The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-20
The DOCS UNDERSTUDY.
BY BARRY PAIN.
"sores and Inteude 'raeme cyri' Etc. Etc
Copyrighted. 1885, by Barry Pain


that nasty-tempered fox terrier dog of
William Sake's with 'er. She may ave
stole it. or contrariwlse she may not
Girls that neither regard their clothes
nor what their elders and betters says
10 them is as likely TO steal as they is
not. She wouldn't answer no questions
of mine. so ! just showed the dog away
and got snapped at Tor my pains. Then
/ told 'er as / should take er 'ome TO 'er
mother. So / took 'er by the harm and
Brought 'er, as you see. 'Ow you Will
deal with 'er is for you to say"
Mrs. Ointment was a very large wo-
man. tall. fat and middle-aged. She
moved slowly, talked slowly. She was at
once lethargic and meddling-rarely hot
tempered. and never good-humoured.
She was mildly and perpetually unpleas-
ant. She was very sure that she did her
duty, and as a matter 81 iact s4e re-
Quently did the duty OF other people. ohe
had sense THAI she had done IL on the
present occasion. and deserved TO resi-
after IL. she leaned against the gate OF
Airs. Myseys little cottage garden. Inc
gate creaked but endured. The capacily
Tor enduring-eVen admirluS-Mrs- Ofll-
ment was not uncommon IN the Nlllage.
on the other side Of the gate stood MIS-.
Mysey with the culprit that Mrs. Orll-
ment had delivered over to her The cul-
prit, Violet Mysey, was ~ enid OF Il. ohe
had brown hair, eyes that looked very
blue and rather rebellous, and a good
complexion. over the complexion 5he
was wearing a certain AMOUNT of mud
Mrs. Mysey looked harassed and apollo
sets .t5:r,, much OBLIGED 70 Won indeed I
am, Mrs. Ointment. Won't you come ~
and set down a minnit or two? i IN sure
'ots no wurd fur this weather. And you
"Shortness Of breath is what always
was troubled with, and always shal be
until hail troubles IS over. No, otil coIne
in, thanking you kindly ior the thougnt
of it,. Leanin' up against this gate eases
the lungs as much as setun, an lheh l
'aVent a moment. l must be on again
to my work; there's only Haynes leIt
i'm the shop, and / needn't tell you what
Agnes was, among other things. Mrs.
Oriments unmarried sister. when Orn-
ment died the widow soon began 10 feel
the want of some human being by her
side whom she could be continually inn
proving and setting right. So Agnes came
''Voylut.' aid Mrs Aysey. when Mrs.
Ointment departed painting down the road,
why couldn't you harnswer Mrs. Orli-
ment when she spoke TO your
"She amt my mother"
mo, but l ham; SO Jest you tell me
what you've been doing Of to get yourself
Il saw William Lake in the village"
AYE I'll be bound you did Anywhere
except at his work you might md Will
He was taking a job home, two pairs
EOleQ an elou fur the NlCdTdEe. An i
told him that the rats in the ditch in
Chalk Lane was something shockin. SO
e said that ! could ave the dog If l
liked, but ed got no ferrets. Me and
the dog got four rats any 'ow."
Big 'uns?" asked Mrs Mysey, who
hated rats.
when ] was after the little 'un that /
slip up, and come down on my face. These
is my worst clothes, and they'll brush.
AS for my face, I'm willin, to wash Il.
She needn't have actid, as If I'd chucked
myself down a muddy bank fur the pleas
ure Of -
well. another time when you sees Mrs.
Ointment, you be civil to 'er. Now you
take and clean yourself"
Violet retire in the direction OF the
pump at the further end of the garden.
Her mother stood at the gate Cor mo-
ment, refectively
I'm my cart of carts" she said, I'm
inclined to think that Mrs. Ointment Is a
aggeTivater."
As Violet lay in the sun to dry her hair.
she also reflected upon the personal char
acter of Mrs, Ointment. 1t occurred to her
that il would be a very beautiful and de-
sirable thing if she could get even with
that lady.
In the meantime. Mrs. Ointment was go
ing slowly and stentorously homeward.
she was wondering what mistakes Agnes
had made during her absence, and how
Agnes could best be made to feel that
they were really mistakes. Suddenly a
streak of white shot out from behind
bush; ii was William Sake's fox terrier,
in the act Of going for Mrs. Ointment.
When the terrier had got within a yard
or two. of the desired ankles. he pulled
himself up suddenly; he executed a series
of manueVers, circling round the ankles,
rushing at Them retreatng from them
to make fresh incursions As he did this
ne barked and grOwled furiously, as be-
fitted a dog who mad been insulted there
by causing Mrs. Ointment much annoyance
ana nervousness. she shook her umbrella
threateningly at him, and he only barked
the worse. There was nothing for il but
10 strike. She struck. She hit the high
road a terrible blow on a spot that the
terrier had evacuated a fraction of
second previously. The dog rushed around
TO the back, took one mOuthful out of the
hem of her skirt. and ran off. She eX-
amlned the umbrella and found that she
had broken it. "Ho-very we'll" said Mrs
Ointment well see what William Sake's
got to say to this"
She found William Sake bending over
his work in his cottage. He was a cob
bier, of an independent mind.
Mornln Mr.. Sake, said Mrs Ointment
''Mornin'. ma am" said William. Re
garded as woman, William Sake de-
tested Mrs Orliment. Regarded as a
and not more than civil-to her or to
well. Mr.. Sake" said Mrs. Ointment,
Elstow that if there is a man as knows
the law Of the land. hupside an down
hinside ana out, it is you.
Even the best of us-those with the
most Independent minds-have as a rule
one weak point William weak point
was his belief-unkind people might have
called it his delusion-that he knew all
the subtleties and intricacies of the law
He had some reputation in the village on
this point, just as he also had some no.
toriety on the score of his irregular, in
dependent, and eccentric habits.
well MAJ am" William confessed
there's more than one in Elstow as has
saved himself siX-and-eight by taking Of
my advice. l don't deny it..
Then what?" asked Mrs. Ointment.
very meaningly and no longer ingratiat-
ingly, might 'appen to be the law of
this land with regard to them as keeps
ferocious dogs. and lets 'em loose on the
queens highway, to the detriment of la
dies Walking2"
1.-The law on that point" said William.
lis complicated. II as nothing to do
with me, as 1 only keeps an inherent
terrier dog, for which ] holds "a license
direct from the Inland Revenue and can't
be interfered with. But if you happen
TO own ferocious dog, 1 should say
you'd better shoot it.
me own a ferocious dogi The asper-
sions of the man! It's your terrier I'm
speaking of"
My terrier never bit nobody
He snapped at me twice, and he tore
my gown this very morning. He's a bad
tempered dog. I've card il said before
now that e gets out of nights worryin'
the sheep. And if you can't be compelled