Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-06-18
MIR. D0UBLEAGLE'S PETS.

MIX, DOUBLEAGLE'S PETS,
81 have had great many funny
boarders," began Mrs. Cleanie, but the
funniest one of all was Mr.. Alonzo
Doubleagle. Mr.. Doubleagle, you know,
is very r.ch h-President of the First Ma
tional Bank Ct Fitzboro, besides holding
many more int offices of trust in
Fitzb )ro. He used to be bachelor; and
for over ten years he occupied my two
front rooms overhead.
go, but he was close-fistedl You
never saw such a stingy man. All he
thoug,.t of, or about all, was how he
might increase his wealth. Ten per cent.
seemed very small to him; it was only
when he could extract three per cent. a
month from some poor fellow that
genuine smile of satisfaction lit his coun-
tenance, at least, so the men said, and |
do not doubt it one bit But suppose !
should not talk so freely about one of my
former patrons. He was always prompt
in paying me for his board and rent, and
as regular as clock to his meals.
"Well, as l was going to say, Mr..
Doubleagle had my two square rooms up
stairs, and he spent a great deal of his
time in them after business hours, fgur-
ing, reading and smoking, He + ally
smoked. | could never see through this
indulgence on his part, for he did abomi-
mate cheap tobacco.
"in one of the rooms was arranged q
desk, facing the bay window, and just to
the left of it hung cage containing a
beautiful canary. The bird was Mr..
Doableagle's pet. And it was the one
living thing l ever saw him take interest
in-except, of course, some victim for a
loan. The bird was unusually intelli
gent. Its master had taught it a number
of cute tricks of which he was very fond,
and exhibited Dicks knowledge fire.
queatly to the boarders with truly mu-
seum-like satisfaction.
"Wh-n Mr.. Doubleagle was in the
room alone, he frequently let the bird
out of the cage. 1t would fly about and
chirp and play a real game of hide-and-
seek, or it would jump through his
clasped hands like cat, waltz, sing or
scold at his bidding. And it had way,
all its own, of pecking at its master s
pen or Tencil whenever he knit his bu3hy
brows over row of figures. 1t was the
the grim capitalist.
'AIr. Doubleagle was said to be very
unkind to his blood relations, especially
to his orphan nephew, but to this small
pet bird he never showed anything but
the tenderest love and devotion. Strange:
Perhaps it is. Of course, | am speaking
from a monetary point of observation
now.
"Once Dick was taken sick. He
would not stir in his cage; no induce
ment could make him bathe. His seed,
and the most tempting cuttlebone and
green things failed to start more
than slight winking of the lids.
Alonzo-excuse me, have been so ac
customed to call him by his given name
MIR. Doubleagle could not have beer
troubled any more over PROSTATE friend
bird recovered his wonted spirits anC
would do his cd tricks again, the misel
seemed himself once more. Thus The
friendship went. 1t was like that O
two fond lovers. Folks SAID, when they
learned of this attachment that tht
banker must have had, at some periot
of his life, much more sympathetic an(
unselfsh heart than in his later years
And they said, as you know people will
talk, that Alonzo's heart was not com
modious enough to admit of more sub
stantial fame-a really loyable occupant
OF this / am in no wise able to Judge
Sometimes these old men are very uncer
, tain in their movements; they get alb
surdly singular notions into their heart
: quite late in life: Mr.. Boldmln, for in
stance, with his ninetcen-year old wife
and he as bald as the great America
eagle
"As was going to say, one day, on
evening rather, Mr.. Doub!eagle SCENE
to be making considerable noise in hi
l room. | knew what it was about, how
ever, or l should have raped on tn
: stovepipe for him to be still, and occ'
, sionally did in a playful mood. lie VIZ
! having a romp with Dick at hide-anc
! seek. l could hear him jump aroun
l desk, chair and table, first in one room
< now in the other, now laughing hearth.
=. now talking to the bird as if it unde
L stood every word he said. And the
e would come few moments of silence
Z or broken only by Dicks peep peep
y peep Being in the living-room, ju
It below, I heard all the fun. l laid asi(
u my sewing to enjoy the game the be
6 might.
= "Again Mr.. Doubleagle trotted abo,
until the house fairly shook with h
ponderous tread, and calling Dick
Dick-Dick, you rascal you, where CT
"a you be2 And then such groan as car
g. from abovel 1t frightened me. Tw
< Alonzos voice. l rushed out into t
re hall and ran up the stairs as fast as pos
70 BILE, thinking to find my old boarder de-
t. or dying. But no, | met him on t
y landing, crying like baby and holdil
e. Dick in his hand. !"
te "Tve killed him I've killed hin
Y, he said. Il was looking behind the b
ID reau for him and crushed his head again
s. the castor with my boot"
e. Let me take him, said I, 'perha
Of he is not dead yet; we may save hir
Of Then held the little thing to the lig
re and examined his wound, while that gre
lg man just stood and wiped away real tel
ui from his ewes. They were bigger tea