The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-22

Office in Threadneedie street, and improb-
able though the statement at first APP
| peared, some color of credibility began TO
| attach to it when we reflected upon the
| dogs inordinate passion for acquiring and
boarding coppers.
This craving of his for wealth was really
| quite remarkable. He was an elderly dog
| with great. almost an exaggerated sense
OF his own dignity; yet on the promise OF
penny, have seen him run round after
his own tail until he didn't know one end
of himself from the other.
| He used to teach himself tricks, and go
| all round the house in the evening, from
room to room. performing them, and when
he had completed his programme he would
| sit up and beg All the fellows used TO
humor him. He must have made pounds
| in the course of the year.
Once, just outside our door, saw him
standing in crowd watching a perform
ing poodle attached to a hurdy-gurdy. The
| poodle stood on his head, and then, with
| his hind legs in the air. walked round on
| his front paws. The people laughed very
much, and, when afterward he came
amongst them with his wooden saucer in
| his mouth, they gave freely.
| Our dog came in and Immediately COM
| menced to study. In three days he could
stand on his head and walk around on his
front legs, and the first evening he did so
he made sixpence. 1t must have been ter
| ribie hard work for him at his age, and
| subject to rheumatism as he was; but he
would do anything for money. l believe
he would have sold himself to the devil for
| eightpence down.
He knew the value of money, did that
| dog. If you held out to him penny in
one hand and threepenny bit in the other
| he would snatch at the threepence, and
| then break his heart because he could not
| get the penny in as well. You might safely
| have left him in the room with leg. OF
| mutton, but 1t would not have been wise
| to leave your purse about.
| Now and then he spent little, but not
often. He was desperately fond of sponge
| cakes, and occasionally, when he had had
| good week, he would indulge himself to
the extent of one or two. But, even then,
he hated paying for them, and always
made a frantic and frequently successful
effort to get off with the cake and the
| penny too. His plan OF operation was
| simple. He would walk into the shop
with his penny in his mouth, well dis
| played, and sweet and >lamblike express
sion in his eyes. Taking his stand as near
| to the cakes as he could get. and fixing
his eyes affectionately upon them he
| would begin to whine, and the shop
| keeper, thinking he was dealing with an
| honest dog. would throw him one.
To get the cake he was Obliged, of course.
| to drop the penny, and then began
struggle between him and the shop-keeper
| PoSoSooAoii
| would try to pick it up. The dog would
put his foot upon it, and growl savagely.
| If he could finish the cake before the con-
test was over he would snap up the penny
and bolt. I have known him to come
home gorged with sponge-cakes, the or
| iginal penny still in his mouth.
| So notorious in the neighborhood did
| this dishonest practice of his become, after
| a time that the majority of the local
| trades-people refused to serve him at all.
| Only the exceptionally quick and able
| bodied would attempt to do business with
| him.
| Then he took his custom further afield,
| into districts where his reputation had not
| yet penetrated. And he would pick out
shops kept by nervous females or rheu-
| matte old men.
They say that the love of money is the
root Of all evil. 1t seemed to have robbed
him of every shred of principle.
1t robbed him of his life in the end, and
that came about in this way. He had been
| performing one evening in Gadbut's room,
| where few of US were sitting smoking
and talking; and young Hollis, being in
a generous mood, had thrown him, as he
thought, sixpence. The dog grabbed it
mp and retired under the sofa. This was
an odd thing for him to do, and we COM
| mented upon it. Suddenly a thought oc-
| Cured to Hollis, and he took out his
money and began counting it.
by Jove," he exclaimed, "!'ve given
that little beast half sovereign-here,
Tiny!"
| But Tiny only backed further under
| meath the sofa and no mere verbal invita-
ton would induce him to stir. So we
adopted a more pressing plan, and coaxed
him out by the scruf of his neck.
He came an inch at time, growing
viciously and holding Hollis half sover-
| eign tight between his teeth. We tried
| sweet reasonableness at first We offered
him sixpence in exchange; he looked in
suited and evidently considered the pro-
| posal as tantamount to our thinking him
| q fool We made it shilling. then half
crown-he seemed only bored by our per-
| sistence.
II don't think you'll ever see this half
| sovereign again." said Gadbut, laughing.
We all thought the whole thing very
good joke, all except young Hollis. He,
| on the contrary. seemed annoyed, and,
taking the dog from Gadbut, made an at
| tempt to pull the coin out of its mouth.
The dog, true to his lifelong principle
of never parting if he could possibly help
it, held on like grim death. until, feeling
that his little earnings were slowly but
| surely going from HIM, he made one final
desperate snatch and swallowed the
money. 1t stuck in his throat and he be-
gan TO choke.
Then we became seriously alarmed for
the dog. He was an amusing chap and we
| did not want any accident to happen to
him. Hollis rushed into his room and got
long pair OF pinchers. and the rest of US
held the little miser while he tried to re-
iieve him OF the cause of his suffering.
But poor Tiny did not understand our
intentions. He still thought We were
seeking to rob him of his nights takings,
and he resisted vehemently His strug-
giles fixed the coin tirmer and in spite of
our efforts he died, one more victim,
among many thousands, to the fierce fever
for gold.
/ dreamt very curious dream about
riches once that made n great impression
upon me. | thought that | and friend
"a very dear friend-were living together
in strange old house. We were very
fond of one another and we lived very
happily. | don't think anybody else
dwelt In the house but just We too. One
day. wandering about this strange, old
rambling place, | discovered the hidden
door of a secret room, and in this room
were many iron-bound chests, and when
raised the heavy lids l saw that each chest
was full of gold.
And. when | saw this. | stole ont softly
and closed the hidden door. and drew the
worn tapestries in front of it again, and
crept back along the dim corridor, looking
behind me feartully.
And the friend that had loved came
towards me. and we walked together with
our hands clasped. But | hated him.
And all day long kept ever beside him
! or followed him unseen. lest by chance he
should learn the secret of that hidden
door; anu at night lay ever awake watch
ing him.
But one nightI sleep, and when | open
! nv ewes he l. no longer near me- I RIM