The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-07-04
TWO OF A TRADE.


plague take the beastp' exclaimed DR..
Nelson, wralhfulIy, with an instructive
movement towards a bootjack which a
second thought convinced him would
come in too late to be available.
DR.. Nelson was a good-looking bachelor
Of four and-thirty, owner of the comforta-
bic house by a window Of which be was
standing at that moment, surveying the
neat garden at the back, whose two flow
ering beds we're his special pride and
pleasure. That pleasure, however, had
just been rudely disturbed by observing a
cat belonging to bis neighbor on his left
q grabbed old maid, whose three pets,
savage, snappy little cur with a long tat
tered coat of dirty white, screaming
parrot with never-ending tongue and a
vocabulary that would have made pirate
blush, aud the aforesaid cat, were making
life a burden to the doctor-leap surrep-
titiously over the fence, stalk across one
Of the flower-beds, and, after scratching
up two or three smaller plants that were
in her way, settle herself for a summing
against a tube-rose, with a pressure that
broke off several of the hower-laden
stalks. AS the doctor flung up the win
dow, the guilty quadruped beat hasty
retreat over the fence and out of sight.
This thing has gone on long enoughl''
exclaimed the doctor, pulling the bell
cord. "Gallantry or no gaIlantry, iii let
that old maid know she can't ride over
everybody with her plagued menagerie.
Bridget" he added, as a neat-looking
Irish girl appeared in answer to his sum
mons. Ego into the garden and see if you
can prop up that tube-rose so that it will
do until have time to attend to it, and
then go next door and tell that woman
that if she doesn't keep her cat out of nv
yard, I'll find some way to compel her to
that's air. and. selling his hat, the
doctor strobe from the room.
Bridget descended to the yard in some
psrplexitY. She had only entered the
doctors service the day before, and was
not acquainted with the neighbors or their
peculiarities. She was consequently at q
loss to determine the quarter whence
the outrage had emanated. Aided, how
ever, by happy thought, she scrambled
up by the fence and peeped into the yard
nearest to the desecrated flower-bed A
sleek, white cat was seated in the middle
OF the grass plot, washing her face with
that air of serene and self-satisfied COM
placency' peculiar to the cat who has just
committed some more than usually out
rageous misdemeanor.
Och, you murtherin' basteln excIaim-
ed Bridget, with vindictive shake of her
fist elf yer nisthress is a dacent woman
its = sound throunein' yell be afther get
tin'ls
Repairing the damages as well as she
could, Bridget next proceeded to lodge
her complaint. In spite of her mingled
va'or and indignation, however, she was
somewhat abashed before the quiet, self
possessed and decidedly pretty little lady
who opened the door in answer to her
vigorous summons. But there was no
backdown about Bridget, and accordingly
she blurted it all out in breath.
',Sure, ma'am, me masther says will yez
be kind enough to kape that villainous
haste of yours out of his yard Faith, it's
broke off his beautiful tuberose, bad cess
to it's dirty self, an he's that mad he
could kill the cratherl'
Has my Muffet been doing any mis-
chief in your garden2" was the response,
in sweet and perfectly self-composed
tone, az the bright blue eyes of the speak
er looked straight into Budgets face.
IF that's the name iv the four legged
haste what's enjoying herself on the grass
beyant, just as If she had no conscience at
all. at all. it isl Sure she's kilt the
d0cther's illigant flower entirely y
I'm very sorry. Please take my re-
grets to your master, and tell him will
try not to let it happen again" Then the
door creaked suggestively and Bridget
withdrew.
Did you attend to that matter about
the catf asked the doctor on his return.
Sure did, sorri an must cay that
nicer spoken lady niver saw" said
Bridget, delivering the message.
Humph,' grunted the doctor, as he
busted himself with the plant, happily un-
conscious that pair of bright eyes were
watching him from behind the closed
window-blinds of the house on his right. |
"She hasn't given up hopes Of capturing
me yet, l see, and thinks to make an ally
OF my new seryant.girll Ibelieve she'll
let those pests annoy me more than ever
now fo- the sake of trying to strike up an |
acquaintance, even though it must begin
with quarreli'
The doctors predictions seemed des-
tined to be verified. The garden con-