The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-03-30


Clarice who appeared equally divided
between tears and Indignation, and who
met my astonished gaze with one full of
wrathful meaning.
/ "Dear Aunt Clarice - cried. "Who
ever dreamed of seeing you to-day ?
Why in the world didn't you go into
the parlor, even if Jane hadn't sense
enough to take you there That girls
blunders are really beyond anything"
Don't scold the girl, said Aunt Cla-
! rice, gTimly: "it's not her fault. She
/ took me in there fast enough; but if peo-
/ pie will turn their parlors into menageries
they can hardly expect their friends to
! stay in them"
"Menageries Dear Aunt Clarice," 1
cried, Il never thought you would mind
poor Biiou too. You're as bad as Uncle
! Philip"
Aunt Clarice turned slightly red. eff
that's your idea of a biiou," she said," 1
have no more to say" and she began to
gather up her belongings as if she medi-
tated instant fight.
"But dear Aunt Clarice," I cried,
"dont be so frightened was Just 60
ing to shut him up, for he has been out
Z QullS lOll5 SlOuBh SllOulOl Inllh 81
/ said Aunt Clarice). But l never knew
that you minded birds so much"
"Birds !" said Aunt Clarice, with an in
describable intonation. But 1 do
mind birds very much - such birds as
this; birds that walk on four legs and
wag their tails and make grabs at your
ankles"
"Aunt Clarice," | cried, otis Hero
that you mean-Jack's great, horrid dog.
Do you mean to say that he is i'll the
parlor? Oh dear what shall I do ?
Jack says that there is no harm in him,
but he always dances and grins at us So.
How shall we ever get him out, for
neither Jane nor dare touch him ?"
Aunt Clarice had relaxed slightly
when she found that had nothing to do
with Hero's presence in the parlor, and
now she began to laugh.
Don't trouble yourself about getting
him out" she said He is safe enough
there, for 1 shut the door upon him. He
kept quiet until Jane had gone, but as
soon as was left quite alone and un-
protected, he houndered out from under
the very sofa that 1 was sitting upon,
and danced and grinned' at me, until l
fairly took to my heels. Now I'll go up
stairs and take my things off.
Jack only laughed when complained
to him of Hero's escapade, said that as
my pet had the run of his study it was
only fair that his should have the run OF
the rest of the house. He positively re-
fused to chain him, or even to keep him
in the yard or cellar, as 1 implored him
to do, if only on Aunt ClaIice's account.
"No, no, he said, "my relations have
had their turn it is time that yours
took their share now"
OF course when Hero had once found
his way upstairs, there was an end of
everything. Nothing would induce him
to stay down after that. 1t is my belief
that he had found out some way of
woIming himself through keyholes, for
no amount of locking and barring would
keep him ont. The worst of it was he
took violent liking to Aunt ClaTice.
Or rather l am inclined to think that
he found her irresistibly teasable,
and was deep and artful enough to pre-
tend a firm confidence in her fondness
and admiration for him. At all events,
wherever Aunt ClaIice was, Hero was
sure to be somewhere near. If she sat
down upon a sofa Hero wriggled out
from under it; if she entered room
Hero bounced at her from behind the
door; nay, he even secreted himself
under her bed at night, for the ex-
press purpose of coming out in the
small hours and wakening her by the
contact of his cold nose and his warm
wet tongue After she had twice aroused
the whole household by her wild shIieks
at these uncanny visits, Aunt Clarice
mildly but firmly announced her deter
mination
"My dear Madge," she said, 81 am
very fond of you; l am fond of Jack,
too; but really Il man who keeps such Il
wild beast about his house is fit only
for Bedlam. L can't expect you to turn
him out for me, so [ have decided to
turn myself out for him. 1 am not
quite ready to go home yet, so j have
taken board for few weeks where
shall be quite comfortable"
Jack only laughed, and said, Cit for
tat when he heard of Aunt Clarice's
departure. He laughed still more when,
on comparing notes, we found that she
and Uncle Philip were inhabitants of the
same boarding house in Ninth street-a
curious coincidence, certainly, but not
worth going into Mysteries about. 1t
really seemed as if Jack would never get
over IT, Every now and then, during
the whole evening, he would suddenly
throw himself back, kick up his heels in
the most undignifed manner, and roar.
When l asked him his reason for such
behavior, he would say only, Uncle
Philip and Aunt Clarice!-hol no! hop
And for days the mention of either name
would bring a most absurd and diaboli-
cal grin TO his face, which was a hand
some enough one in general.
III.
1t was rather curious, thought, that