Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-02-27
MY KLEPTOMANIAC.

Ury Wneuner IL may not De interested
also in the little bowwow?
~ The little bowwow took an immense
interest in me at first sight. He was
such poor and friendless creature, and
it was such a cold and clustering night
that | had not the heart to shut the door
in his face as he stsod wagging his tail
in the stream of light from the open hall
and looking upon me appealingly, with
big, innocent brown eyes, from under a
silky fringe of hair that appeared to hint
of Skye descent, though rather more
than less remote.
Yes, he is certainly mongrel, this Art
ful Dodger of mine. Perhaps if he had
been of good honest Skye strain this tale
could never have been told of him.
However, in he came with me that
night, and out he went with me next
evening for the first of our walks abroad.
1t was only round couple of corners
on an errand to the green grocer's about
the morrow's list, which had not properly
been made up. but when | pulled my
glove off at the home door to grapple the
better with the difficulties of the latch
key, | felt cold nose thrust into my
hand-nay, more than a cold nose, an
apple, which so red and glossy as it was,
| was quite sure my provident friend
had selected from the very basket of ap
pies | had just ordered home from under
the green grocer's counter.
That was excusable enough perhaps.
But what followed day by day exhausted
all my stock of apologies for my poor
kleptomaniac.
Day by day there was something of
of my neighbors' goods laid at my door.
One morning it would be prime beef
steak fresh from the butchers stall; an
other, it would be dainty handkerchief
thrust into my hand as we walked to-
gether along Chestnut street. | soon
learned to eschew the shopping quarter,
however, when we were out together.
But my Artful Dodger was too much for
me. One snowy day all the neighbors
doormats We're piled up in oSr vestibule,
and my poor little fellow crept out from
among them wagging his tail with a
delighted consciousness of merit as !
came up the steps.
Some Fagin had trained him. There
was not doubt of that. 1t was the
part of Christian moralist to reclaim
him, not to turn him adrift in his evil
ways. | argued | seemed, however, to
be the only Christian in the house, or,
indeed, in the whole block. fancy they
would have left my poor little fellow to
go to the bad altogether in another neigh
borhood remote from theirs. But then
, bn N lpnl-p1 M, 1f thp,p tpi4l, hie In,
innocent brown eyes, trimming with
love and trust. as he did at me.
"'Love me, love my dog" said to
Hugh one evening as | stood with him
in the vestibule, and the Artful Dodger
whined so piteously on the other side of
the closed door that was obliged to let
him out to walk with u.s. Then could
feel myself blush furiously, for though
Cousin Hugh and were-well, it is hard
to say what we We're, but this unlucky
speech of mine was certainly the first
word of love that had passed between us.
was glad to go down on my knees to
the little fellow leaping about me to es-
cape the eyes of the big fellow standing
over me, for felt sure there was laugh
in them.
when your dog is as honest as you
are, Kitty" said Hugh, 81 may perhaps
begin to love him as"-
LAS dor | answered, my dog and ]
springing down the steps together gayly.
81 wouldn't advise you to. Evil COM
munications corrupt good manners, to
quote still another proverb, and my Art
full Dodger may teach me as much as !
have failed in teaching him, poor boyr'
"At that rate it is as well | am taking
you both to poor quarter of the city,"
said Hugh And indeed felt that the
dog might help to cheer the little crippled
lad he was taking me to see.
1t was not the first time DR.. Hugh had
carried me off to see some patient of his.
Elizabeth had a malicious way of hint
ing that he had me on probation as a
model doctors wife. But Cousin Hugh
and | had been comrades ever since |
could remember, and when | was out of
reach of Elizabeth's sharp tongue there
was seldom anything to remind me that
we had not been boys together, instead
of girl and boy.
The one step from the sublime to the
10 IL Silblb OuO III my
hood. and we had taken it i'll turn
around the corner from the stately ter
raced street where was my home. The
absurd little boxes in which the people
here were housed might be an improve
ment on the great tenements of other
cities, but to take them seriously as
homes was rather difficult "That one
yonder is a mere geranium pot" said l,
nodding with gesture toward tiny
red bow window filled with those great
red and green plants
OF course there was ''dressmaking" on
the modest placard on the door, and
equally Of course there was the dress
makers small, pale face at the window,
where the ford, round punches of bios
SONS seemed to have drained all life and
color from her.
at is a case'of Rappaccini's daughter
reversed" l said. Instead of giving
her their bloom the flowers have taken
all hers to themselves. never see big
coarse hedgerow like that one without
r