gfield,
and so had had no opportunity to upbraid Reuben for his treachery. But,
indeed, upon rereading his letter, I saw that he had told me the truth,
and at the same time had made me the victim of a joke. These people had
no children, and my friend had simply forbore mentioning the adopted
daughter.

Salome,--a beautiful name and an unusual one. I found myself thinking
upon it one afternoon, as I lay stretched upon a bed of moss in one of
the deepest recesses of the hills. I had never heard it before out of
the Scriptures. She who wore it ought to be a beautiful girl. "Salome,
Salome," I caught myself murmuring, gazing dreamily up through the
lace-like young foliage above me to where two fluffy clouds were
wandering arm in arm along the pathways of the air. What would she look
like, this Salome? Would she be fair or dark, and would her ways be
gentle or tomboyish? A sudden realization of the trend of my thoughts
made my cheeks tingle ever so slightly, and I brought my eyes to bear
upon Fido. This ever-restless canine had chased a timid little
ground-squirrel into a hole when we first arrived at this spot, and had
subsequently torn up enough leaves and dirt to fill a moderate-size
grave in his efforts to dislodge his quarry. He did not know that I was
watching him, and his antics were therefore perfectly natural. He had
dug a slanting ditch perhaps a foot deep in the soft loam, and when my
eyes fell upon him had stopped for a moment to get his wind. He stood
planted firmly on his four short legs, his tail vibrating incessantly,
like the pendulum of a clock. His muzzle was grimy with soil; his head
cocked on one side, and his ears pricked, while his beady little eyes
narrowly watched the hole before him. His lolling tongue was dripping,
and he was panting like a lizard. And I thought to myself, if men would
attack an obstacle like that dumb brute, there would be fewer failures
in life. All at once, and without warning, the pup leaped to the attack
once more, and the way he worked would have done credit to a galley
slave. His shoulders undulated with the ferocity of his movements, and
dirt flew in a shower from between his hind legs. Now and again he would
pause, and thrust his nose as far up in the hole as he could get it. A
moment thus, while the wagging tail still moved, then he would draw
back, snort the dirt from his nostrils, and with an eager whine renew
his efforts.

With the deepening shadows came the thought