, 1900-01-15
TRACING DOWN A LIE.
Some Humorous Experience With Men
of Supposed Veracity.


The Whole Art of Lying; or, Mendac-
ity Without a Master said an anne
tour cyniC of this city, Il am going to
devote several chapters to substitute
witnesses. The easiest way in the
world for a perfectly honest man to
become %entangled in a complicated
mesh of untruth is to stand proxy for
another fellows veracity. Let me il
l~ustrate the point by a little experience
of my own. Not long ago a certain
gentleman of my acquaintance, who
has a well-earned reputation for
~scrupulOus eXactitude. told me a
marvellous story about an educated
dog that he had seen in a store in Roy
al street, and among other things de-
clared that the animal would bark
twelve times every day at noon. That
interested me greatly, for | have made
something Of a study of animal intel
Iigence and never discovered either
bird or beast that could count above
three. So | posted off Immediately to
see the dog. My friend gave me rather
vague directions, and | secured an area
of five or six blocks without finding
anybody who had ever heard of the
prodigy. That puzzled me. for it was
hard to believe that such a truthful
man had told a deliL crate lie, and |
went around to his office to do a lizzie
cross-eXamining. He was visibly en-
b~arrassed under my questions and f.
nally he broke down. The story is all
right he said, and the dog is really
there, but | stretched things a little
when | told you | saw him myself. It
was my cousin who saw the animal,
and he'll be glad to give you the par
t%iculars.' But what made you say you
saw him yourself?' l asked in surprise.
oh, WELL he replied, you didn't know
my cousin, and to lug him in would
have involved a lot of tiresome expla-
nation. So | just told the story at
first hand. But it's all right. l assure
you. Here is my cousins address,
Il called on the cousin at once" con-
tinued the speaker, and when | men
toned the dog he became enthusiastic.
He's the most wonderful creature |
V say he declared. Did you hear
about him barking twice." That re-as-
sured me. and ! asked tn" address. but
again the directions were rather misty.
I don't know much about the old quar-
ter he admitted. but its near so-and-
So and he named a familiar landmark.
Accordingly | started ont afresh. with
no better results than before, and re-
turned rather hot about the collar.
Look here!' I said, tell me frankly
did you see that dog yourself. or did
you merely hear about him. The
cousin turned several shades of pink
and tried to dodge the question, but |
pinned him down, and finally he on
fessed that he got it from Mike in
whose word he had implicit conf
dence. You see, you didn't know
Mike he began, and to lug him in
oh, yes | sneered. I understand all
about that, but the nan l want to see
now is Mike himself He is my por-
tar, cold rho co,sip ro+har soiat,,
I'll call him NJ once II vou,I, wait
Mike proved to be as good-natured
and i~rresnonsib,a an old fraud &c 7
laid ewes nm and he ren1iad to bis
masters ouastions with nerfect CON,
froid Had he seen the dog9 Sure
And a ~wonderfuI dog if WAS m bort
the time when the hands of the c,ocl,
were forninst - He had never seen
tha heat of If in his 1ifa Now 600
bera N;Le, ont In J,ve ooro on .uo
wild qoosa pyramids already and met IN
save time sunnoea vou toll ne riobt
row who told won ohou+ tbo. doc,
COL IooLiro stor.1ad cya. who ,o,d
Lrow ,orsoo.rr r,orI ,o, a;,n,.
hin, ,o,rsols, Nib n;,no o.
iobIr ~ ,. -, uoo,u
arc cor, ba otonmorod wal uho
uo 10, .,.o,oL d.. NJ
10 .o,,io uo,uata.,.
ao,,. n,ou
,ouo, hi,, or ~ ,S
cat, Hanaa-.,oauu
:, a,o.,,
made a special trim next morning TO
see the milkman, who wasn't French