Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-08-25

see which way 1t went, did your!
NO" | said "Is she addicted to
hunting monkeys?"
only the monkey" he replied. Il
used to do it once"
Dear mel" l said. cts fashionable
amusement in the neighborhood,
them"
NO" he answered mournfully. Il
was engaged to that girl once and that
beast of a monkey broke the engage
ment."
Were you," l asked, "cut out by
the monkey. them"
"A man." he said, must be very,
very young to make remark like
that"
who is she?" l inquired.
"Oh, she's Miss Tremaine," he said.
''I'll tell you the story, if you like. 1t
will be warning to you never to get
engaged to girl who keeps a mon
key"
AT present" said, there is no girl
of the sort in my minds eye. but it's
better'to be prepared for all emer-
gencies."
Il got engaged to Miss Tremaine,"
he said. about three years ago. l met
her at the tennis club and dances and
around the places generally here, but |
had never seen much Of her at home,
and l was unaware even Of the mon
keys existence. AS soon as we were
engaged l was introduced to Jacko. He
was a small monkey of ordinary ap-
pearance and was not at first sight
prepossessing, but in the Tremaine
household he was family fetch. It's
curious to notice the dominant in
fluence in different families. Some
times it's the baby, sometimes the but
Ter, sometimes first husbands men,
DRY and sometimes the daily paper.
But in this case JACKIE reigned supreme.
Captain Tremaine, who was dead, had
bought the beast, and it was concerned
in touching deathbed scene or some
thing Of the kind. At any rate Mrs.
Tremaine regarded it as a sacred relic
OF the dear deceased, and lavished all
her love and affection on it. / well
remember the first night saw JACKIE,
and discovered the habit that event.
ually wrecked an engagement. 1t was
a sitting evening and / suggested TO
Maud the desirability of opening win
dow. oh, no. she said, we never can
have the windows open in the evening.
Jacko would get out My first hint of
Jackos habits was enlarged by Mrs.
Tremaine's frequent and Objectionable
intrusions to inquire as to the beasts
whereabouts. A man in the first rap
ture of an engagement naturally dis
likes the inrushes of someone else in
pursuit of a monkey. The next morn
ing the nuisance increased. A servant
came round-they live a few doors
from hereto tell me that JACKIE had
just escaped and would help to catch
him? / found him about lunch time
after long and exciting chase. AS
seemed obvious, / caught him by the
tail, and the brute bit me and went on
for another half hour. Mrs. Tremaine
explained reproachfully that Jacko al
ways bit people who touched his tail.
For some months JACKIE continued
10 be nuisance at home and abroad.
When he escaped, which he managed
10 co about once week, / was expected
TO secure him. This generally hap
pened in the morning, when the win
dows were open and the tradesmen
were calling, and at first on these oc-
casions did not reach my chambers
till the afternoon. Afterward l be-
came quite an adept at catching him.
His plan Of campaign was to wait I'M
til his pursuer was quite close and then
jump about twenty yards. I bought a
large butterfly net with long handle,
and he never got the hang of that.
When / had discovered this invention
was comparatively happy, but wait
ed with dread for the time when JACKIE
should escape after dark, and l should
be compelled to hunt for the brute
through the watches Of the night on
the peril Of losing the regard of the
Tremaine family. JackO's nomadic
habits were, may explain, attributed
10 desire to find his dead master. At
last the event that l dreaded occurred
One cold winters evening JACKIE dis
appeared while the cook was interview
ing her favorite policeman at the back
door, and got well away. The cook re-
ceived a months notice on the spot,
and l was at once put on the track OF
the animal. Mrs. Tremaine was much
annoyed because l wished to put my
boots on before starting. and even
Maud seemed only anxious for the
monkeys health After tramping
through three or four miles of streets
experienced what at first / regarded
as unexpected good luck. The brute
came tearing round a corner and in a
second he was in the butterfly net.
was just preparing to return elated
that the run had been so mercifully cut
short, when a crowd also came around
the corner, headed by an angry and
breathless Italian. l soon discovered
the connection OF events. The Italian
could not speak much English, but
gathered that he claimed Jacko as his
monkey, his carrissimo monkey The
crowd. who had become excited in the
chase, and who imagined that | was
attempting to cheat a poor, ignorant
IN -atSv ~ In IL L..