The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-20
A Poodle and a Presentiment.

| r1bboned apprenticeship 10 Ine Idlr SEA
1 have come to the conclusion that women
are queer "kittle cattle" so
! TO speak
Both my last two mistresses have been
full of feminine weaknesses, and the for
mer parted not only my hair bur with me,
and simply because she became engaged
to man who did not like dogs.
Men who do not like dogs should never
be encouraged; they are much worse
than men who do not like music.
I am not particularly partial to music
myself.
My present mistress bought me from
an equally senseless motiye-because she
wanted black dog TO match her mourn
! ing. What reason! Thank goodness she
has taken to coIors again now, and
wear a blue ribbon during the week and
a scarlet one on Sundays, not that
consider scarlet at all an appropriate COL
or to wear on the Sabbath
My mistress is engaged to be married
re-engaged, may say, for she is a wild
ow, and young and pretty one. too.
He" Is rather nice, a bit of a prig,
perhaps, and ignorant about poodles, but
fearfully clever about scientific things.
| He can read the palms of peoples hands
and he casts their-what is it?-yes, hor-
| . u, L
see poodles know most things. He has
presentiments, and he foretold the death
of my mistress elder brother. But this
! kind Of knowledge isn't at all the kind
| Of cleverness she appreciates She admires
man who knows how to enjoy the pres
ent without bothering his head about the
| future, and his continual presentiments
are what human beings call bone Of
contention" between them-but it amt
| the sort of bone I should care about
| goodies, being fashionable, always use
the word "ain't'D
| L think from what have noticed that
| my mistress and her lover are fond of
! pne another, only she is what Is called a
modern woman, and she thinks it bad
form to be too affectionate. The day
before yesterday he came in just after
we had finished breakfast; ne seemed in
rather hurry. She was busy writing
| letters, but when she caught sight of his
| face she sprang to her feet and said anx-
iously: What ever is the matter, Lii
| onel, dear? How dreadfully worried you
| lookr
| How women jump to conclusions!
| feel sure she thought he had lost his
money-but he hadn't. 1t was something
quite different. He went up to her, and,
taking hold of her hands, said: 80, my
darling, 1 have had such a terrible
Dream Che is always dreaming about
something or other), and want you to
| promise me that you will not go to the
theater tonight
She stared hard at him and then laugh
ed-rather rudely, I thought
why on earth not?" she asked, raising
her eyebrows. Another presentiment?
hnu SfII nd
she laughed again.
But he only looked solemn, and said,
quite sternly: Don't laugh, Nell, dar-
ling; 1 dreamt last night that the Ouch
ess Theater had been burned down and
there had been most CHASTITY panic. o.
it was awful, Nell; and 1 beg you will
not go there tonight" and his face grew
quite pale as he spoke
She pouted. .'tHow can you be so stu
pid, Lionel?" she said. But he began to
kiss her and implore her not to go, and
he knelt beside her, and-well, you know
how men go oni-I turned away and pre-
tended to go to sleep on the mat After
a lot of coaxing she promised to stay at
home; but she wasn't overpieased, and
evidently thought his dreams great rub
bish, because she told him they bored
her
We spent dull evening and she slap
ped me twice simply because she was
cross at having to stay in alone-yet she
had refused to allow him to come to din
ner
Thenext morning we were just going
out for a drive, when her sister came in
to see us. She had a newspaper in her
hand, and she seemed quite excited.
go, my dear Nell" she cried, st am so
glad to see you are safe; what a mercy
you were not at the Duchess Theater
last night! There was terrible fire and
such panic, and the whole place has
been burned down"
81 am not in the least surprised" an
swered my mistress calmly.
Not surprised" echoed her sister.
"Why, what do you mean, Nell?"
Lionel foretold 1.-THE dreamt IT," said
my mistress rather despondently.
Her sisters face fell.
Ibid she reaIly?' she said. How I'M
pleasant of him, Nell! Does he always
foretell things?'
My mistress nodded her head.
Eyes, believe So" she answered.. You
know. he told US about Jacks accident,
and it came quite true; isn't It uncan-
ny?'
It's worse, my dear, It's awkward"
she replied. For he will be able to fore
see all your f1irtations."
"Ah, never thought Of that" answered
my mistress musingly. and l shifted.
Soon after that her sister left: and she
sat for quite an hour thinking before
we went out, and never spoke 10 me once
during the whole Of our drive.
In the afternoon "he" called on US.
He was looking pleased with himself. I
must own I was not surprised. for he had
practically saved her life. and OF course
it was only natural that he should be
pleased at being in the right. although
so many people had been unfortunately
burnt.
However, he soon lost his spirits. She
came into the room looking pretty in a
black-and-blue sort Of a tea coat. or tea
something. and 1 had on a ribbon to
match. I was looking forward to seeing
some fun, and quite expected she would
ding herself into mis- arms as my last mis-
tress, who was one of the loving kind.
would have done, and say: Darling, how
nm I to thank you for saving my life?
May I devote mine 20 you forever" or
something Of that sort. But she hasn't
an ounce Of sentiment in her. and she on
" waved him in dignided way towards
= NLiGAAF anu SdtA QtlEN4Er d iltuS4 she
were Ionly asking him to dinner: Ny
dear Lionel. you were right. and I was
wrong not 10 believe you. and an sorry:
but all the same I cannot marry YOU
now You should have seen him jump
nearly as high as the cat I surprised IN
the area yesterday-and he cried: What.
NeHi Q, NeIli You cannot mean Il,
darling You could not be so cruel
She nodded Yes. I could" she SAID.
Don't look 50 tragic. dear boy" she ad-
ded pleasantly. n the same sweet tone