Old Dan

Farmer Heoderson oame ia IV. m t lie harn onr luorning wiili r.is liatids a ni cintiles wet andcovered with mud, hla lúered and his eyes flashing. "Nfd! " he shooted, a he ntefed tke kitchen. " Where's Ned ?" " llere L mu !" carne a clieery voice a reply, and au instant after a brilu stronft boy of some sixteen years enterad the oíd j'asbioned country kitchen froui the adjoining woodshed wherp lie had been eutting potatoes for thcday's pluntinR. " Do yo want anything?" "I want tntell . m thu,"MÍd Mr. Hen derson, aa he washed huusrlt' ut sink, and ruhbed his weaiherbeaten faca witli the coarse towe! nntil il was even mom red tlian before, "OM Dan must be killed! Just soe the state l am in, and all trom ihat worthlcss old rascal. I won't have him about the house another day. lle's goou tor notnmg out to iuake trouble, and he must be shot More nieht !" added the farmer wrathfully. Ned was about to plead for his pet when hú little sister Mme int'j the room. " Why, papa, wliat is the matter, sbe cried, running tj him n astouishnient, " Did you fu.ll into the creek?" "Iniigbtaswell," lie replied, half lauph IBg. " Old Dm DDtted me into the watering trough." There was a shout of laughter from bullí ohildren, in whioh their luother joined " Well, Jedediah," said Mrs. Ilenderson, coming into the kuchen shaking wit ti mirtli, "wbat could ym l.e thinking abouL to let an old ram, most twentv vear oW uock yon ulo ihe wateriug-trougli '!' " But," ex(.lained her bugbtnd, '" lietook me unawares. I had just filled one pail to earry to the barn, and wa ttooping to dip the other when the old raeotl oame at me like the wind, and knoeked me conipletely into the water ! He scampered, I teil you, before 1 could get out. 11e knew be had done misohief. Anyhow, he'g got to be killed to day, sttre. He'sonly a nui sanee, and 111 shoot hitn to nipht, wheo we come hack from town, if he's on the l'arm !" Two hourB later Mr. and Mrs. llenderson drove away to be absent from home until night. As the rattled out of the yard old Dan suddenly appeared close to thegate, and waggiqg bis Uil as if in derision, gave utterance toa hoare " Bah-a-a!" Thu' farmer turned, shook his wliip a the ellcw, and cried, "ïhis is your las 'lay, my boy, make the most of it' ' Ned and Carrio were the only children. Ieaving Carrie in the house alone, after they had considered awhile whether there was any way of avertingold Dan'n sad fate, Ned shouldered his hoe and marched off to his work, planting potatoes with Bronson, the hired man, in the " back lot." uut the hule grl of thirteen had uu thougbt of being afraid. Sbe had the breakfast dishes to wash, some sweeping to do, and the dinner to get. all before twelve o'clock. Time fled. The dishes stood in shining rovs upon the pantry shelves, the brooui had perfonned its worlc, and Carrio was preparing the vegetables to be boiled, when there carne a faint knook at the door. Supposing it to be one of the neighhors, the little girl did not riso but called : "Come in!" The door was sluwly opened and a man stepped within. Ha wore a black coat, buttoned to his chin, and very threadbare. His trousers, too, were black and very shiny, and mach too short for hitu. On one f'oot was a boot, while the other was graced by a ragged shoe. He carried a battered silk hat in his hand. His face was long and soleinn, but (luito red, his eyes bleared, his hands very dirty. and altogether ho was a queer looking visitor. "Isvour maat home, Miss?" said ho in a half whine, as he glaneed ibmrply about tho room. "No, sir," roplied (,'arrie, wondering why heasked; " slie bita gone to I'n.l.i hill. Did you wish to see her?" "Oh, no," the man replied. "I ooly asked out of poüteness you know," and he smiled soleninly at the little girl, and winked one eye. " No, I oame on business with your pa- particular, urgent busineM. S'posc he's round, is hu not?" "No, sir; he went to town with moih er," said Carrie. " Now, tliat's too bad !" ezclaimed the visitor, as he seated himself; and I've come so far to see him. But perhaps jroOï brnther or sister would do as well." "1 haven't any sister," said the little hostess, laughing, "and my brotber's over in the back lot. lle'll be in byand-by, thougb, ifhe'll do." " Well, I don't hardly believe ho will, after all," said the man, shaking hi head tboughtfully, "and I can't wait to-day anyway ; I liain't the time Bat l'm torribly hungry. If I could I'd stay to din ner, Mis. Huwever, nnder the circumstancen, perhaps you had better give me a light lunch betore 1 go ; a piece of pie and a cup of tea and a little ueat, orsouiething of that sort." "Ob, certainly; only I can't give you the meat, for we haven't it in the house," said ('arrie, rising ; "but I will find somelliing." And she brought from pantry a whole apple pie, which she placed before bim, with a knife and förk. " If'you will help yourself I'll have the te ready in three minutes." "All right, my dear," said the man, seizing the knife and drawing the pie toward liim. "I will act upon your advice. The last time I took dinner with General Grant," he continued, as ho cut a great and began to eat, " he said to me, 'Governor, Governor,' said he, ' never dsregard a lady's adviee ;' " and he chuckled merrily, and nodded bu head at the delicious-looking paslry before him. ('arrie wondered a little at the I manners of the man who had dioed with (jrant, but .she steeped bis tea, flavornl it with rich cream aml sugar and passed t to him. " I uni not much of a hand for tea," said the man as he drained the cup, " but my doctor says that 1 must drink it for my digestión. Kuined my digestión while 1 was in tbe army, you see," and he winkèd soleuinly. " By the way," he continued, picking up the silver teaspoon from hit saneer, "have you any more of these? They are as a neat a pattern as I ever saw, and odd, too. I should like to sec the rest of the dozen, f'you have them." " Mother h;is only deTen," said Carrie in her ionoMDOê, " and sho s very proud ofthetu ; hut 1 will show tbeiu to you." Tlien she broughtthc linie box with the precious table tilver- eleven teaspoous, tour tablespoons and an ancient cream jug -all pure hilver, and shining brightly- and placed them befcre her riquisitive visiiur to admire. He had finished his " light lunch." Thai is, the pie was demoluhad and the teapol ciiipty. As the little (jirl handed liim the treasures, he aróse, took the box to the window, examined ts contents witli aeritieal eye tbr a moment, and thefl, as il' in jnyful surprise, said : "1 ara right! They are the very Bpoona! The very same lent.-il spoona that my friend lost when he was a boy! J1..W luL'ky it is thax I have f'ouni tbeiu at tast!" With these words and a very iow bow, die rascal openjd the door and shpped a way with spoons and silver cream pitcher down the path toward the gate. "¦r an instant Curie Stood niotionless ; tkaa, nuhinjt after him, she shriekcl : "(ihv me those spoons I They are my tuother's spoons, and you are trying to Htval them! Vou are' a tnief, a thief ! üriiig thetu back I brin? them back!" l'lie man, however, paid no attentioo to tbe ohild's crii, but ran rapidly down the path, earrying the box in his arms; and the spoons and pitcher would have been lost forever il' a new party had not Oíd Dan wís quietly nibbling the grass nar tbe gateway. Elearing hU httle mistress' voicu he lookej un at the very ínstaut that the tramp passed. What he san aiout the 111:111 that disturbed liiin I don't oow; but.ereoting his head, witha hoarse " IJaa-a-a!" he shot aft er kim like a can BOB balL The man turned to receive him and defeod hiinself, but the ram siruck him fairly n front and kncked liiiu, half senseless, flat on his back. scattering the silver in 11 directions. For an instant the fcllow reniaim'd sprawling in the dust, tben he slowly arose, liinping and groaning, and with but a flanee at his eneniy, began to gath t up the stolen spoils. He had partly completed his u-k when o!d Dan, who all thittime had been watching the proceedings froiu beneatli his shag Ity ej-cbrows, shook his long beard, aud witlj anotlier treuiendous "Baa-aal" at liiiu a;ain, aml nver he went a second time, hw treasures flying from his hands. And now begau a strange battle. With ¦f'rsepBnd Dain, the man recoverod lus feet and furned upon tne ram, Kirking aml striking at him furiously, while Ian, accustomed to such warfare from years of experienee with the boys of the euuntry hide, easily eludd him and in return butted him to t lic earth again and again. 'J'he spoons and cream jiitcher were knocked hither and thither, as the comlataiit- Htrnegled, the road was tramplcd ioto sometliing like a rae; 'ourse, the air was filW with very bad language, very angry "ba as " and a great cloud ot dust. Hut ai'li'r some five minutes, victory declared itself upon the side of the juadruped ; and, bruked and bleeding, with clothes in rags, minus hat and shoes, Uk? v;ti,(uiithed man suddenly turned away aud run limping down the road, leaving his antagonist in full possession of üio field :ui:l lU Molen .-ilver. )ld Iau remainel niotionless, gazing after his eneniy until ho disappeared around a dütaot turn in the road; then shaking the dust from bis coarse wool, he gave ulterance to a low grumble of sati.sfaetion, and, wagging his tail, returned to hi.s dinner, in front of the house. Hallan hour later, as Carrie washed the covt'teil .poons and the bright little pitcher and laid theuj carefully away one more, ¦ha tora her brother tho story, and how the robber was foiled, and Ned full of entliusiasm, cried : 1 We will not kil old Dan at all, for I do not believo that father would shoot him now for a hundred dollars." And the boy was right. The old ram won more toan he knew when he fouht the tramp and. conquered kim. He won his master's recard, and a free, happy life for iha remainder of his days.