The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-01-18

ga dumb dawg, mind yer |" MIR. Wix
repeated, as though it would have been
a considerable mitigation Of the injury
if the offending animal had been en-
dowed with the gift of speech "and
by hook nor by crook can he be got to
part with that COMPOUNDED extra three
ounces, which would make sucha differ
ence to me, and which he no more wants,
sir, than the sea wants rain. water
And throwing down sixpence, he
wrapped the by this time finished ami
NAL IN an old silk pocket-bandkerchIe
and, thrusting it in at the bosom OF his
waistcoat, stalked, muttering, out of the
hop.
By this time it was evident to me that
I had been too hasty. From some mys-
ferrous cause or other, the man ap-
peared to regard the valuable little dog
as an affection rather than as prize !;
which he certainly would not have done
had he stolen it. And, now that came
to observe the barber more attentively,
he was not in the least like the cross,
eyed, goblin-visaged person Sweeney
Todd was represented as being; on the
contrary, he was rather a pleasant-look-
ing little man.
There goes poor fellow to be
pitied, sir" he remarked as the door
closed on Mr.. Wix's retreating form !;
"he's got large family, too. I hope he
won't be drove to drinking"
"What should drive him to drink
ing9" I asked.
disappointment, sir. Buying a
goose warranted to lay golden eggs,
which turn out to be only Brummagen
gilt. That, in manner of speaking, is
his case, SIR"
"But what's the matter with him?"
"Nothing the matter with him (; it's
the dog that's the cause.-the innocent
cause, I may say-of Mr.. Wix's trouble.
You see it is this way, sir. Mr.. Wix-
which he's heasy- chair maker, and
used to keep his dozen hands lis what
we call toy fancier; fancier of toy
dogs that is. There's lots of EN- about
here, and their meeting house of reg lar
show-nights, on Sunday evenings, is the
Three Pigeons, up the street. It is
reckoned a kind of honor to be Chair
man of the room, because, you must
know, that man can only occupy that
post by virtue Of his owning the small
est and most elegant animal present.
Now it has been the one object of Mr..
Wix's life to get into that chair. They
do say that he broke up good home to
raise enough to buy the handsome little
Maltese you saw me tittywat1ng just
now, and he made sure of the seat this
time. But he's got rival. Mr.. Mossul,
the tripe-dresser, up the street, he's a
toy fancier, too, and he has held the
chair at the Pigeons for year and
more. He's warm man, and not easy
to turn when once he sets his mind on
anything. Well, sir, at the last mo-
ment, when Mr.. Wix thought that vic
tory was sure-when he had acksholly
made ready bit Of supper for the mem
bers in honor of the occasion, having
the tripe of Mossul himself and inviting
him to peck bit-at the very last mo-
ment, when everybody was congratulate
ing Wix on his pluck and spirit, why
says Mossul, with that aggrawating grin
OF his, if it was only quarter of a
pound Or SO lighter, it would be about
the same weight as this new little thing
of mine. 1t was true, too. Nobody
knows what he gave for it-forty sover-
eigns have heard-but he sent to
Brussels for it on purpose, and there it
was ana there Mossul was as firm fixed
to the chair as ever. 1t was severe
blow for Mr.. Wix; he hasn't been the
came man SINCE" a.s
Further conversation put the little
barber and myself on quite friendly
terms. He confded TO me that he too
was a bit of fancier, and owned toy
"Skye," for which he had refused it's
weight In half crowns. eff you take
an interest in such things, SIR" said he,
"why not look in at the Three Pigeons
some Sunday EVENING" Tomorrow
there will be good muster, and Mossul
is almost sure to be there. You'll find
us select, and in company with dogs
that no gentleman need be ashamed of
being seen with. We amt in general
free to strangers, but you may mention
my name and you will find it all right. :"
And SO it came about the following
Sunday evening, just after the gas was
Lit, L whispered the name of my friendly
barber to the young lady who officiated
behind the bar of the Three Pigeons,
and she atfably directed me to the parlor
IA low, long, ill-yentilated room, with
stronger flavor of dogs in the air than
was quite agreeable to any one unad-
dicted to canine worship. There was
already fair sprinkling of company
present, mostly of the Mr.. Wix type,
shabby and threadbare, Sunday though
1t was !; nevertheless serene content
beamed In every countenance. It was
announced in the Independent cock of
every mans hat or cap, in the way in
which he smacked his lips after his beer,
and more especially in the manner of his