The Concordia eagle. [volume] (Vidalia, La.) 1873-1890, 1885-01-31

ners, plunging down by-strcelS and
striking up promiscuous friendships
with other dogs.
Three times he took me a consider
able distance out of my way, and twice
got me nearly run over.
supposed it was the being in a
strange place that had demoralized him,
for had never known him to behave
so indiscreetty before, At last, after
chasing and capturing him for the third
time, l tucked him under my arm,
thinking it would be less trouble to
carry him than to be running after him
at every turn of the street.
Mingo made no objection. lie simply
put his tongue round his chops, and
rolled his wicked-looking eyes at me rs
if he thought it good Joke. My arm
soon began to ache from his weight, and
nobody could imagine how extremely
| awkward it is to have to discuss lmpor-
| tant business matters with Il fat pug
| dog under ones arm.
If continued to hold him there,
| felt that he gave me an air of frivolous
ness which did not by any means tend
to success in my proposals to the gen.
tleman with whom had business. II !
put him down, he went smiling in cor
ners, and exhibited such impcrtincnt
curiosity as completely to distract my
attention and cllcctually check the low
of nv discourse. Indeed, am satisfied
that | lost from this cause several I'M
| portant orders.
When | retired for the night, | took
| Mingo, for safc-keeping, into my bed
room and put him comfortably to bed
on the hcarth-rug. In the middle of
| the night | was awakened by something
| heavy on nay feet. Ii was Mingo. He
| had deserted his own couch and was
sharing mine. ! kicked him of. Eut
he again aroused me at the most drowsy
hour of the morning. by his scratching
| vigorously ut the door TO be let out, as
if he had suddenly rccollectcd some I'M
portant appointment.
BY throwing everything within reach
| at him, and using a strong language as
a strict regard for the commandments
would allow, | induced him to return
to his place on the rug. in which he
forthwith proceeded to scratch q large
hole. thraShcd him soundly.
| Determined not 10 repeat my expert
enca of the day before. ! left him in
! charge of boots ut the hotel. who
promised for consideration, to look
after him. On returning in the evening,
] found that, having been let out for
air and exercise into yard at the back,
| he had improved the occasion by chas-
! ing and killing brood of young chick
| ems. 1t was sport to him. but not to me,
for it cost me fifteen shilling TO make
| good the damage.
Irelatcd my misfortuncs in the com
mercial room in the evening There |
got no sympathy. Tho vagabonds pclt-
! cd the dog and laughed an me- They
crammed him with biscuits, and even
offered him gin and water If he had
accepted the liquor. | should hardly
! have been surprised; but he did draw
the line ut that, his sole remaining vir-
tue being, apparently, adherence to total
abstinence principles. When | came to
pay the bill on departure, found that
my personal expenses amounted to
twenty-seven shllingS, and Mingo'S TO
two pounds, which was hardly fair
proportion.
On returning home, / was so full of
my grievances that | had hardly kissed
my wife before ! began to relieve my
mind on the subject.
How in the world came You to let
Mingo follow mep' | said. You can
not imagine what n nuisance he has
| been!'
"Mingor' exclaimed my wife.
"Mingot What do you mean? Why.
| Mingo is here. and has been here the
whole time. isuppose he is in the gar
den now, or he would have rushed to
meet you as usual. All! here he is!
But mercy on us! there are two of
thcm!"
And, sure enough, there were two
Mingos. both frisking round me.
Then it was true, after air. | en-
claimed. II have stolen somebody
else's dog. And that horrid ullian
knew it, and offered himself as my ac-
cOmplicc!'
"Horatio said my WIFE "what arc
You talking about? WHAT horrible ruff
| fan have you been coEsorting with. and
why have you brought home another
dogg'
As soon as | could eoliec. myself
little | told her what had occurred.
= it'ii > t3li " Hl'4t StpI StlN4. ana
what on earth am | to do? | can't keep
a dog that doesn't belong to me-
"Do?' said my wife, who prides her
self on her strong common sense.
why, find the owner and send the
creature back to her, of course. I'm
sure ne don't want her nasty dog. The
one we have already is bother enough"
(My wife is charming woman, but she
doesn't appreciate dogs.)
Il hope she'll accept my eXplana-
ton" | said ncrvously.
accept your explanation was her
reply. "She' III be only too glad TO get
her dog, I'm sure. II was a mere mis-
take, though how you could have been
so stupid as not to know a strange dog
from our own. | cant Think
The two dogs had been fraternizing
around my legs. and | now glanced
down at them. A tantalizing thought