The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-09-18

ing for herself. She had the courage
of dozen men in her slender body and
was only withheld from rash plebeian
enterprise by her loyalty to the great
Van Caters line.
Muggins was rather nice to Marie.
True, he affected her society when she
didn't want him and deserted her when
she most needed consolation, yet he
paid considerable attention to her COM
mands and came to her after his battles
to be bathed, healed and lectured
Van Caters, perhaps, might have ex-
planned this partiality. Marie had not
been anxious to make Muggins' ac-
quaintance. Indeed. Muggins had
been obliged to Introduce himself. He
entered into Marie's room one day and
seized pair of slippers Marie shrek
ed and Muggins fed down the hall, his
mouth full of red morocco. Marie pur-
sued and caught him just outside Van
Caters door.
Van Caters, hearing the scuffie,
rushed out and was astonished to find
Marie kneeling on the PROSTATE Mug
gins and pommeling him violently with
both little fists. Muggins was snarling
like fiend, and his face was screwed
up like a withered apple, but protect
himself he could not unless he gave up
his prey, and relinqulsh it he would not
while life lasted and anyone opposeu.
So Marie continued to beat him.
Van Caters grasped Marie by one
thin little wrist and drew her to her
feet She was crimson and out of
breath, and more than little ashamed
of herself.
81 hope haven't hurt you, Gerard"
she said, apologetically.
Van Caters could have roared but
he asked very seriously what Muggins
had done.
''Stole," said Marie briefly.
Van CATERS looked, but was unable
to ascertain the nature of Muggins'
mouthful.
Something valuable?"
"To me, yes,' said little Marie, with
a sob in her throat, and then she turned
and hurried away.
Muggins started after her, his big
under jaw hanging. Then he let the
slipper fall and followed her silently.
apologetically, his bullet head dropped
upon his massive chest. Marie slam
med the door in his face, and Muggins
sat down outside. Presently he began
to claw energetically at the woodwork,
and Marie opened the door on a crack.
Muggins frisked grotesquely and paw
ed the door. 1t was opened a little
wider and Muggins shot in
"By Jove, that's bright dog" de-
clared Van Caters, picking up the dis
colored object from the floor. 'If it
isn't one of the Turkish slippers I
bought Marie at the fool bazaar last
summer. Well. WELL" and Van Caters
walked into his room, reflective, and
set the poor, little, mangled slipper In
the place of honor on the mantelpiece.
He had never noticed Marie very
much, but he always had been kind to
her in a careless way. Now he noticed
her great deal, for there seemed to be
something uncanny in her ascendency
over Muggins. His own attempt to
discipline the beastly bull pup had
been a dismal failure, and here was
little Marie ordering the brute about
as she pleased. He tried to find out
her methods, but Marie was reticent on
the subject and so was Muggins.
Still Muggins relapsed from grace
occasionally. Once when he ate Marie's
best hat Van Caters heard Of 1t and
wanted to buy her another, and little
Marie refused, almost rudely. to allow
1t. There was never more astonished
ri 10; xr,I,a h,
found he had fallen In love with little
Marie, except when he Informed little
Marie that he wanted to marry her and
Marie refused him out and out. The
little thing even seemed to take a cold
delight in his discontinue. Only when
Van Caters sulkily announced his in
tention of going abroad and forgetting
her she offered to take charge of Mug
gins.
So Muggins went down to Long ISL
and by boat along with little Marie
and the particular Van Caters aunt
with whom she was to spend the sum-
mer.
No word came from Marie, but his
aunt wrote Gerard a letter of grievance
against Muggins. Muggins had dis
graced himself. Marie had bribed the
mate of the steamboat to take charge
of Muggins for the night, and the man
had chained Muggins to the leg of the
lower berth in his stateroom.
Muggins had promptly chawed-no
other word expresses Muggins method
-chawed it through and when the mate
turned in at $3.50 in the morning he
found Muggins peacefully snoring in
the lower berth with his head on the
pillow. The man was afraid to wake
Muggins, and afraid to climb over him
to the upper berth, so he turned the
quilt over Muggins ana, In his own
words:
"Chucked him out. An he runs all
over de boat and in ter de ladies' cabin
and scares de wimmen half ter det',
till d. engineer catches him and makes
him fast ter der capstan."
The capstan had been freshly paint
ed vermilion, and in the morning Mug
gins was a CORY horror. The monster
refused to get into the carriage which
awaited them at the landing, and none
of the deck hands would go near him,
so little Marie had to boost him In her.
self.
Van Caters didn't go to Europe at
all. He went down to Long Island in
stead. His aunt was surprised to see
him walk in one hot day.
''Wellp' said the aunt.
81 came down." said Van Caters, ''to
look after Muggins."
''Muggins is out walking now," said
his aunt, land Marie is with him, be.