Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-05-19
The Letter Clip and the Dog.

1t happened at a we'll known restau-
rant day before yesterday. A young
man came in with u maiden with tlame-
rolored hair and followed by blonde
complectioned dog that looked like the
last remnant of third-rate family of
prairie wolves. The young man and
woman, who were evidently from the
rural districts, took their seats at table
and called for something to operate on,
while the dog amused himself by sneak
ing around under tables and chairs. like
young man trying to find his hat on
the floor after church is out.
Things went alolfg in this manner for
the space of five minutes, when
change came Ger the spirit of the
scene. The dog had entangled himself
for the thirteenth time among the
rounds of respectable old gentleman's
chair, and the room being dark enough
to screen him, and not feeling particu-
larly pleased over the intrusion, he
reached down. and. as the latter end of
the beast disappeared beneath the table,
slipped upon the extremity of his tail
little brass paper clip with serrated
edges and handspring like the running
gears of catapult.
The dog stopped, but for an instant.
When he started he went off as though
he was wound up to run all day. He
opened his mouth. and a howl that tore
the hearts of his listeners and frOze the
blood of policeman, two blocks away.
came out and ran around the room mod
flied and distorted into thousand diff
ferent echoes, and no two alike. Then
he ran under stand full of glassware
Before the jingling and shivering had
ceased he was clear down at the other
end of the room, turning around hum
dred times minute, in vain, despair
inc effort to grasp with his teeth the hor-
rible incubus that thereby hung his tail,
and making more noise with his mouth
than switch-engine with her steam-box
packing worn out.
Merciful heavens! The beast is
mad" shouted fat man, springing up
and overturning table and all its con-
tents into the lap of his friend opposite.
Hey! head i'm off. Snub him. Chase
him into corner. Shoot him, some
body. quick" and fatty tore around
worse than two dogs.
drop it. old beeswax." vociferated
the owner of the animal. ''Who touches
hair of yon-Whoop! Thunder. Run.
Run. He'll eat up the whole shop" and
he hoped around trying to find the
piece bitten out of his leg as the dog
passed.
By this time the kitchen force, the
bartender. two men, a policeman anG
reporter had crowded into the room
Only three tables were standing, Ont
chair had lost its back, the maiden will
flame -co.ored hair had climbed upoI
the counter and was hugging the gas
burner for protection, while the dog hat
essayed a northwest passage under tn,
stove, got fast in the attempt, and la,
7, painting and wailing and kicking ant
! making more noise than all the rest o
> them. His owner stopped down.to pul
him out by the tail, and found the caus
Il of all the commotiOn-the little bras
/, letter clip. 1t was standing to its pos
like man. and would have died befor
, it would have deserted. 1t was re
4 moved. but the revulsion of feelin
:. was too much for the dog, and he trie
to crawl through the floor. The oil
= gent.who had instigated the revolt ha
u gone, and about two minutes later tn
young man and woman came out an
;. went down the street. The dog tbs
;, followed them looked rs though he ha
) been sat upon by a council of wa
There wasn't hair enough upon his bac
TO make paste-brush.-Burlingt0
HdUkeUe.