Show Daily Short Fiction Story A CANINE MA MATCHMAKER MATCHMAKER MATCH MATCH- MAKER By AILSA JENNINGS Copyright 1915 1916 by hy McClure Newspaper News News- Newspaper paper Syndicate Br wow r r wow harked barked the lean and hungry looking do dog dop at nt the tho back door floor Shoo scolded Biddy slinking shaking her nt at the str stranger n r Get away awny wid ve ye Scat What Wh In is the matter now Biddy laughed hed Helena from her be bedroom room window a n mongrel mon dog dop Miss Helena so flO dirty and antI frazzled like cd never want to keep him like ye yo did the white cat and the legged broken crow wow r r r wow snapped the thed d doc dig c mournfully sidestepping Biddy's broom I He lie Is hungry d Helena leaving lea the tho window ow Ill come down Biddy Alt All All lamented Biddy with another er I vicious though futile assault with the f br broom om- om heed Feed him ye will and thin therell there'll th be no gettin rid of ot the baste But sh she was forced to submit to Helena's choice In the matter and anti rr presently Biddy's warm w heart thrilled with Hh satisfaction as she saw the tho lean lan visitor gobble down own mush anti and milk cold M 11 Potatoes and a good m meats mealy at soup ROUP i hone bone ne- ne new w which ha h promptly hurled hurld under un und un- un d der r a walnut tree tre Look k at ai the c cheek of Imi cried Biddy Burying his hIs hIs' bone like ho was to tp stay Ita her here Ho He must sta st stay mUl I find his owner n s Helena He fie has lost hi hIs n s collar B n Maybe he never r had one snorted Biddy irH returning to her work Helena ia Was waR patting auing tho the strange stran e dog dOJ while f alto sho to him In n soft a-soft tone His HiR big brown rown eyes looked appealIngly appeal appeal- InrI nt at her hr his lils plumy p plum tail snarled with burrs and briers thumped the tho ground Around lies an Irish setter Better Biddy said H Helena lena Shuro lies hea no cre credit m to the race mum Here ye e nothing good beggar drink all tho the water ye 0 want ant nf Biddy's H attitUde attitude toward the dog doc hano at onto once Sh She petted nr froH rJ him nil and 1 I fed Cd him and and oven en c scrubbed u d i him nun until un- un tin tIl l Till the silky ky coat glistened In Helena's t the 0 S father Cather ertl ad advertised ll the do dog count county papers papers' bl but several months passed b by y before ro a n acome claimant appeared 1 In the meantime Helena clena had become become be be- anTwerP come attached nel tO the animal wl who answered 1 to the thc name amo she chose ch- ch se t to Ml call him him and th the names were as varied varied va va- ried nod as ns n Helena's moods Ono One da day there appeared at the S AP Ap- pl gate a low sw low swung nB wicked wicked- lOoking racing i machine Its ow owner a thin bright red hahe l young younK ma man with III very cry brIght orient r red-brown red eyes eye jumped A out and entered the yard ard at As the tho gate clanged tho the dog lying Helena's feet lifted his head ha 1 growled delightfully and hounded bounded dOt clown the path Helena l to watch him rho cho red haired i haIred motorist opened wide his lon long arms an and chuckled with JO joy as the bi big dog clumsily embraced embraced em- em braced hIm easY Captain Easy easy Captain laughed fin tho man Glad Glar to see seo me eh h Old Oh fellow tellow l' l missed Ou like e tho the dickens dick dick- ens B By this timo man antI and had reached tho porch and th the man was teas explaining explaining- to Helena how six months previous he had been racing through Barfield county to catch a certain train for tOI the cst Captain had been with him How WhEn or 01 exactly where he had missed his tooted four comrade Henry Darce could not sa say but nut he no ha had been lIeen compelled to resume S his Important i journey wIthout finding find find- Ing him lIe had d recently y returned and a moro more t thorough h search had revealed re re- re aled Mr oIl ir Appleton's ad advertisement t Captains Captain's S recognition of oC his te ma master te was as most convincing The dogs dog tea joy WM was a a most touching tribute to the young oung mans man's capacity to inspire canine a affection Henry Dacre WitS looking at t Helena with frank curiosity In his brilliant r I eyes es believe we are old acquaintances alter after all he smiled Indeed 1 let returned Helena She stUn stiffly already hated him cordially because be- be cause ho he du had come after his dog og I not remember You andS Used to call me Red Headed he Hen and once you OU slapped 11 m my face explained I lived next d door tO r you OU in Ashley street street Oh There Thero was n a world or of recollection In Helona's face You were were such uch a hateful little ho boy she cried impulsively ly Thanks he ho smiled s You were something of a spitfire yourself Do you Oll remember that time you Oll slapped my 01 face Oh I ago forgave you long Helena's Or Of face faco was red ns as a rose course she sho remembered the sode episode epi- epi pl Red Headed henry had flounced announced an- an to their assembled led play play- mates that same da day he would marry Helena after atter Then followed the slap antI and thereafter there there- much juvenile ju wailing and gnashing of teeth Helena had ben been Here overjoyed he when henry moved mo awa away had hateful appeared true to his characteristics to take tako the darling doS dog awa away from her Meanwhile Mean olean while Henry talking to Mr and Appleton Appleton Ap- Ap expressing his for tor their kindness to Captain gratitude Finally O ho he went aWa away bearing things 8 with him was One Mrs was the joyful dog S another Other runner runner and ni Appleton's L Invitation to LV runner runner and ni L LV the last hut but not the least was the tho memory ot of Helena's lovel lovely scornful face tace as she gave ave him the tips lips ot of her fingers Fate o ate was so embarrassing To think at times that she sho wan waD compelled to love n a dog when she sho detested Its master For Helena teas wa just unreasonable enough to dislike the grownup lien lien- ry at a. heartily as she hall had the tho little bo boy lie tho that hel bought hought n. n place In n the and they often orten saw aw the low with gray rny car car Captain sitting silting gravely gravel his hh master In the weeks that followed pour Captain came camo often to the d door or be begging for tor admittance and Helena often orten enJo enjoyed c a tow few stolen hours In hits his Hodet society In the tho evening c Dacres Dacre's car would come gliding the up road anti and presently pres- pres Helena would woul hear his laughing inquiry for th the dog She hc sit In the fragrant gloom ut of the tho porch listening to the rich drawl ot of his voice olee oR as he talked l to 10 her heri parents How different he was from the little lit lit- tit tle freckled boy bor she remembered so o She Sho could never separate separate sepa- sepa rate the two Mr Bent henry Dacre hum homely of ot feature but hut fine tine and noblIn noble nobl In nil all other attributes was only Headed Red Henry One summer day lay Dacre put on his bathing suit and slipped sUpped across the thc lots lota to tho the bench be-ach that bounded his estate Just as ho he rounded a l heap of ot rocks s ho he discovered Helena Helenn sitting on tho the sand In tho the shadow of the thc pines Captains Captain's heal head was In her lap and antl the thc dog was waR looking 1001 loo ing up at ather ather ather her with blissful adoration on In his brown eyes ees Oh Captain dear sighed Helena Why h couldn't you be my own on do dog He lie could you OU know answered Captains Captain's master with exasperating can candor oror or Of or course courso you know he ho could noti retorted Helena without turning her he-a he head Oh Oh You knew I was here all the thc time remarked Henry Henr coolly Helena made no reply Of course you saw my shadow on the sand Kind went on tho provoking youth sitting down beside beshle her Helena was silent And you pretended not to lit see e me mo because oh because oh well Helena why do you pretend you dont don't like me met Isit Isit is isIt It because use you OU like me so much he whispered In a tone of ur exquisite tenderness ten ten- Its because OU because you aro so hateful she sobbed and then she did not resist re- re slat his strong arms and she even en returned his kisses so strangely akin are ure hate and love lovo And Captain shall shaU belong to both bothof of us Henry Henri said after an Interval I |