"I had at last found a friend, and—but at this rate I'll never
get to that which occurred during your absence.
"One evening the master and I were sitting here in front of
the fire, and he said to me : 'Doggie, boy, Ruth will be home from
Europe to-marrow. You don't know Ruth ; but I'll tell you a
secret, Tige, Ruth will some clay be your mistress, and you must
be good to her.' The master always made a confident of me.
"A few evenings later, hearing the master's voice in the sitting
room, I went in to see him. He was talking to a girl, who was
haughty enough to be, a Gibson model, and yet she was prettier
tl - in a Gibson girl.
"Tige," the master said, 'this is Ruth, the girl I told you
about I went over to her, and desiring to be friendly, laid my
head on her lap.
" 'Get away,' she cried, and struck me. Then turning to the
master she added :
" 'Harry, where did you get such an ugly, homely cur ? I
hope you don't think that I'll have any clogs around our house
when we're married.' .
"The blow and the words angered me. I, whose parents were
blue ribbon dogs ; 1, whose father and grandfather had won
many a bloody victory in the pit, was called an ugly, homely cur
by this woman. Was she so ignorant as to think a bull dog should
be handsome ? and that I was an exception ? With a snarl I
crouched to spring at that beautiful white throat.
" 'Down, Tige, charge,' cried the master. Turning to her he
" 'Ruth, you should not have struck him, he was trying to make
friends with you.'
"I hated her. That evening I would not let her near the
master. I was jealous of her ; she had won my master. All even
ing I sat where I could see her face. • Oh 1 how I longed to leave
,the print of my teeth on that beautiful face. I wanted to tear her
to pieces as my father had torn his opponents of the pit.
"I soon perceived that she cared more for the master's money
and the position that she would take in society as his wife than