West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1880-06-12
Moloney's Goat.

the police court at San Francisco, weeping
bitterly. He was charged by his father with
disturbing the peace and leading disso-
lutte life. His name was Moloney. His
| father was contractor who, at the expense
OF the city, earned an honest political liy-
ing. They took newspaper, and the un-
! fortunate boy read an inCendiary item 10 the
effect that Frank Buckland. the naturalist
had discovered that a goat was an excellent
thing 10 keep in a stable along with horses
as It would face fire and the horses would
| follow IL through flames. lie. thought il
| over. lie wanted to show his father What
a thoughtful and considerate boy he was
| Besides, he wanted goat. lie went down
ON Rincon Hill and found one. Ii was "A
goat ot Irish procliviues and ownership,
and of the male gender. Would 1t face hrcl
| IL would. IL wasn't expensive 10 keep 1t
had lived for month on shingle-nails and
oyster cans and the different ropes with
which il had been tethercd. Would the man
sell him lie would give thus one away he
cause he liked the little boys looks And
the poor, unsuspccting little boy started for
| Naioma street, down First the goat leading
the boy. He felt pretty good for "A goat.
| whenever horse went by or a dog hove in
| sight he would get up on his hind legs and
| walk Spanish. while the dogs let out for
! the Mission, and the children ON the front
! piazzas had fits on an avcrageof about eight
to the block. Finally ne got AN idea and
| ricOChettcd up Mission street i'm Jumps that
would have spraned the ankle of any goat
| but him. The boy acted as ruddcr and
steered him To Natoma street. IL was after
dark There was hay i'm the stable visible
through the open door. The goat debated
the matter a while and then went in. The
boy said nothing about the investment To
his kind and Loving parents Fortunately
! his father was down at the grocery store
and knew nothing. lie would come home
30 full OF politics that he couldn't tell a goat
from siN-Dit umbrella unless the goat had
lime to explain. lie hoped that his father
would not go 10 the stable. He prayed tina,
he wouldn't He had faith and confidence
in his father, bat he doubted that goat
The 50 clock in his bedroom struck | / and
he knew by that that il was l2:45, and that
the old man would be along shortly. lie
heard him coming, heard the gate slam and
then, first trembling and then IN anguish,
heard his fathers footsteps going towards
the stable. He head the paddock rattle
heard the door swing open aud then he
heard whizz, a spRsmodic puff as If "A
small balloon had bursted, and then sldfT
ling noise as the heels OF his fathers boots
slid along the planks and he fell backwards
I'm the mud, about eight feet aud three quar-
tiers fsom the door. He raised the window
and looked weeping and silent upon the
scene. He Knew what the goat could do
and 1t was hard 10 hear his dear father gasp
like goldfish as lac tried 10 initiate himself
again. Finally he forced down enough
wind for mesgre conversational purposes.
"C'm out here'n (hic) gimme show.
Nce blood coward {"
Still no response except faint clattor of
hoOis that told the listening son that the
concealed thunderbolt was prancng around
OH his hind legs aching for another shot.
lis that you, Moloney I'd shpallc wild
you" The voice came from the bed room
window where the night cap of the boys
dear mother appeared surmounting her kind
face and the top OF broomstck.
Cant en- up. Got somclin here (hic.)
Sumfn blowed up
"Whart is it Z"
"Don'no (hic.) Guessr roof fell iu."
'Why don't yer 30 an see Air ye goin'
ter shape there all night, ye drunken ould
frcckle rancho ~
Braccd up by the cOnnumbal indorse-
ment, the father arose. as did also u large
portion of the loose soil In the yard along
with him. Iriangulating with some diff
Guilty u tine windward side of the door he
unrooled himself and pecred i'm. No ex-
posive agent was visible in the darkness,
and the spawned mare delivered reassur-
! ing whinny. Mr.. Molouey had prize-fought
in his younger days, and il occurred to him
that it would be strategic and defiant 70 shy
his hat at the ambuscade The ambuscade
took in the shy but remained quesccnt,
save for the motion necessary 10 masticatc
1t.
Having regained mis- wind and some cour-
age, he concluded 10 enter. lie placed him
self temptmgly IN tie doorway, facing ont
ward. No sign He took n sep back
ward, still with safety. a tnIrd, and still
no trouble
MOlOney struck match, and there stood
revealed "A mcck-looking billygoat, largest
SIZE, copper fronted and sweet OF express
! ion, who, as the last two inches Of hat rim
| disappeared down hls m5oph0gus, prOmul-
gated a gentle "baa"
The kind ju ige noticed that the little boy
bad been standing up all the time he was in
the dock, though there were plenty Of
| benches, and understood why he wanted ~
| 90 % the Industrial School until his father
/ broke his arm and hls mother caught the
| paralysis. lie told him % cheer up, how
ever, and he would see about his case, and
the little boy wiped his nose on the sleeve
Of his coat and went below.