The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-08-10


just as he loafed in a public house bal
the dog did the rest.
You talk about acting-I only wish
you could have seen old Billy'S dog
That animal combined the intelligence
of a senior wrangler with the SNUG
hypocrisy of Chadband. He could
look miserable and salt starved, walk
dead lame, and go blind one minute
and next time you met him he would
be going through a long and compiled
| ted performance with unnatural activ-
ity and dash.
| I suppose the shifty, rowing life had
weakened the dogs moral nature; but
can only say that he rose to heights of
I deception which I thought were only
possible to human beings. He would
shoulder arms march to war" and
"die for his country" In the presence of
district visiting old woman with such
ohaste aid of pious resignation that
| have seen tears trickling down the
! spectators cheeks. In some curious
way that abandoned old dog could sug-
| gest holy martyrdom combined with a
desire for social reform just when he
| liked.
| I remember seeing an old woman so
carried away by the dogs air of noble
patience that she gave old Billy six
pence, and then CROPPED kindly in her
bag for a biscuit for the dog. Whether
she was SO overcome with emotion that
she didn't notice what she was doing I
can't say, but instead of producing a
biscuit she handed the animal tenn
perance tract, entitled shall 1 Get
Drunk To- night?"
The dog rose to the occasion superbiy.
To be sure, when she CROPPED in her bag
there was slightly worldly look in his
eyes, which reminded me Of the express
sion on a parsons face when the plate
is being carried round; but when the
tract was produced the old missionary
expression returned, and with a glance
at the heading he carried 1t to his mas
ter and wagged his tail
I regret to add that as soon as the old
womans back was turned Alcibiades
led the way to q public house.
But when Alcibiades went through
his performance in music hall his
manners were quite different The look
of noble resignation gave way to one OF
rackless and diabolical enjoyment
There was sly twinkle In his eye that
suggested comic songs with double
meanings, and he seemed to be on the
point Of telling yarn compared with
which a French farce would be inno-
cent and pure.
l am confident that if the abandoned
expression on the dogs face had once
caught the attention Of the county
council they would have refused to re-
new the license Of every hall where he
appeared
Several years elapsed between the
breaking up of our provincial melodra-
ma and nay next encounter with Billy
and his dog. / believe they rubbed
along in their usual fashion. Alcibi-
AIDES was dog of some resource.
When things were very bad, he was
capable of abstracting piece of
meat from butchers shop and bring
ing 1t in triumph to Billys lodgings
His master would then gravey reprove
the dog and cook the meat
Once Billy sold him to young dog
trainer, who thought Alcibiades would
exercise a good moral influence over
HIS youilSitf pupiiSs Liz piiNS Nto SSN
upon was Ave pounds. but within a
week Billy bought the old sinner back
for twenty shilings, the reason being
that Alcibiades not only obstinately re-
fused to perform tricks of any kind for
a stranger. but displayed his annoy |
ance at things in general by killing
fox terrier.
/ came across them again at Brigh- |
ton. Billy and his dog were giving |
brief performances on the beach They
both looked little older, and a little |
,vickeder Poor old Billx was going |
down hill rapidly. Strange as it may |
sound he was man~of high education.
and lad once held a good appointment
as master in public school. The
downfall had been brought about by
he usual causes. and now he had de-
generated into thorough vagabond.
1t was rather pitiable spectacle TO
see the good natured, weak old fellow
md his dog going through the same
ricks; Alcibiades looking as pious and
,igilant as ever, but little srore rag
red, and a trife stiff in the Joints.
But it was here that Alcibtades put
he finishing touch to a remarkable ca
eer. 1t was a browning strcle OF d.
,lomacy and sagacity, for which at
east three people owe him an everlast-
ng debt oe gratitude.
1t happened that at that time was
working extremely hard to win the af-
ections CO certain young woman,
Who weighed me in the balance with
judicial exactness which was rather
xasperating.
However. we hal at least one COM
1on peculiarity-a profound respect |
or dogs-and when I told her of Alc'-
fades and his master who were then
erforming on the beach, and how, at
ne time, / had been their comrade and
she was delighted I had
ather feared that her fastidious little {
hind might have been shocked at the ]
otion of having once been intimate s
18th such a pair oe vagabonds, but on | 6
ne contrary, she was rather pleased. {
think she considered it a great honor 6
~ any man to be intimate with such
og as Alcibiades. Y
When we arrived on the scene Aci- I
ladies' was extremely busy balancing
japanese umbrella on the end Of his r
ose. He winked at me and dropped Y
lie umbrella, but redeemed his repu- h
ltion by playing a concertina. As q
ION as old Billy saw I had arrived, v
nd was accompanied by a lady, he U
ldged it a favorable moment to take
|, a collection So Alcihiades was sent |