The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1904-06-03
SCOOP.
By ]. L. HARBOUR.

ing lnut u DOI WIS Nanlcu Iof gen
cral work, which included n great
many things. Muggins' remark,
when he was told of the multiple
ity Of his duties. struck me as be.
ing so sensible that | engaged him
on the spot.
Pm hiring out my time TO you,
SIR" he said, land ! don't care
what | do so long as you want me
to use my time in that way"
Acting on this principle Mug.
gins would do anything he was
told TO do, from the making Of a
pot of paste to the sweeping out OF
the whole Office. Muggins came
from nobody knew where. lie had
small, wizcned features and eyes
like n ferret. lie never looked
very tidy, forhc wasaslikelyasnot
10 90 down into the engine room
of the Times Office and tumble into
u pile of waste and sleep there, In.
stead of going to his own home
aud his own bed, although do not
know that he had either.
Some one had called ont:
"lIcllo, Muggins," on his FIRST mp.
pcarancc in the Times Office, and
he was Muggins Ia us from that
time forth, although his name may
have been Jones or Montague. II
he objected to the nickname he
never said so. Slawson, foreman
of the composing room, n right
when he said:
III you want to see Mnggins'
dandcr rise just abuse that dog Of
his n little"
This dog was an III favored mon
grel-a bow.lcggcd, bob.tailcd.
onc.carcd little cur of no color in
particular. The dog was always
about two feet from the heels Of
Muggins. The distance was never
heightened or lcssencd. When
Muggins stopped the dog came to
n standstill, and he started up
with clock. like precision the In.
slant Muggins moved on. The
name of the dog was Pips.
One day Slawson kicked the
dog, and Muggins jerked of his
shabby little jacket, threw his cap
on to the floor, pulled his dirty
shirtslccvcs up over his thin, bony
arms, and screcched out In his
shrill, piping voice:
Touch that dog again, n you
dare, Jim Slawson! You do IL,
aud you'll answcr for il to me-"
Slawson was a giant in stature
and strength. He stared AT Mug.
gins for n moment. then he roared
with laughter, and said: Good
for you, Muggins. That's the talk!
Don't you let any M u oycr
You or Pips, either. II do II
again you just sail in and give me
the t%hrashing deserve"
I'm do it," said Muggins.' "Pips
don't bother anyone, and | won't
see him abused"
The men in the office laughed 50
loudly over this incident that Col.
Bentley, editor and owner of the
paper, came up from his private
| Office below.
9\Vhat's the matter up here?'
he asked.
"lt'salong of Muggins, sir,r said
Slawson, with a delighted chuckle.
"He and Pips threatens to clean
out the Office"
"Who is Muggins?"
"Why, colonel, is il possible
that you have not yet made the nc.
quaintance of the latest addition
TO the editorial and general roust.
about department Of the office?
Allow me TO present Muggins to
! you, and this is Pips."
"Glad to know you, Muggins,"
said Mr.. Bentley. "You keep
them straight up here, and put
Slawson out if he goes too far"
The editorial and composing
rooms of the Times Office were on
The same floor, a rough board par.
tition separating one department.
from the other. The door in this
pa.titinn uos nn,, olnsaI oull.