that, there ain't any good in your crying for him. It must be nice-if you'll only stop crying long eno

mist which came between him and Chum. His mouth corners, too, were twitching in a way tha

ing. "Oh, you can't puni

o a cry of stark astonishment. Slowly Chum was lifti

is skull had come into sharp contact with a rock. Knocked senseless by the concussion, he had lain as dead, for the best part of

lutching him stranglingly round the neck, wh

arative stranger. But he saw his adored master looking so idiotical

of the way so bad-" began Link, wh

eness. The big eyes were no longer grave and patronizing. The ai

ak about getting rid of-of MY dog,-I'll-I'll never spe

E