Rensselaer Republican, Volume 28, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 December 1895 — “BOSS." [ARTICLE]

“BOSS ."

A roughr-broiui dog feat aT tho very 'edge of the tumble-down breakwater, life was looking steadily seaward. «lle rwtjs evidentlyjold, and he was scarred jby many fights, but Ills sunken mouth, teliowed that lie would not fight again, . /victoriously. ■ ; He was gaunt from a life oflnsuffiiclent food, but- yet he had the air of a •dog who is loved. Sometimes lie tin-nod from lit< wr/t* »t the sea and glanced behind him at a •child who was sitting- in a Avhoelhaivrow a few feet away. Every time he glanced thus he slightly Wagged his ibtump of a tail, and the child smiled, or ishe said in a soft voice: r “Good Boss'” ' And then Boss wagged harder; but he could not give much attention to his companion, for his whole heart was 'with that bent old woman who was •up to her in the Water by the out- - •ennost ledge. It was there that the {lrish moss grew, and at low tide the •woman could gather it. B,bc thrust her mrm down to the-shoulder each time >for her handful of utoss. k Slie was wot, •sodden wet-, save for a small place Kcross her b&ek. She had a man’s straw hat fastened n>y a small rope tightly under her cliin. flier face looked a hundred years-old. Hi was in irijtb„ seveni.v-fihL,seamod «nd leathery; and It was a face you loved to look at. ‘ _r r~ Every few moments she raised her tiead and put lier dripping hand up over flier eyes as she turned toward the landg •die was at first dazzled by the glare of •ft.ie water, ■ When site looked up thus •the little girl in the wheelbarrow always waved her hat; then a dim, beautiful smile-would come iu the faded eyes. & v “It’s jest a doin’ of her lots of good,” *hc would say aloml. “I'm awful glad 3 wheeled her down. I wish now I'd brought her down oftcuer this summer.” i Twice ns she 'looked shoreward, she eallecTout shrilly: “Boss, you take care of her; won’t you, Boss?”. Then Boss pricked up his ears and shook his tail, and the girl laughed and said kho gTiepsea sbe’n’ Boss ’could git along first-rate. “We’re use’t to It, ain’t we. Boss?” When she said this the dog got up, came to her side, gave her a swift lick across the cheek, then hurried back nnd sat down on the edge of the planks again. Once the woman out in the water slipped and fell splashing, and Boss jumped up, •’whining in a piteous quaver, sipd would not be comforted even when •the child said soothingly: “Never mind, old felloty!" But when the woman floundered to hffufeet again and cried “all right-!” the dog sat down. Stiff he frequently gave a little whine under his breath, lie was thinking that this was the first summer when he had gone out mossing with his dearest friend, and he could not understand why lie was so stiff and clumsy; that he was unable to ruu over the slippery rocks and keep elose to her, nosing the moss she picked up, poking over lobsters and crabs, and seeing that nothing happened to fieri Something was the matter with his legs, and with the whole of him, somehow, 1 nml he could not get over the rocks. Was it the same thing that kept him from gnawing bones? And he liked them just as well as over. lie noticed •that the young dog who liyed-down the load could crack bones without any trouble, It was alf'very mysterious. When fie lay In tfic sun near where the moss was drying, dozing and snapping at the flies, lie often looked as if he were thinking of all these things. And what did the girl’s grandmother mean only yesterday when sho had stroked his head and said: “I’oor old Boss! You’re gittin’ old, Jen’s X be. ’Twon’t be no kind of a place round tbls house ’th out Boss.” He had muzzled his head under her baud when she had spoken thus, but lie didn’t Understand.. •How pleasant tills bright day was •with Its sunny, gentle east wind—a wind that brought sweet, salt smells drpiu the ocean, ! The child sniffed the bracing odor.

’ and stretched out her hands, smiling happily. p To be sure, she couldn’t walk, but granny wheeled her to the breakwater, where she could see the moss gathered. ' dt was alow course of Tides, and now the wat ■ had gone far out so that one could gei to one of the ledges where the moss grew. Granny had no boat as most of the inossers had -there were some boats now farther along,, mud little Molly could see the men put their long-ham-died Topes down arntrilfa w them up Tull. She knew that those men made more motley than her grandmother, but then, she didn't know much about money. Some of the neighbors often said that they .themselves couldn’t asTord -to - keep- n-apTg: —When they -said this granny.shut her lips tight, and the rhe dog's liead. V .‘v they don’t know much about a ffig.” -siio told Molly, “ ’n/ I guess’s Jong’s We got anything to eat. Boss'll •have some of it; eh, old feller?" Molly sank back on her pillow in tin* barrow. She amused herself by almost dosing her eyes so that the sea seemed to come up nearer. Truth crimple in Sparks;,q£ lire. Then she would open her lids wide, and the great stretch of ; water would- flash blindingly on "her vision. She played at this for a long time; and always in front of her was the dog; she had grotfn up in the conviction tha Mil was well if he was near. Soon everything grew deliciously dim and then dear, and the salt smell was sweeter, and she was walking over, the hard sand as straight as anybody, holding her head up strongly. She did not know she was asleep. It was real to her that she was walking. Suddenly she sat Upright In her wheelbarrow, clutching the sides of it. Boss was-'not there: Had lie larked? Or had someone called? She looked off to the ledge. She saw Boss leaping -went as if lie were a young dog- lie went like a creature possessed. He '-seemed rib;, to lcap, but to fly ffom one rock to another, over the still, green pools. yoml him, shining water. Where was granny? . , ——— The child tried to scream, but she felt as if in a nightmare; and could not make a sound. Oh! there was something down between the rocks on the far side of the ledge. It was there that Boss was going. And there was the mosser in liis-' boat, putting lifs rake down just as lie had been doing/when the child, had gone to sleep. For *an instant she thought she was dreaming. But Boss was gone and—yes—there was something among the rocks—it was granny’s hat sticking up; and it'did not move. Molly tried again to scream, and it was as if her heart would break in the trying. Her voice was. only a hoarse kind o? a whisper; • But there! Boss lias reached his . f rien d—could not. Between his attempts he barked, lie howled; nay, he screamed. Was liis heart breaking also? At last the mosser out there held his rope just above the water and gazed towards the shore, listening. The wind was off the sea and sounds from the land did not come dearly. The man „saw little Molly Towne on the breakwater. Had she cried out? And was that'the Towne dog carrying oil so JX On the rocks? Boss was down by the still figure that' was lying in the shallow pool'. He was struggling with it, making frantic efforts to pull it’ from the water. Outlined on the breakwater, against the dazzle of the blue sky, the man saw Molly rise up in her barrow as if she would, walk, and -then fall back again. "Good God!" he cried. He - dropped the rope into the water, caught up his oars and rowed to the ledge. All the -time he rowed he saw Mrs. Towne’s motion!ess form lying there, and life dog trying to help her. As he stepped out of his boat an’d began slipping and jumping over the rocks, the woman moved and raised her head. He saw her reach out her hand to thg dog; he saw the dog throw himself down and lick her face eagerly. “That you. Jim Stowed?” she asked, “I guess I’ve broken my leg. I slipped. I’ve mossed twenty year, ’n’ I never slipped to speak of before.” She spoke tremblingly, but with pride. “I s’pose I fainted, or something.” “I’ll git you right iuto the boat,” said Jim Stowell briskly, “ ’n’ take you home iu no time." Boss stood close by watching the man. Mrs. Towne looked to the shore, saw -tire child, -waved her hand and called cheerily, “all right!" And Molly shook her handkerchief feebly, though she_tried to shake it, vigorously. “I- do hope she didn’t see me fall," said the woman. It was not easy to get her iDto the boat, and she winced and grew pale, but she helped all she could p.nd madeno sound. , * , When she was in aAlast, J m took" up his oars to go round to the ejumly landing. There stood Boss shivering on a rock. All at once he appeared older than ever; it seemed as- If he could hardly stand. ‘ "Take him;'too,*’ satd his mistress. “No, let him walk.” “I want you to take him. I tell you,” almost fiercely. “He's too old 'n.' stiff to walk on the rocks.” -• __ “Oh!” with a laugh. “You oughter" 1 seen him goin’ after you!” The man began to row. Tears came Into Mrs. Towne's eyes. Her voice was choked. “You've got to take him," she said, “or you needn't take me." ' "Ob- if you feel like that—” Jim

lifted the dog Into the boat, and Bos* crouched down by his friend, who put her hand op him. He leaned more and moreheavily on her; his eyes were fixed on herfaue^ She hail Hung-up her hand again to the child. Lying there on the “net moss a t “file bottom of the boat she could look, without moving, into the dog's He pressed yet closer. With a curiously quick movement she managed to draw him even nearer. She bent her head-to his head. ritle lav s too hard on ye!” said Jim, “lent me pull him away." “Don't touch Inn'S!” she cried iu a sharp voice. The next moment she said hoarsely: the Chap Book. “