Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-02-04

! Julia was madly devoted to art. She
wore new" garments and "new"
modes of hair; but they all became
her, though hideous on any other girl.
With aunt's $500 a year, she had money
to scrape along on. Literature was
my rope of fortune. / had enough
to keep myself in bread and cheese
and the dog in bones.
But fellow requires other things
than mere necessaries. / yearned for
Julia. Thrice / made an effort to see
her, and thrice wrote. All in vain.
had the wretched bulldog as com
pensation and nothing more.
Now in the third or fourth week /
began to experience the joys of being
master of such brute as Strong. He
had to be kept in my own room, if
You please, be cause there was no yard.
While 1 was in it was all right he
would sit watching me as humble as
dog could be. But the moment was
free of the house he would bark and
rave and keep it up until returned
OF course ] got served with sum.
monses on behalf Of the nuisance.
All this time l was without explicit
intelligence Of Julia. twas madden
ing. To think of this poor, dear way
ward child alone, as it were Though
not Quite in great city, consuming
her own pride. For l felt, you see,
that she really still loved me as loved
her. And yet not one word could
get from the worthy, devoted old
housekeeper who looked after her.
But one evening, when many weeks
had passed aud had bred a wrinkle
on my brow, who should come to see
me but Mrs. Green hersef-this same
good housekeeper
"'Tis no good talking, Mr.. Viii
loughby," she burst forth, "and for
nobody that lives will / see my dear
Miss Julia breaking erprecious heart
least of all cat"
$50 on, Mis-. Green" urged, and
she went on.
"The times we've had, sir, I'd never
have believed possible, and all along
of that Sweet wretch. You're ac-
quainted with the animal, Mr.. Will
loughby, but not as she's grown up
of late. There's an evil spirit in that
beast not fit for q decent person to
live with-aud least of all a tender
young lady like Miss Julia"
"You are extremely right, Mrs.
Green, extremely" 1 remarked. TELL
me more"
"The very last thing, sir, was the
scratching of the liking of Scotland"
from head to foot and him ready to
be sent to the academy. six weeks
hard work and all for nothing!' my
young lady sobbel and said, appointing
at the cat, which lay purrin' like the
evil hypocrite she is. There's nothn'
safe from the false great object. And
the milk it drinks and the dainty bits
it does steal-why, it's s. week
damage it does one way or another,
if you'll believe me, Mr.. Willoughby.
81 believe eve word you say, my
dear Mrs. Green" 1 repl ed. ''Look
at that other object"
Ipointed at Strong as l spoke and
made click with my tongue, Strong
obeyei that click, He stole, growing
towards Mrs. Green, who jumped up,
screamed and fed, But | arrested her
outside and took her by the arm and
whispered in her large red ear and
was so glad that could have kissed
her, though she carries much hair on
her upper lip and unequivocal down
on her chin.
''We will go in cab" said | at
length, when had soothed her. And
on the way convinced her that my
plan was reasonable one and that
she Mrs. Green would be far more
comfortable and opulent as house
keeper to two souls than as house.
keeper to one soul and demon cat.
And in the street, where Julia gives |
conservation to the atmosphere, l first
pressed dollar into the dear creatures |
palm and then set her on the pave
ment.
Then back / drove to my rooms to
find that Strong had, in playful fit,
reached down my collection Of foreign |
stamps lin a $50 album and divided |
it into an incalculable number of
parts. But for once / did not curse
the pretty creature.
Good old dog" I said, as patted
him on the head. And he wagged his
ugly tail and straightway proved his
goodness by swallowing British
Guinea stamp of 1855 worth IS and
scraping to morsels its fellow worth
$40.
That night dreamed many dreams
in which Julia, Mrs. Green, the dog
Strong and the cat Sweet were strange.
ly mingled. But awoke refreshed,
NEVERTHELESS for I uas fnll of homo