The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-08-01

ceHt klHuHeSSeS, ~ CtteTU, prepdTcu W
go away for the summer. | had sent
my valet off to the country to secure
| for me quiet spot far from the mad
| ding crowd where | might enjoy all
privileges, from drinking real milk to
! blowing out the gas, did l so desire,
with no questions asked. He found
the exact place; and as the heat of
June was approaching with all the
speed of an international bicycle race,
l set forth. l equipped myself with
only three suits and my shooting
jacket, in which to kill time. You
will be impressed, my dear Mrs. Mont
beck, with the seriousness of my desire
to seek solitude, only, in this Already,
when l inform you that l religiously
| left my tennis-suit at home, too.
II found my quarters to be in one of
two cottages overlooking a most soul
| full Millet of hill, lake and trees. But
there was one fact 1 deplored: the
houses were, to man of my unfortun-
ate propensitles, dangerously alike; so
similar, my dear lady, were they, that
when / entered one l was instantly
seized with the thought that it should
have been the other. For that reason
| spent most of the time in the yard
wondering to which l belonged; but
the presence of my man served, in the
one house, to direct me faithfully to
the right place.
Il was wont, after late breakfast,
to arm myself with book, and with
my stick set out for a jaunt. Now, my
revered grandfather Some more
Apollinaris, Mrs. Montbeck? Shakes
peare has said that good wine needs
no BUSH permit me to corrupt it to
good water needs no stream
We'll. to continue. One sultry morn
ing as usual, l started out. The day
was as other June days-you can sup
ply the 'coloring.' l was leisurely
walking down the bosl1y country way,
when all at once espied two ladies
ahead of me, and as l looked, bull,
which was placidly grazing near saw
them, and, being very tame, started
toward them-in all kindness. assure
you, Mrs. Montbecl1. With shrill femi-
nine Shrek, they ran thither and yon,
and in wild desperation bolted toward
stubborn country fence. You can
imagine what rapid exit they made.
In one minute | had grasped the
situation. rushed forward, and tried
the Samson act. | have remarked be-
fore on the imbecilic eguanimity of the
animal in question, and | congratulated
myself that the late Booth could have
found no criticism in my acting. APP
parently, we had a fierce tussle; but,
finally, |, victor, drove him vanquished
off into fenced Enclosure, from which
he had doubtless strayed Then | di-
rected my attention to the ladies, who
| in sheer fright had witnessed my ter
rible fight for life
Eye gods! Propitious fate was mine;
for the regal beauty of Miss La Fargo,
with fitting background of her portly,
aristocratic mother, met my eyes.
Their thanks were more than the con-
ventional expression of gratitude, and
received them with a modesty becom-
+ ing man who had passed through
such ordeals as had been mine.
II discovered that they had come
down from town the previous evening,
and-again luck smiled on me-they
were domiciled in the cottage adioin-
ing mine. Proudly walked with them
down the village street, the happy
escort of the lovely girl at my side.
| My pulse was humping at an apo
plectic rate, and l was slowly begin
ming to dream that my hoodoo was
emerging from its chrysalis. Even as
l was congratulating myself on my
good fortune, huge dog, painting,
with lolling red tongue, came tearing
up the street, towards us. The people
ran hither and thither in widest
alarm, and screams of mad dog filled
the air. My companions were deathly
pale, and Miss La Farge's pallor
frightened me. The animal was max
ing directly for us, and, suddenly espy-
ing an open door, by which we were
passing, like lightning l showed the
ladies within, and endeavored to fol-
low them; but, with one helpless cry.
/ perceived that the dog was on me-
| These cheese straws are indeed excel
lent. Won't you have another, Mrs
Montbeck?
my grandfather always declared,
and |, too, became finally convinced of
the veracity of his statement, that
Oh, pardon me; am depressing, l adj
mit.-The dog? Yes; well, you see, l
ran around trying to evade him, de-
scribing all sorts of geometrical circles
indeed, my dear Mrs. Montbeck, my
speed was such that l found myself
looking at the back of my own neck all
of the time.
The dog finally grabbed newell,
under my coat and tore out volu-
minous sample of my tailor's latest
| goods. l was still going around in a
dizzy vortex, but throughout all the
pursuit the agonized faces of my recent
companions met my eyes. 1t seemed
| to me that the windows were lined
with the La Fargo countenances.-
What delicious patties! Fowl is most
appetizing this way!
We'll, to this day they think that l
J had most miraculous escape from a
rabid dog. l let them delude them
selves with the thought that it was
hydrophobia and not a mild dose of
poison from which the animal suffered
that day. Cautiously keeping my face
towards them, | finally bolted for the
door of the shop in which my friends
were, and quickly shut the door in the