Show THE DEACONS DOG BY ADA E FERRIS In Two Parts PART I Want a boy Mrs Pettengill repeated re-peated looking critically into the pleasant pleas-ant face of the young applicant Well yes I believe the deacon did say he wanted a hand but he aint at home and were kinder hard to suit Have you any friends hereabouts The boy said he was a stranger in those parts I Mrs Pettengill mused She rather liked the frank goodnatured face the honest blue eyes and sturdy frame I You might stay over night she concluded Hell be home in the morning Whats your name Jacob Anderson maam he replied re-plied stooping to pat the little dog that frisked around him Id be glad to stay for it looks like rain i And Im not sorry confided good Mrs Pettengill to Leah Morris the pretty redcheeked help who was almost one of the family Here are just we two and the three children alone on the place and not a man about even Watch gone with the deacon dea-con If a tramp should come along Id be scared half to death Ive been scary ever since the house was robbed Hast i fall Ill feel safer with him j around If he isnt a tramp himself said I Leah peeping nervously from the window win-dow I But the boy was playing with Frisky the little dog who seemed all confidence I confi-dence She looked relieved I I guess its all right But wed best keep our eyes open I wish Watch I was at home It was firmly believed at Deacon Pet I tengills that his big yellow dog Watch had means of knowledge denied to I human beings and that he was infallible infalli-ble as a rogue detective The deacon I never trusted any one Watch disliked j I dis-liked nor doubted where the dog took a fancy But now Watch was away and the good wife deprived of his knowledge was thrown on her own responsibility Very uneasy she and I Leah felt but what could they do J I Only keep their eyes open and watch j I the strangers movementswhich j I seemed innocent enough He played I with Frisky patted the calves stroked the horses and seemed at peace with all the brute creation Then he strolled around the place a little which was natural enough but it increased Leahs suspicions She kept an eye upon him and presently i caught him standing by the low shut terless pantry window She spoke and he started violently looking red and uncomfortable II I was thinking that window hardly looked safe miss he stammered If II i was you Id barricade it Tramps I could get in too easy Theres a pair of loose shutters in the tool house Leah remarked suspiciously sus-piciously You may put them up If you like Ill get the hinges and things To her surprise he readily agreed and was soon busy making all secure Leah stood by helping and talking more pleasantly as her fears waned before his sturdy work I believe that was the way the burglars bur-glars got into the house last fall Yes they went all through the house and took every bit of money and silver while we were all asleep Its a mercy they didnt cut all our throats But nobody was hurt not even Watch Thats the queerest thing for hes awful aw-ful savage with such folks and knows an honest man from a rogue by the smell just as easy as I can tell roses from rag weed But somehow they contrived to catch and tie him There now that jobs done Its wanted doing do-ing these six months but I dont know when twould a got it if you hadnt come along Why bless me your face is red as fire Youve been working too hard 11 guess Id better be going along Jacob stammered confusedly picking up his coat Most likely the deacon wouldnt want me and Id better go to town before the storm But Mrs Pettengill would listen to nothing of the sort The storm was too close We had earned his supper and breakfast and besides they would feel SQ much safer with him there So Jacob stayed But he sat by the window gloomily watching the storm looking very uncomfortable and taciturn taci-turn No friendly chatter could reassure reas-sure him Even Frisky licked his hand almost unnoticed But when the children came from school soaking wet but boisterously gay Jacob forgot his troubles Rosie was on his knee playing cats cradle in twenty minutes and before bedtime bed-time all the children claimed him as a real friend Rather to Mrs Pettingills relief he refused to sleep in the house A blanket on the hay mow is plenty good enough for me he said but she sank to sleep in perfect contentment feeling that there was a man within call Poor Mrs Pettingill She woke with a start Some one was moving in the next room two burly trampish looking figures ransacking for valuables She sprang up to escape but the door was I promptly slammed in her face and she fell back shrieking helplessly The noise awoke Leah who slept not far away In a twinkling the terrifcd girl understood the situation and remembered re-membered the boy in the barn True 1he might be an accomplice But he j might not At any rate it could do no harm to call him She threw on her I cloak and stole rapidly down stairs and out through the rain to the barn I Jacob she called softly standing in the door I There was a startled response from I the haymow and before she could finish I fin-ish her breathless story he came scrambling down and rushed past her Leah waited a moment trembling with cold and terror Then came noises from the houseshouts curses and shots Summoning all her courage Leah returned I re-turned but before she could reenter I she saw two dark figures running away I and knew that the burglars were routed 1 rout-ed She ran in Jacob was standing by the open front window poker in1 hand white but triumphant 1 Mrs Pettengill and Leah began eager congratulations but he interrupted I I them by falling into a chair with the i gasped exclamation Im hurt A ball i in my shoulder I guess I S S 5 5 S When the deacon came home next morning he met the doctor just leaving A brief explanation changed his first alarm to wonder and pity Badly hurt you say Dear me that is too bad Not dangerously if he is well cared for reassured the doctor But he will be laid up for a fortnight or soC so-C st about all he snvpfl von to nnrca ic f j S him through m afraid he added jokIngly As if the good deacon could grudge anything to the boy who had suffered in defending his home He went straight to Jacobs bedside The wounded boy had been very uneasy asy wishing he could leave and expressing pressIng great regret for making them so much trouble So the deacon has tened to pour out his thanks and assure as-sure him that anything they could doIt doJust Just here came an interruption Watch had only paused to greet the rest of the family before following into the sickroom And now even as his master was eagerly expressing his gratitude the great yellow dog rear dup d-up with his paws on the bed looked down at the pale face among the pillows pil-lows bristled up as if Indignant at seeing see-ing a stranger there and broke into aloud loud fierce bark All the blood Jacob had lost did not prevent his flushing hotly The deacon vas too amazed to speak Rather timidly the boy put out his hand with a coaxing Poor doggie A vicious snap and low growl was the only reward and the scandalized deacon dea-con sternly ordered the dog out He obeyed but with an indignant air a growl and a backward glance that proved he considered himself unjustly silenced Its the queerest thing Deacon Pet tengill exclaimed I never knew Watch to act that way before Hes smart but I spose he dont believe in gh i fI J i f J jc o 1 4I < S 1 01 k irt I UThtti414llflI C t 9 1 t JACOB CAME OUT TO THE WOODPILE I havin a stranger in our bed Im awful aw-ful sorry hes so cantankerousthe deacons heart was much better than his grammarbut you and himll be i good friends fore long He knows an honest man well as anybody 1 Why Pa how you talk remonstrated remon-strated good Mrs Pettengill noticing the boys flushed face and averting eyes Just as if you thought Jacob wasnt honest Law me5 the deacon protested in horror Why I didnt mean no such thing I was just saying him and Jacob would be good friends I cant think why hes took such a dislike to him 11 believe I canexplain stammered stam-mered Jacob twisting his fingers in the sheet < Jl1 was going through here some mont sagoand I must have passed yourhouse after dark He came out to smell sof me and I was out of temper and I kicked him That must be it said the deacon in relief But I kinder wish you hadnt cause I think a heap of Watch and it looks awful suspicious to see him so set against anybody But wisnln wont undo whats done and anyhow I guess you can make up with him without much trouble I hope so Jacob muttered turning his flushed face towards the wall I guess he aint used to abusing animals ani-mals Leah confided to her mistress out in the kitchen Why he couldnt have looked more shamed and uneasy if hed been telling how he robbed somebody Watch you blessed old dog pulling his long ears affectionately affectionate-ly you no business to lay it up against him Why wed all have been J J iit YIkT J t J WANT A BOY robbed and maybe murdered but for him Forget it now theres a good fellow But Watch would not forget He rewarded all the boys coaxing with growls and vicious snaps till he was forbidden the room Then he haunted haunt-ed the kitchen and would be for hours watching Jacobs door growling whenever his voice was beard It was j wonder to the whole household house-hold Watch was known to be rather unforgiving but that a chance kick should be remembinvil o long and t > o many overtures resisted was strange I It was provoking as well for Jacob evidently worrIed about t But the dog would not be appeased and in due time Iisob resovcicd in spite of the annoyance He wished togo to-go on as soon as he was able but to this the Pettengills would not listen They had work for him they would pay good wages and where could he find a better home than the grateful famI ily who liked and trusted him Jacob listened with drooping head and at last overborne by their eagerness eager-ness and confidence assented So a month later Jacob found himself almost al-most one of the family Everything and everybody about the place came to love Jacob with one exception ex-ception Horses and cattle pigs and sheep hens geese and turkeysall in their way showed confidence in him and joy at his approach The children climbed on his knee and told him their secrets The deacon and wife wondered how they ever got along without him Leah declared him the best boy go mu r inBut But Watch remained unappeasable he remained grim and relentless Neither Nei-ther coaxing nor whipping could silence the low growl with which he always greeted Jacobs approach or induce I him to receive the boys caresses Nor might Jacob go about the farm at night unaccompanied The deacon might scold or punish but Watch held to his course with dogged pertinacity Months came and went and Jacob worVar fnithfuUvj IntrofJ nnr > fiictc1 itlli 1Ijti by every creature about the place save Watch Dce beat all the deacon would say impatiently I cant think whats got inter that dog I cant put no sort 0 faith in him nowadays And I feel kinder lost without too I used to know whether I could trust a man or I not the minute he came Inside the gate and it was a heap o comfort to know I I couldnt get aken nor yet be hard on folks thht didnt deserve it But now I dont know nothin bout it You cant put no confidence in a dog that tries to I set you against a boy like Jacob Why hes honest as the day is long for Ive I tried him and that pleasant and kind why the very pigs and sheep come to him to be petted and there aint a critter I crit-ter about the place that dont love him cept that tarnal Watch What does he mean by it anyhow But Watch could not tell He could only persist in his inexplicable hostility hostil-ity Then the story spread through the neighborhood and some laughed at the deacon for thinking so much of a dogs whim while others prophesied the dog would prove correct and the deacon come to regret his faith in the boy But light came at last An old friend living at the distant country seat reined up at the gate one morning and was I warmly welcomed both by the deacon and the deacons dog No I cant come in he replied to the warm invitation Havent time Folks all well Thats good Fine weather for corn isnt it You succeeded succeed-ed in getting a jewel of a hand Brown I tells me I I never had his beat the deacon exclaimed enthusiastically I haint I a single fault to find with him cept that tarnal Watchwith a look of anger at the dogUhe jess howls and I growls the hull blessed time Then followed the familiar story It was about through when Jacob came out to the woodpile without observing the horseman at the gate Psho Is that your boy the friend exclaimed Jacob Anderson I ought to a remembered the name Well Watch old fellow I dont blame you for carrying a grudge against him Deacon youd better send that young fellow about his business as soon as convenient Hadnt you better explain Ripley the deacon asked rather coldly Thats soon done The young fellow yonder was one of the the burglars that robbed your house last fallthe one that managed to coax Watch until un-til he could drug and tie him No wonder the dog wouldnt trust him Neednt look so incredulous deacon I heard him confess it in open court myself You know the burglars were caught at Woodville and this boy with them But he was so young and had such an honest face that they let him turn states evidence and he got off just about scot freeonly ninety days imprisonment or so Better ship him in a hurryTo To be concluded |