The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1902-08-30
~sure thing

be yours?" The, boy grinned again
and guessed not, whereupon Billin-
ger, with many admonitions TO Sc
crecy, unfolded his plot.
| The details of the conspiracy are
not important. Suffice it to say
that one rainy morning about ten
days later the boy appeared at Bill
linger's Office in John street with Q
much-bedraggled and altogether re-
bellious Chicot, whom an .office boy
was straightway deputed to tie to
the safe in Billinger's sanctum.
"Well done, good and faithful serv-
ant" said Billinger solemnly to the
butchers boy. Behold, now, vir-
tue is rewarded" And he gave his
fellow conspirator more money than
he had ever seen at any one time in
his life. did you report the mel
ancholy loss to Miss Mayhew?"
"Yep," replied the immoral youth,
81 suppose there was no end of a
row."
"Orful," admitted the boy. "She
swore she'd have me pinched-"
"Pinched?" said Billinger reprov-
ingly.
81 mean arrested, an / t'ink she
would, on'y I promised me kid brud-
der q dollar t'swear he seen der pup
git away frum me a. run down der
street after annudder dawg."
Just then Billinger's telephone
rang violently and Billinger took up
the receiver.
eyes," he said. who's this,
please? Oh! Miss Mayhem! De-
lighted, I'm sure. How can serve
you? What? Lost, you say? Not
really? How did it happen?"
A long pause, in the course OF
which Billinger glanced grimly at
Chicot. The latter, observing the
glance, showed his teeth and growled
sullenly. ~
Panic-stricken lest the sound should
travel over the wire, the guilty man
hastily averted his gaze and said:
"Of course, you will advertise for
him? Yes, of course, at once-yes-
1 shall be glad to serve you-Ill send
an 'ad' to all the morning papers at
once. No-no-yes, should think,
here his voice became sardonic, in
spite of him-"I should think 500
would be ample reward-quite ample
I'm SO sorry-so very sorry-good.
by, good-by." And he hung up the
receiver and rubbed his hands glee.
fully.
"Wen?" he demanded Of the boy
who, like the lamb of blessed mem.
DRY, still fingered patiently about
what are you waiting for?"
"Carfare," said the boy. II d
wanter break me bill" He got 1t and
departed joyfully.
Y Billinger glanced triumphantly at
the captive Chicot and went out to
luncheon in high spirits. "What
will do to that pestiferous pup" said
he to himself, "will be what the ETH
quette books describe as a genteel
sufficiency."
Alas for Billinger. While he was
treating himself handsomely at q
neighboring cafe, who should drop In
at his Office but the hated Patterson
whose partner had a law case in Bill
inger's hands?
"Not IMP" said Patterson to the
head clerk. "All right. I'll just leave
these papers on his desk" pushing
open the door and entering Billin
gers private Office. The first object
that met his astonished gaze was the
form of the mud-bespattered Chicot
Now it happened that Patterson, too
had received by telephone the awful
news of Chicot's taking OF. Funny
thing" he thought. "Billinger must
have found the pup" But then hi
remembered that she had asked Bill
linger to advertise for him.
| A great light began to illuminate
the obscurity of Batterson's mind. H,
glanced at the door behind him. i
had closed automatically. He strod'
to the door marked private" 1t was
unlocked and led into the hall. Ths1
he returned to the outer ofic'
through the door by which he hat
entered.
BE SO good" he said to the heat
clerk, ''as to call Mr.. Billinger's at
tention to the package 1 left on hi
desk" Then he passed into the hall
carefully closing the door behint
him, and re-entered Billinger's pri
vate Office by the other door. Chico
was very glad indeed to see him, but
fortunately confined his expression
of Joy to sundry waggings of the tai
and wrigglings of the spine. Bat
terson united the rope that fastened
the dog to the safe, leaving the othel
end still tied to that substantial piece
of furniture. Then, taking the joy
GUS Chicot in his arms, he stole 81
lently out into the hall, closing the
door behind him, and walked dowI
eight flights Of stairs.
When Billinger returned from
luncheon his first thought was fol
Chicot. In vain he searched the Of
fice. Chicot was not to be found
He summoned the head clerk. No
body had entered his sanctum, de
clared that functionary, but Mr.. Bat
terson.
"Batterson!" cried the unhappy
Billinger, and collapsed into a chair
did he take the dog away?" Ger
tainly not, the clerk replied. Mr.
PATTERSON went out as he had en-
tered, and he was perfectly certain
that he had no dog concealed about