The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-03-04
MY KLEPTOMANIAC.

In the stream of light from the open hall
and looking upon me appealingly, with
big, innocent brown eyes, from under q
silky fringe of hair that appeared to hint
Of Skye descent, though rather more
than less remote.
Yes, he is certainly mongrel, this Art
full 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,
It was only round a couple of corners
on an errand to the green grocer's about
themorrow'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 a cold nose thrust into my
hand-nay, more than 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 ueighbors' goods laid at my door
One morning it would be prime beef
steak fresh from the butchers stallj 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 ont together.
But my Artful Dodger was too much for
me o.. One snowy day all the neighbors'
doormats were piled up in our 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 a 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
he never looked up at them with his big.
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 ont to walk with us. Then could
feel myself blush furiously, for though
| Cousin Hugh and | were-well, it is hard
to say what we were, 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'--
"As dor" | answered, my dog and
springing down the steps together gayly.
Il 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 boyw
"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 DIR. Hugh had
carried me off to see some patient of his.
Elizabeth had 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
ridiculous is a short one in my neighbor-
hood, and we had taken it in q 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
.ities, but to take them seriously as
homes was rather difficult. THAT one
yonder is a mere geranium pot, said |,
nodding with gesture toward tiny
red bow window filed with those great
red and green plants.
OF course there was "dressmalxing" on
lhe modest llacard ON the door, and
equally Of course there was the dress
makers small, pale face at the window,
where the forid, round punches Of bios
Ioms seemed TO have drained all life and
color from her.
at ia a case of Rappaccim's daughter
/ reversed" l said. INSTEAD of giving
ler their bloom the flowers have taken
III hers 10 themselves. never see big
coarse hedgerow like that one without
moving there is fading lily Of a WON.
! an behind it stitching and stitching her
aeart out. Cannot you make an excuse,
DR.. Hughi Mistake the house or eome.
hing, and Let us knock and see if my
5 !aded lily won't come out"
But Just then the door opened; II
dressmaker was letting out a custome
Who or what that was / never heedeI
for from where we stood over the wa
my dog had dashed across, up the lo
steps and was tawuing on the lit
! woman in transport of joy.
! She did not stoop to meet those eagj
caresses; those sharp little canine crit
of delighted recognition had no respons
4 Only as we came in she made hurrie,
1 cropping movement for the handle Of Il
door as if she would have shut it in OF
/. faces. Hugh was too quick for her. L
E stepped in across the threshold, whei
d she stood leaning pale and quiveri1
e against the wall,
1--WE owe It TO ourselves" he said, 81
make some explanation. OF course Il
y dog is yours"
SAe made a hasty motion of disclaime
but Hugh went on;
IS "Cf course the dog is yours; we ha'
had linn 50 long in our keeping becau
he was found one night last winter, az
Il this lady kindly let him come indoo
B with her out Of the bitter weather. Bl
We have no idea of keeping the lit
y fellow from you-unless, indeed, yC
9 would care to part with him
2 This last tentatively, for it had not G
= capped Hugh any more than it had u
. that as between dog and mistress Il
affection was certainly all on one sid
The little woman-girl she was rather
~ had retreated, sinking down ON the ste,
box stairs that almost filed up the tn
entry. The dog did not feel himself I
pulsed as we did, but fell, dog fashio
j, to kissing the worn hands with whit
"a she covered her face. It was in th
- same instant that we heard a child's CT
4 She let her hands fall together, the We
.. ding ring flashing out on the worn fng,
aud then, for the first time noticing N
% with a swift sign she led the way in
the hack room