14
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
The Story of Mike
By Harriet Crocker Le Roy.
MIKE certainly could not be called a
beauty no, not even his most ad
miring friends could find any
thing about him to praise except his
eyes. Mike's eyes were deeply brown
and very appealing. They always seem
ed to be saying: "Please don't kick
me. Flease be good to me. I know I
haven't any business here, but I hope
you'll let me stay." For Mike was a
tramp, and it was those brown, appeal
ing eyes of his which won for him a
home. He had appeared at the back
door one day as the Lady of the llouse
was dispensing juicy bones to the dog
and cat, and the brown eyes, Bof tly ap
pealing, had touched the Lady's tender
heart and secured for him a bone a
good, meaty bone, such as Mike 'a jaws
had not closed upon for many a leng
day. Then she had ordered him away,
and he had gone obediently, carrying
bis bone with him. But in an hour he
was back again, looking with his pa
thetic gaze at the screen-porch door!
from which he hoped to see the Lady
eome forth.
For Mike, with a wisdom all his own,1
had developed one gift the gift of
knowing by the look of a lady's eyes
whether she liked dogs or not. And the
Lady's eyes, in this case, had been fav
orableeven to a tramp dog like Mike.
The Man of the House protested
yigorously. "Two good-for-nothing dogs
around the placet I won't have it I I'll
get rid of them both and buy a good
dog. I knew a fellow who" can get me
Great Dane pup, and I'll have him
see about it right away."
The Lady of the House Sighed. A
Great Dane pupt Her flower beds, her
trailing vines and choice bulbs and the
Darling Child! Ten to one the Darling
Child would be screaming half the time
because the Great Dane pup had rubbed
against him and upset him. And the
things he'd drag off and bury I
In a few days a friend from the moan
tain drove into town. When he went
back the little brown dog, Brownie,
went with him. His host had urged him
to take Mike also, but he had declined.
The pathetic brown eyes evidently had
failed to touch a responsive chord.
Mike was now supreme. His were all
the juicy bones and his the undisputed
ownorship of the dog house. His heart
was happy, and still he missed little
Brownie.
One day soon after the departure of
Brownie, the Lady of the Hous3 rushed
to the telephone. She called up her hus
band and cried breathlessly: "Oh, Dick I
Dick I The dog -catcher 's got Mike! He
just took him away! I ran out with my
rolling pin in my hand, but the horrid
wretch was driving away! And there
was poor poor Mike looking at me
through the wire netting of the cage
Oh, tell me quick, what shall I dot"
"Dof" came the unruffled voico
through the receiver. "Why, my dear,
if you've got time to spare from your
pio-crust just offer up a silent prayer
of thanks that the good-for-nothing
creature is gone. It's the best piece of
news I've heard for a month. I'll see
that fellow today about that Great
The Lady of the House hung up the
receiver with a snap. There was a gen
erous dab of flour on her cheek into
which a salty tear ran and promptly
formed a bit of paste. The stove refused
to draw properly, the Darling Child was
wailing at the top of his little voice,
and Mike Mike, with the soft, appeal
ing eyes, was gone! The dog catcher
had hi ml And he would be killed!
and and
Another tear rolled down into the dab
of paste on her cheek, and life looked,
just at that moment, scarcely worth the
living.
At lunch-time the Lady made her plea
for the redemption of Mike.
"Two dollars to get him out, $2 more
for a license, to say nothing of a new
collar! Well, I guess not! I'll tell you
what 111 do. I'll go round to the pound
this afternoon and pick out a good dog
a big one that'll be some good as
watch dog. That Mike was no use on
earth he'd make friends with a bur
glar as quick as he would with any one.
I'll get a good bulldog, if there's one
there, or a Collie, or a St. Bernard if
they've got one."
The Lady of the House poured herself
another cup of tea. Her eyes were sus
piciously red. But the said not a word,
uncomfortable. If she'd only talk back!
But she wouldn't.
At 6 o'clock the Lady of the House,
sitting on the piazza in her cool white
gown with the Darling Child in her lap,
saw a familiar figure coming down the
street, and at his heels what could it
bet Yes Mike!
The Man of the House looked a trifle
sheepish as he came up the walk, and
Mike, in a transport of dog-joy, leaped
upon the Lady and the Darling Child
together. He knew some explanation
was necessary. If she would only ask a
question or two, it would help a fel
low out!
And she did. "Why, Dick, how did
you happen to get poor Mike backt
Couldn't you find a bulldogt Wasn't
there any other dog in the pound t"
'Plenty of 'em, plenty of 'em," re
sponded the Man. "Good dogs, too a
mighty fine little bulldog, and an Eng
lish setter, and there was a Collie, too
a beauty."
'Then why"
"Well, hang it all!" said the Man
of the House. "There was that good-
for-nothing Mike. ' And he looked at me
so with those big brown eyet of his that
I swear I couldn't help myself. New,
that 's all there is to it. The incident is
cloned."
He stalked into the house, and the
Lady stooped to examine the handsome
new collar with its shining tag. And
she smiled to herself in a wise little
way. Evidently there was something
potently appealing in Mike 's soft brown
eyes, after all!
At midnight a delighted barking and
yelping arose in the back yard. The
Man of the House hurriedly dressed him
self and went out to investigate.
When he came back he was smiling
broadly. "Is there anything in the
pantry I ean get for Brownie f He a
come back and acts hal fstarved. Great
Scott! That little raseal has traveled
more than thirty miles to get back
home. I'll have to get another eollar
tomorrow and dig up 2 more for an
other license. Great Scott! "
SMOKING CUBE IS SOUGHT FAB
AND NEAB.
SALEM, Or., March 26. (Specials
Superintendent Hale, of the State In
dustrial School, is receiving letters writ
ten by persons seeking a cure for the
Btnoking habit. Since Mr. Hale an
nounced that the nitrite of silver treat
ment had cured numerous inmates of
the institution he has been inundated
almost with correspondence from vie
times of the weed.
A letter received today was from a
broker of Louisville, Ky. The man,
although a member of a local stock
exchange and having connections with
a New York exchange, admits that he
is a victim of the cigarette habit, and
that he has tried numerous so-called
cures without success. Another letter
was from a resident of British Colum
bia, and another from a farmer of
Georgia. Mr. Hale answers all letters
and gives the prescription which has
been found efficacious at the school.
"Our physician has discovered," said
the superintendent, "thatjn most cases
one-fourth of 1 per cent solution used
as a mouth wash before meals is suffi
cient. At first a much stronger solu
tion was used at the school." Oregon
ian, March 26.
The life of tires can be greatly pro
longed provided drivers are careful to
turn corners at a low rate ol speed,
keep them free from oil and pumped
with air to pressure specified on the
tire. After each trip tires should also
be cleaned of all foreign objects which
may be clinging to them and kept
away from oily places.
WE ARE SO SURE
OF THE
QUALITY
OF
Gold Shield
Coffee
That we ask you to give Gold Shield a
trial, feeling that you will then insist
on Gold Shield when
buying coffee.
SCHWABACHER BROS.
& CO., Inc.
Importers and Boasters of Coffee
Seattle, Wuk
Cigarettes Kill Boys
Argenite
The Greatest Known Remedy Will
Effectually CURE The Habit
We appeal to every parent who has a boy
addicted to cigarette smoking or the use of
tobacco in any form, to try this wonderful
remedy. It is harmless but effective.
For a limited time only we will mail you
a fulj sized bottle of Argenite for 50 cents
in express or money order.
Don't put it off. Don't delay. Write today.
ARGENITE CO.
451 MORRISON STREET
PORTLAND ll 1 : OREGON
Lewis Audible Speed Indicator
A speed indicator
that attaches to
any make of cream
separator. Bings a
bell until the right
speed is reached,
then audibly clicks
and at overspeed
Is silent. By mail,
postpaid, $3.25. De
scriptive circular
On request.
KING OF THE WOODS" DM6 SAW
tipi.i lir'.l . D C . A . U . 1
VY lin or nunHDHHi'.wniwwnui IvotM
Will w 20 to 40 eordt of wood per dT l cost of I fella I
$1.00. PULLS ITSELF op the steeped HILL and
over the roughest ground. Coitt leu than other nukes.
La UWn1 nrll ! 10 luillH.
Another sswed 40 cords in 9 hours. There's
mora you ought to know. Write tor rK&e. cst-
loa containing lull description wnn lenunouu
l. " WRITE TODAY.
I o in I
1 VI
COLUMBIA DAIRY SUPPLY COMPANY
PORTLAND, ORC09H
and the Man of the House began to ieei