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| THE COLLIE girl had the sense bred out of her, | |
| But she had head and nose and points enough | |
| To make her a queen, a fine queen with a ruff | |
| Of satin and gold, you’d say, instead of fur. | |
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| She didn’t deserve, no doubt, the hate she got— | 5 |
| She was so shy she’d keep for whole days hid. | |
| Folks wanted a dog to do better than she did, | |
| And thought it stubborn ungrateful, like as not. | |
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| Dede Graf, the new man, set himself to feed | |
| And win her, and thought he’d keep her in the shed; | 10 |
| “Somebody’s skeert her,” he’d say and wag his head. | |
| He’d no more luck than others had, had Dede. | |
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| Until the poor, lonesome, howling girl got big, | |
| And no doubt dreamful of her pups to come. | |
| One night she crept up shivering and dumb, | 15 |
| And he saw her crouching underneath the rig. | |
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| Lord, when he’d touched her once she was like a child! | |
| She’d cry and laugh together for the fun | |
| Of feeling his hand on her, and then she’d run | |
| Like a curled streak of gold, that made him wild! | 20 |
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| Before the pups came he had her at his call, | |
| And other folk grew soft to her a bit. | |
| She was a beauty, that was all of it, | |
| And Dede was envied while the dogs were small. | |
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| She weaned them, and two died and the rest were given; | 25 |
| And Bess got offish as she was before. | |
| Deed lured and wheedled and shook his fist and swore— | |
| His talk was somewhat strong when he was driven. | |
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| It went on that way for three years about. | |
| She’d come to him and be a little saint, | 30 |
| Having her young; and then the crazy taint | |
| Would get her when the young ones were turned out. | |
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| Dede was a Job for patience, and no less, | |
| When she’d go shy again. He’d curse her leather, | |
| Then at the sight of her like a tawny feather | 35 |
| Off in the field, he’d whine, “Hyuh, Bess!—come, Bess!” | |
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| He must have got to know her … When she died— | |
| The fellow was five-foot-ten and like an ox; | |
| Fearful to see too; pitted by smallpox— | |
| Well, he broke up for days that time, and cried. | 40 |
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