Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-09-01
Rats and Mice.

It's queer that girls are so dreadfully
afraid of rats and mice. Men are never
afraid of them, and shouldn't mind ii
there were morenamillion mice in my
bedroom every night.
Sue has new young man. who comes
every Tuesday and Thursday night
One day he said: Jimmy. if you'll get
me lock of your sisters hair I'll give
you q nice dog" l told him he was
awfully kind, but l didn't think it
would be honest for me to take Sue s
best hair. but that I'd try to get him
some of her everyday hair. And he
said: "Whau on earth do YOU mean.
.simmyp" And said tina. Sue had got
some new back hair little while ago,
for / was with her when she bought it,
and | knew she wouldn't like me to
take any of that. So he said it was no
matter. and he'd give me the dog any
way.
Itold Sue afterward all about it. Just
to show her how honest | was. and in
stead OF telling me was good boy,
she said: ."Oh you little torment
g'way and never let me see you again."
and threw herself down on the sofa and
howlod dread :ully, and mother came and
said: Jimmy. if you want to kill your
dear sister. you can just keep on doing
rs you do" Such is the gratitude o!
grown-up folks.
Mr.. Withers-that's the new young
man-brought the dog, rs he said he
would. He's beautiful Scotch terrier.
and he said he would kill rats like any
thing, and was two years old. and had
had the distemper; that is. Mr. Withers
said the dog would kill rats, and of
course Mr.. Withers himself never had
the dstemper.
Of course. | wanted to SEQ the dog
kill rats, So | took him to a rat-hole in
the kitchen. but he barked at it so loud
thst no rat would think of coming out.
If you want to catch rats. you mustn't
begin by bar king and scratching at rat
holes, but YOU must sit down and kind
of wink with one eve and Law for them,
just as cats do. / told Mr.. Withers that
the'dog couldn't catch any rats. and he
said he would bring me some in box,
and could let them out. and the dog
would kill every single one OF them.
The next evening Sue sent me down
to the milliner's to bring her new bon
net home, and don't you be long about
it either you idle, worthless boy. Well.
went to the milliner's shop, out the
bonnet wasn't done yet; and as / passed
MIR. Withers' office, he said: "Come
here. Jimmy; I've got those rats for
YOU" He gave me u wooden box like
a tea-chest, and told me there were Il
dozen rats in it, and I'd better have the
dog kill them at once, or else they
gnaw out before morning.
When | got home. Sue met mo at the
door, and said: "Give me that bandbox
this instant. you've been mornanour
about it." / tried to tell her that it
wasn't her box; but she wouldn't listen.
and Just snatclied it and went into the
parlor, where there were three other
Young ladies who had come to see her.
and slammed the door; but the dog
slipped in with her.
In about minute l heard the most
awful yells that anybody ever heard 1t
sounded as if all the furniture in the par
lor was being smashed into kindling
wood. and the dog kept barking like
mad. The next m mute girl came fly
ing out OF the front window, and anoth-
er girl jumped right on her before she
had time to get out of the way, and they
never stopped CRYING: Help murder
let me out oh my.'
l knew, of course, that Sue had
opened the box and let the rats out. and
though l wanted ever so much to know
if the dog had killed them all, | thought
she wonld like it better if | went ba tx to
the milliner's and waited a few hours
for the bonnet.
brought it home about nine o clock;
but Sue had gone to bed, and the serv-
ant had just swept up the parlor, and
piled the pieces of furniture on the piaz-
"a. Father won't be home till next
week. and perhaps by that time Sue will
get over it. wish did know if the
dog killed all those rats, and how long
it took him. -" Jimmy BroWM," tn
Hdrper's IOunq Pe0ple.