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

AuntS are Olten OulOuSly eccentric
persons. The idea had occurred to me
even while Aunt Maria Markham was
alive. After her death l was convinced
of il.
So was poor, dear Julia, though cir
cumstances thanks to Aunt Markham)
withheld her from informing me Of the
fact.
BY Aunt Maria's will I was 10 have
the brute of bulldog and Julia the
cat. The conditions were that with
each quadruped the legatee was to re-
ceive $500 per annum. This sum to
be paid M long as the cat and dog re-
spectively enjoyed life in this terres-
trial sphere, and afterwards also for
our respective lives (Julia's and mine)
if the said quadrupeds eventually died
natural deaths.
1t was simply iniquitous-for sew
eral reasons.
To begin with, Strong, "a the bull
dog was called, had frightful teeth aud
a yet more frightful temper. Ishould
think aunt had paid hundreds of dol.
lars in hush-money TO folks whose
flesh and blood the brute had tasted
to say nothing Of trousers, dress skirts
and hose.
Sweet, rs the cat was named, was
an enormous object, with enormous
claws. Its temper was really not bad.
But once aroused, Sweet was a demon
nothing less. In aunt's time / had
seen this great tiger of cat stroll care
lessly into the yard where Strong was
chained and there lay itself down to
rest just three feet from the limit of
Strong's tether. The sight of the dog
when it happened was pathetic. But
it didn't trouble Sweet. The cat lay
half curled, with its green eyes on
Strong, and ] would not have put odds
on the bulldog if they could have had
a straight set-to without any favor.
Visitors loathed Sweet. She pos.
sessed lazy, cool way of clawing up
n fellows legs and yawning while she
hung on to the skin. And no Lady
was safe from her. Be the dress ma
terial what it might-from cambria TO
satin--Sweet was bound TO assault it
on the sly.
But all this was comparatively moth
ing to the great hardship Of all.
In jest had more than once told
Julia that had told Aunt Maria that
she (Julia) was the only person ii. to
take charge Of such dear treasure rs
Sweet in case of sad happenings.
Really, | had done no such thing. but
Julia now dsbelieved my solemn as.
severations.
81 will accept Aunt Markham's
charge" she said, "bnt we must never
see each other again, you and /.
We were cousins, you know, and
rather better than engaged, imagined.
l could previous to aunt's demise)
have conceived the collapse of the
heavens, but not Julia's reputation
of our joint future.
And so she fetched Sweet aud in.
stalled the slick demon in her dear
studio, aud | was left to console my.
self with that more than demon, Strong,
the bulldog.
II was understress OF this treatment
by Julia that did thing that now
seems to me superhuman.
''Please, sir, " said my aunt's house
keeper, when | contemplated the dog
that was mine, II don't know how
you'll get him to your rooms, nor
what you'll do with him when You
get him there. Since the poor missus'
death he has been something awful"
"Oh, he has, has hep" said l, staring
like one fascinat, III at his awkward,
broad chest.
/ walked off there and then--driven
by rage and the thought of Jula-and
came to an old curiosity shop. Here
there was complete suit Of rusty ar
NOR, not too heavy for an athlete of
my build. arranged to borrow that
armor, put il on in aunt's own parlor
aud then with my rhinoceros hide stick
walked up to the lair Of the dog.
Mean il may have been. l care not.
For 30 minutes l smote Strong
until there was no bite left in him.
He bestowed many tooth marks and
scratches on the armor, but that didn't
hurt me. And when the 20 minutes
were past he rolled over on his ugly,
great back and wagged his short tail.
Then did slip off my armor and 60 |
boldly up to the dog. 1t licked my
hands. 1 had conquered, and 1 knew
that Strong would thenceforward,
II need were, die for me. But l |
hated it more than ever, for never
more than at this moment did feel
ike wanting a smile from my dear
Julia.