The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-09

yOu -GObg AC--lCAl--CEuGS--
to = come -in-here-fr Broad
l. thought"
"Jawkinsi" / shouted, ''show the
next man in.'
The next man was a COlored man,
who was evidently employed in the
whitewashing business. He was white
everywhere except on his skin, and he
powdered lime all over my apartment.
"Jes' called t see bout that dorg,
mister" he explained, with grin:
Dogs gone" grunted.
''No, stree; no, he amt. 1 seed that
air preacher fellow a-wrestling with
the dorg, and done tole i'm he'd bet
ter drap him, case he's mine, N the
dorg's out there a-waitin' fer me now"
''Well, hang it all, go out and get
him, then. 1 don't care who gets him,
so long as some of you take him away"
"All right, sir; that dorg cert'nly am
mine, n Use gwine to have i'm"
Then a young lady with an abbrevi-
ated skirt and an affected manner
sidled into my room.
Thank you so much," she giggled,
"for advertising my FidO. You know
lost him while was shopping in the
Baltimore store last Friday. Dear lit
tie fellow, do hope you've fed him.
/ know he won't eat meat. We always
give him bread and milk. I'd like to
pay you for your trouble, and how
much did the advertisement cost? I
suppose III have to pay that?"
''Miss," I said, there's some mis-
take. The dog I've advertised is not
named FidO. do not know what his
name is, but it's not Fido. AS for feed
ing him bread and milk, this dog has
.caSen two dollars worth of porterhouse
steak and"
''Well, do think the police ought to
get after these people who put mislead-
ing advertisements in the papers.
suppose they're too busy 'arresting
gamblers to pay any attention to these
confidence men; if my brother were
here, he'd show you how to-"
"Jawzins,' - 1 shouted, 'show the lady
out"
beg pardon, sir, f" said Jawkins, with
a suspicion of a smile. There's seven
boys of varying ages, about sc men,
nine women and a policeman waiting
in the front yard to see you, sir; 1 be-
lieve it's in regard to an advertise
ment."
20, Lord!" calculated. "Show up
the most respectable, Jawlins.'
II was a middle-aged woman of
hard visage that came in, and took
the most comfortable chair in the
place.
''Would you mind throwing that
nasty cigar down." she said, looking at
me from over her spectacles. 81 can't
abide smoke"
Certainly, madam" I said, throw
ing my cigar in the fireplace. what
can do for you? Did you come about
the lost dog?"
81 came, sir, as the representative of
the Associated Workers in the Cause
of Right Living, to ask you for sub
scription to-"
'Madam, never subscribe thus early
in the morning." replied.
"They're still a-cOming, sir" broke
in Jawlins.
They were coming indeed!
They came on foot, in carriages, in
farm wagons, in buggies. Each street
car that stopped by my door dis
charged half dozen or more passen-
gers, who rushed pelI-men to my gar
den, which was by this time seething
mass of humanity. AS went to the
front porch and looked out over the
sea of faces, 1 could hear many in the
crowd calling some one a "swindler," +"
'cheat," and saying: Don't believe
he's got any dog" IT'S all put-up
game, - ''He ought to be arrested" and
similar remarks.
I sneaked back into the front hall
way. "Jawkins," said, ''where is that
dog?"
THAT minister's trying to coax him
out of the stable, sir" was the reply.
went back to the stable and
found the collie still tied there, but he
was getting excited at the noise out
side and at the strange manner of the
| Theosophist, who was, believe, try
ing to hypnotic him. Under my in
structions, Jawlzins loosened the chain,
and the dog, with a savage snarl,
sprang at the Theosophist, who turned
and fed. So did I. The dog caught the
minister before he had gone very far,
and took good taste of theosophical
blood; then he turned on the darl5y
and got a mouthful of whitewash, and
then, catching a glimpse of the large
crowd, he ran around the house, and,
with battle cry in his throat, sailed
| in.
I was so excited and SO exaspefated
at the events of the morning that for
got myself, and in the midst of the
melee found myself shouting: "Sic
'em, Tige! Take 'em, old man! Good
doggie! Sic 'em! Sic!"
The crowd parted, wavered, fled, and
the dog, hoarse with much barking,
lay down on the front lawn, right in
the midst of a bed Of Gala lilies, and
painted with exhaustion.
Hes mad" went up the cry,
The street cars had stopped, the
whole street in front OF my house was
filled with an excited mob, breathing
dire vengeance on my devoted head.