The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-02-25
THERATSOw
n HE HAD KEPT HIS HEAD HE
WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN KILLED.

WCOkblN FNhNE BEEN klLLEg
The Pretty Girl wOuId Not Have Been
Frightened. Georges Trousers Would
stm he Available. aud the small BOY
Would Have Missed Lots Of Fun.
The boy sat on the big box, kicking his
heels against the sides. He was a short.
stuinpy boy, with an abundance of
freckles held over from summer The
box was an ordinary packing box. 1t
stoed on the sidewalk in front of the
Walton building in Franklin street, near
where the Sixth avenue elevated road
crosses. Underneath the box long,
lean, gray bewhiskered rat had taken up
temporary quarters.
The rat was In bad luck. In the first
place a snealy looking dog, droopy as to
tail, q mongrel Of the kind termed ''yal-
ler," was lounging about. nosing in the
gutter and yearning for an opportunity
to display the deviltry common to his
kind. Behind the rats refuge in door
way a pretty young woman was talking
to g much infatuated George" An eld-
erly and important looking parsonage,
wearing gold mounted eyeglasses and
carrying a gold headed cane, had Just
made an imposing descent from the ele-
waited station and was promenading lei
surely toward the box. A cart horse at
tached to q truck stood in front of a sa-
loon near by waiting for the driver to
come out. All was calm and peaceful
Then the rat came on the scene.
The first to see him was the boy. He
jumped off the box, and the rat started
out toward the station with the boy in
hot chase This aroused the dog, who,
with howl Of anticipated sport, Joined
in the pursuit. The fugitive made
straight for the elderly parsonage. The
boy was a fairly good second and the
dog a close third. The parsonage, be
coming aware that something was com
ing his way, glanced over the top Of the
gold mounted eyeglasses.
Hi, thereT yelled the boy. Hes
comm your way. Head i'm off Swath-
er i'm one with tn stick"
The old gentleman "swathered." He
missed the rat and hit the boy on the
shins. The boy gave a shrill whoop, lay
down on the walk and wept.
ibid it hurt your" inquired the owner
Of the cane.
That made the boy so angry that he
stopped crying,
ibid it hurt me?' he howled in right
eous wrath. ibid It hurt me2 You ol
gold headed snooper. How'd you like II
Of clubbed yer bloomin OF shins with s
waggin spoke? What'd you say ef fat
headed cove Hill Here he comes back
Grab imi Turn I'm backl Hit in
when he goes byr
The rat had doubled on his track ant
was flying up the street again with thu
dog several PAGES behind. In between
the feet of the parsonage dodged the rat
The dog essayed to follow by the SAINT
route and got tangled mp with the feet
Down came the parsonage, his gol'
headed cane flying in one direction anC
: his gold trimmed spectacles In another
Then and there he offered few remark
that wrung from the boy an admirinl
tribute, "Gosh, said he, ''you can cuss.
In the meantime the rat was on hi
way up the street, and the pretty younl
woman who with her "George" ha,
I emerged from the doorway, was walking
down the street engaged in conversation
"Yes, he was just as nice about It a
he could be; said it wasn't any troubl
at ALL He said Oil O-w-w-w-w
Georgel E-e-e-e-e-e-ei It's ratl Help
It's coming this way, E-e-e-e-e-ei Hell
! now, but Oh, George, do you suppos
he can climb mp hereS E-e-e-e-e-el Don
D let him climb up here or shall Odd
. der
George let out q terrific kick tina
landed In the stomach of the pursuin
dog. BY way Of retaliation the do
took off part Of one leg from George
trousers, and fed across the street how
= ing dismally until it came to the ear
: horse Apparently connecting that an
| NAL with his misfortunes, the dog nil
bled at its hind leg. The horse Enorte
| and ran down the street with the true
/ clattering after, The rat, instead Of tai
! ing this chance Of escape, rushed fraI
! tically across the street and back agaiI
] with the boy, who had come up, followe
\ by the parsonage, hot on the trail. tn
4 parsonage was regarding with undi
guised admiration the pretty girl, wht
with garments gathered and held u
lightly in one hand, was standing o
Hptoe on the box viewing the chasl
George was looking at his trousers.
The owner Of the truck came out {
the saloon in time to see his propert
- rafting down the street. AS he starte
, after 1t, leaving trail of profanity b
hind him, gaunt cat sauntered out {
4 the saloon. Before the teamster ha
caught his horse the cat had pounced @
n the rat and put an end to him. Then Il
dog avenged his woes by catching hi
i by the back of the neck and shaking Il
q life out of her. The boy hit the dc
with brick on general principles. The
he returned to the parsonage, the DO.
George, and the pretty young womal
The latter was saying:
"Oh, deari | was so scared. hoI
a. l. Oh, George, did hold my dress I
D 80 very hishS Please say didn't Thi
y horrid old man with the eyeglassesw
nd why. of course you didn't" sa
Is George promptly. The girl descendl
and walked away with him, her fears g
TX leyiated. New York Sun.