The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-05-08

IIe lifted the cover ocftly and tipped the
bowl over with a delicate pat. Three
Jumps rolled out on the fuzzy cloth Tom
wrinkied his nose and turned his green
fish. pop eyes alternately on the market
men. There isn't a rat i'm New York
that doesn't know that" he said I'VE
aren't" he stopped and bhnked his eyes
rapidly.
"Of course. II isn't every rat that knows
that you've got a bottle OF carbolic acid
I'm your vest pocket" AS he said this he
moved his chair away from the man 10
whom he spoke
The markctman pulled his coat open and
glanced at a white package tied with
pink string that protruded from his vest
pocket.
you saw that" ne exclaimed angrily.
Perhaps ] did," Tom twittcrcd airily;
perhaps / did"
"Of course ne did" said the other man
with o. cOntemptuous laugh.
Tom turned on him and showed hts
long. white teeth.
YOU" he said and shifted the air once
more. You keep a butter stand. but
there's never a rat ever knew you TO sell
butter"
With a rat-like squeak the little man
whisked back toward his own table. Half
way there ne turned back.
Gentlemen he said and HIS thin.
wheezy voice was very earnest. "thc only
fool rat you ever saw was a dead rat lie
was dead because he was a fool There's
never a rat yet that got killed by his own
fault There's never a rat yet fell into
a trap because he didn't know any bet.
ter. He may have been pushed On. He
may have been working with a partner
and the partner may have sprung the trap
on him. or he may have been tired Of
life
Don't YOU laugh. gentlemen There are
crooked rats and mean rats and rats that
don't follow the rule. But there are no
fools. When a rat Us caught doing some
thing outside the rule why then they try
him. lie don't know they're trying OF
him. It's when he amt around. II they
settle 10 against him. why he dies pretty
soon after that. His partner or his wife
does him up; springs a trap on him. or
blocks the hole when a dog is after him.
or does him any tricks at all that comes
under the rule. And if the partner didn't
do him up within a week. then they'd
both Of them go the same way. The
only way out IS for them 10 skip; swim
out into the bay and get on a ship from
another country. They amt safe on this
continent That's what / mean when /
say If you see a fool rat he's dead. He
amt a fool the way you are-we are. /
mean. He's n fool for not following the
rule"
His eye glittered and his voice trem-
bled with his earnestness as he continued
20 talk. The marketmen were not in
terested in rats. They didn't want TO lis
ten. but they couldn't help H. They sat
bolt upright I'm their chairs and watched
him for a full half hour Suddenly he
bounced sideways through the door and
went rafting up the stairs. The two mar
ketmen saw n terrier peerng through
the front entrance Of the restaurant.
with one impulse they stared toward the
upstairs door. calling 10 the dog. pointing
up the stairs and saying "Slc-em' Sic"
The dog sneered and turned away. The
two men stopped short and eyed one an
other for a long. long time. Then they
paid their checks in an absent-minded
way. Their fingers trembled as they
gathered up their change.
1T looks said the waiter 10 the CASH
Ter as they watched the two cross the
street TO the market. as II they'd both
been struck with the horrors at once"
The marketmen will tell you. II you can
ind them and persuade them to tell the