The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-07-18
MRS. TREMAiNE'S MONKEY.

the street without her hat"
'Ah!" he said, coming to the window,
Il thought it must be she. She's catch
ing the monkey. l expect she misses
me now sometimes. You didn't see
which way it went, did your
NO." | said. rs she addicted to
hunting monkeys?'
only the monkey" he replied. II used
to do it once"
Dear mel" | said. It's fashion
able amusement in the neighborhood,
them"
NO" he answered, mournfully. II
was engaged to that girl once, and that
beast of monkey broke the engage
ment off"
"Were you," asked, "cut out by the
monkey, then?''
"a man," he said, must be very,
very young to make a remark like that"
"Who is she?' l inquired.
"Oh, she's Miss Tremaine,'' he said.
I'll tell you the story, if you like. twill
be warning to you never toget en-
gagged to girl who keeps monkey"
AT present" l said, there is no girl
of the sort i'll my minds eye, but it's
better to be prepared for all emergen-
cies"
Il got engaged to Miss Tremaine,' he
said, "about three years ago. l met her
at the tennis club, and dances, and
around the place generally here, but |
had never seen much of her at home,
and was unaware even of the monkeys
existence. As soon as we were engaged
| was introduced to Jacko. He was a
small monkey, OF ordinary appearance,
and was not at first sight prepossessing,
but in the Tremaine household he was
family fetch. It's curious to notice the
dominant influence i'll different fam
lilies. Some times it's the baby, some
times the butler, sometimes the first hus-
bands memory, and sometimes the daily
paper. But in this case. Jacllo reigned
supreme. Capt. Tremaine, who was
dead, had bought the beast, and it was
concerned in touching deathbed scene
or something of the kind. At any rate,
Mrs. Tremaine regarded it as sacred
itllt VI lht NiNbl bN'NdoNb, anu o'ioiNN
all her love and affection on it. we'll
remember the first night / saw Jacko,
and discovered the habit that eventual
ly 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
hare the windows open in the evening.
Jacko would get out My first hint of
Jacko's 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 some one else in
pursuit of a monkey. The next morning
the nuisance increased. A servant came
round they live few doors from here
to tell me that JACKIE had just escaped,
and would | help to catch him? found
him about lunch time, and overhauled
him after a long and exciting chase
As seemed obvious, l caught him by the
tail, and the brute bit me and went on
for another half hour. Mrs. Tremaine
explained reproachfully that JACKIE al
ways bit people who touched his tail
For some months JACKIE continued to
be nuisance at home and abroad
When he escaped, which he managed to
do about once a week, | was expected
TO secure him. This generally happened
in the morning, when the windows were
open and the tradesmen were calling,
and at first on these occasions did not
reach chambers till the afternoon
Afterward | became quite an adept at
catching him. His plan of campaign
was to wait till his pursuer was quite
close and then jump about 90 yards
l bought large butterfly net with a
long handle, and he never got the hang
of that When l had discovered this in
vention | was comparatively happy, but
| waited with dread for the time when
Jacko should escape after dark, and |
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 hab-
its were, may explain, attributed 10 a
desire TO find his dead master. At las;
the event / dreaded occurred One cold
winters evening JACKIE disappeared
while the cook was interviewing her IA
yorite policeman at the back door and
got well away. The cook received a
months notice on the spot and was
NJ once put on the track of the animal.
Mrs. Tremaine was much ANNOYED be
cause l wished to put on my boots be-
fore starting, and even Maud seemed
only anxious for the monkeys health.
After tramping through three or four
miles of streets | experienced what AZ
first | regarded as unexpected good
luck. The brute came tearing round a
corner. and in second he was in the
butterfly net. / was just preparing to
return, elated that the run had been so
numerically cut short, when a crowd
also came round the corner, headed by
an angry and breathless Italian. soon
discovered the connection Of events.
The Italian could not speak much Eng
lish, but ! gathered that he claimed
JACKIE as his monkey, his earrissimo
monkey. The crowd, who had become
excited in the chase, and who iruag-
ined that | was attempting to cheat
poor, ignorant foreigner out Of his only
solaee in strange land. demanded that
| should give the monkey up. The
vision of Maud's face. if the scared am
anal spent the night in the possession o.
sn Enthusiastically Italian. rose before
my eyes, and distinctiyely declined to
Tslinquish Jacko.