Part 30 (1/2)

It was always hard to stay offended at the Mistress

CHAPTER XI The Guard

Lad was old--very, very old He had passed his sixteenth birthday For a collie, sixteen is as old as is ninety-five for a hu's life had been as beautiful as hiht of his years, Tily as did the Mistress's He had few of the distressing features of age

True; his hearing was duller than of yore The nificent body's lines were blurred with flesh The classic muzzle was snohite; as were the lashes and eyebrows And the oncefeebleness crept over hi exercise a burden and any suddenbark was a hollow echo of itself

But the deep-set dark eyes, with a soul looking out of them, were as clear as ever The uncannily wise brain had lost not an atoany-and-snow coat was still abundant The fearlessly gay spirit and loyal heart were undirily his new liet them; and would set off at a run in the wake of Bruce and Wolf, when the sound of a stranger's approach ate But always; after the first few stiff bounds, he would co place in the veranda's coolest corner; as indignant over his oeakness, as he would have been at fetters which impeded his limbs

He was more and more sensitive about this aard feebleness of his

And he sought to mask it; in ways that seemed infinitely pathetic to the two humans who loved hione days had been to throw himself down in front of the Mistress and pretend to bite her little feet; growling terrifically as he did it Twice of late, as he had been walking at her side, his footing had slipped or he had lost his balance, and had turowl and had bitten in mock fury at the Mistress's foot By this pitiful ruse he strove to make her believe that his fall had been purposeful and a part of the olden ga walks on which, from puppyhood, he had always acco, these walks had been shortened, mercifully, and slowed down, to accoth: But the time came when even a half-mile, at snail-pace, over a smooth road, was too much for his wind and endurance

Nowadays, when they were going for a walk, Lad was first lured into the house and left there The ruse did not fool hirown s were cruelly hurt at every instance of this see defection on the part of his torshi+ped human chums

”He still enjoys life,” mused the Master, one day in late summer, as he and the Mistress sat on the veranda, with Lad asleep at their feet

”And he can still get about a bit His appetite is good, and he drowses happily for a good deal of the day; and the car-rides are still as much fun for him as ever they were But when the ti fast, these past few months--when the time comes that life is a misery to him--”

”I know,” interposed the Mistress, her voice not quite steady ”I know

Do you suppose I haven't been thinking about it, on the hot nights when I couldn't sleep? But, when the time comes--when it comes--you'll--you'll do it, yourself, won't you?”

”Yes,” promised the Master, miserably ”No one else shall I'd rather cut off one of , too--at night It's nobody's job but mine Laddie would rather have it that way, I know And, by a bullet He's a gallant old soldier And that is the way for hi else! AI--”

”But Lad isn't a ' to pet the collie's classic head as it lay across her foot ”He's--he's Laddie”

The sound of his na to wakefulness He raised his head inquiringly toward the Mistress, and his pluain; and spoke a word or two Lad prepared to drowse onceof little bare feet on the grass

And he glanced up again, this tier interest

Across the lawn fro a basket of peaches toward the kitchen The youngster wore but a single garment, a shapeless calico dress that fell scarcely to her knees She was Sonya, the seven-year-old daughter of one of the Place's extra worke, across the lake

Ruloff, following the custom of his peasant ancestors, put his whole fah to toddle

And he urged theainst the vice of laziness by means of an ever-ready fist, or a still readier toe or a harness strap--whichever of the trio of energy producers chanced to be handiest In co the harvest season, he brought along every day his youngest and , Sonya

Under her father's directions and under his irl was of much help to hiht hi out soth On both times he had stopped the brutal treatment On the second, he had told Ruloff he would not only discharge him, but assist his departure from the Place with a taste of boot-toe ain during his period of elish superintendent had promised like treat Sonya

Wherefore, Ruloff had perforce curbed his parental urgings toward violence;--at least during the hours when he and the child were on the Place

Sonya was an engaging little thing; and the Mistress had ster's warmest friend was old Sunnybank Lad