The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-10-26


shame! I'll fix that wicked Peter,
though. I'll fix him!"
And with determination written
large all over her dear little person,
Alicia cut whole slice of meat into
appropriate little bits, poured gravy
on them, and showed the net result
to Fido, who sighed, while Peter, pur-
ring in a very ecstasy, showed Fido
back, and indicated to Alicia that the
Place for her to put the plate down
was right in front of him.
Now, George" said Alicia, you
hold Peter"
Hold him?" we asked. We had held
Peter before under similar circum-
stances. Cant we shoe him into the
pantry and close the door?"
NO" said Alicia. 81 want to pun
ish Peter by letting him see F!do
eating"
Here, Peter, Peter!" we began,
without making too much noise about
it. HE won't Gomez we concluded.
"Georgel" cried Alicia, as no one
but Alicia can.
On that moment we seized Peter,
and Alicia put the plate down.
Hold hint" she cried. Hold him,
George!"
Fido advanced upon the plate with
such a proprietary look of anticipa-
ton that Peter simply couldn't stand
it, and struggling free with one fren-
zied contortion, he bounced upon the
plate so tempestuously that his
whiskers and the end of his nose be-
came beaded with gravy.
This gave him very fierce and I'M
usual look, SO that, together with the
noise he made and the way he cut
off all approach to the plate, Fido got
nothing but one wretched, bony bit,
that gave him more trouble than it
was worth, anyway.
But what's it all about?" we crietL
after Fido had scuttled away under
the sofa with a long, husky, despair
ing growl. How did it start?"
George, I'll tell you," said Alicia,
moving the fern so that she could see
u.s. First thing this morning that
spotted dog that lives down In the
Hollow-you know-came up the hill,
and what did he do but come right in
our back yard! l was looking through
the pantry window, and l saw it all.
And Fido''-a mournful tap of z tail
sounded underneath the sofa. Good
old Ffdo!" cried Alicia. and Fido,"
she continued, was asleep in the
kitchen, as good as gold" The
mournful tapping still continued. "But
Peter was out in the yard!" cried
Alicia-whereat the tapping noise
stopped in sulky silence. and what
| did that spotted dog do but begin to
scatch up Fidos bones you know, the
bones that he had buried"
And we nodded as Alicia paused for
breath, all rosy with earnestness and
sparkling with the climax still to
come
WELL" she went on, 81 was just
going to wake Fido up, so that he
could go out and mind his bones,
when what did 1 see but Peter, creep
ing up behind him like this" and
Alicia rose and tiptoed gently to the
pantry door.
| "How?" we asked according to our
invariable rule whenever Alicia illus
| trates by pantomine "How?"
Like this!" she cried, and intently
tiptoed back to her chair again.
"Ah," we murmured.
Eyes" cried Alicia, with spirit, II
was looking through the pantry win
dow, and saw it all! And when Peter
got close behind him, he crouched
down, dashed his tail, and sprung upon
him."
And Alicia, GREATNESS, showed US
just how with her hands.
"Sprang on him." we repeated.
"Sprang on him." cried Alicia, still
GREATNESS, and showing US how again.
and, George-of all things If
you'd only seen that spotted dog run
out of our garden! And Peter after
him! Something fierce!" she cried.
1t is Alicia's only bit of slang. George,
it was something fierce!"
But why does"
well, when Peter came in the
house he seemed to think that all dogs
were afraid of him, and he started on
poor old Fido. Oh, I've had such a
time with them all day! If put Peter
out, ne swaggers round, looking for
more dogs,-he's been down in the
Hollow twice-and if 1 keep him in
he tries to make Fide fight; but Fido' S
a gentleman"-the mournful tapping
was resumed beneath the sofa. Good
old Fido!" cried Alicia. Its a
shameI"
Well" we remarked, "it looks as
If Peter had got over it at last
''Why?" asked Alicia, who couldn't
see because of the fern. why, do you
think so, George?"
Hes down here, playing with Fido,
we smiled. lying on his back and
rolling over and"
George, stop him!" cried Alicia
springing up. That's just what he did
this neon, and"
Bat the warning came too late