Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-01-13
THE PASSION FOR GOLD.
LOVE OF MONEY PROVED TOO
MUCH FOR \ DOG.
He Would Learn New Tricks In the Hope
OF Obtaining PenoieS-His Pain
fui End Sad Warning
Against Greed.

years ago. lie lOdSed In the same
house with me- writes jerome X.
jerome in the Idler.
He had appropriated the front hall
for his sleeping apartment and he
took his meals with the other dodgers.
whenever they happened to be hav-
ing meals. At o'clock he would
take an early morning snack with
young Hollis. an engineers pupil
who had to get up at 4:50 aud make
his own coffee so as to be down at the
works by six q used TO think |
would like to DO an engineer until
met young Hollis)
At 8 30 he would breakfast in
more sensible fashion with Mr. Blair
on the first floor and on occasions
would DIN Jack Cad but who was
! late riser Ia deviled kidney. From
then till about 3. when / generally
had a cup OF tea and chop he reg
ularly disappeared Where he went
and what he did between these hours
nobody ever knew.
Gadbu: swore that twice he had
met him coming out OF stock brolx-
er's Office in Tbreadneedle street and.
improbable though the statement at
first appeared. some color OF redi-
bility 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 a great-almost an
,aggerated-sense OF his own dig
nifty; yet on the promise OF penny
/ have seen him run 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 whom he had ompleted his pro-
gramme he would SIT up and beg
Once outside our door | saw him
standing in crowd watching per-
70, ming 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 fore paws The
people laughed very much and when
afterward he came among them with
his wooden saucer in his mouth they
ga freely. Our dog came in and
Immediately began 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
siX-pence.
He knew tho value OF money did
that dog. II you held out TO him a
penny in one hand and threepenny
bit in the other he would snatch ut
the threepence aud then break his
heart because he could not get the
penny as we'll Now and then he
would spend "A little. but not often.
He was desperately fond OF sponge
cakes and occasionally. when he ns.S
good week he would indulge him
self TO the extent OF one or two. He
would walk into the shop with his
penny in his mouth well displayed
and a sweet and lamb. like expression
in his eyes.
Taking his stand as near the cakes
rs he could get and fixing his eyes
atfectionately upon them he would be-
gin to whine and the shop-keepeE
thinking he was dealing with an
To get the cake he was obliged. OF
course 10 drop the penny and then
began struggle between him and
the shop keeper for the possession OF
the coin.
The man would try to p elk it up;
the dog would put his foot og it and
growl savagely. II he cou!d finish
the cake before the contest was over
he could snap up the penny and bolt
have known him to come home
gorged with sponge cakes the orig
iual penny still In his mo lth.
So notorious in the neighborhood
did this dishonest practice become al
ter time that the ma ority OF the
local tradesmen refused TO serve him
atall.
Then he took his custom further
afield into districts where his reputa-
ton had not ". penetrated. and he
would pick out shops kept by nervous
females and rheumatic men.
He had been performing one even
ing in Gadbuts room where few OF
US were sitting smoking and taking.
and young Hollis being in a Gener-
Gus mood had thrown him. as he
thought sixpence. The dog
grabbed it and retired underneath tie
sofa. This was an odd thing for him
to do and we commented upon II.
suddenly thought occurred TO Hol-
lis and he took out his money and
began counting it
4 by ove' he exclaimed I've
given that little beast half a sovereign.
Here Tiny''
But Tiny only backed further
underneath the sofa and no more
verbal invitations would induce him
to stir so we adopted more pressing
plan and coased him out by the scruff
OF his neck. He came an inch at a
time. growing viciously and holding
Hollis half sovereign tight between
his teeth. We tried sweet reason
ables at first We offered him SIX
pence in exchange. He looked
insulted and evidently considered the
proposals as taniamount to our think
ing him fool. We made il shilling
then a half crown; he seemed only
bored by our persistence
II don't think you'll ever see 10