The Washington herald., 1907-02-27
THE POLICY OF PETER
BY CECILIA A. LOIzEAUx.

When Walter Leighton brought Peter
home and laid him tenderly in his wife's
arms, she arose to the occasion nobly,
though a dog was the last thing on the
earth for which she had any desire. But
she saw in one quick glance that Walter
was bringing her a gift that he considered
a fine one and she was a woman who
never did things by halves.
So she listened with respect to the list
OF doggy's ancestors. and gravely CON
sidered the markings, though she knew
not one from another. But when ne
reached the price, IS. she remembered
that supper was waiting. Later that
evening. when she was making the I'M
! happy, shrinking little beast warm bed
/ I'm the diuing-room, Mary Leighton said
disrespectful words in a loving tone that
caused the pup to lick her hand and cease
his whimpering for the moment
You ornery, red-eyed, b0w-legged.
stub-tailed little brute"' she cooed. If
] I'd known you We're coming I'd have got
! in previous bid for that lovely hat al
Mason's. I didn't say anything about il
TO Walter because 1 thought he couldn't
afford it, and here he has gone and
wasted twenty-five dollars on your And
then, because the pup was small and
helpless and soft, and she was a woman.
she got UP twice in the night TO feed il
warm milk and hush its whimperings.
And 50 in time she learned TO love him.
and called him Peter and Dragged about
him to Mrs. Carey, who was her nearest
neighbor and who did not love Peter at
all. Mrs. Carey said It was because he
chased her pet chickens 10 death and
chewed up the dish towels which blew
from the line or wash day; but Mrs.
Leighton whispered into Peters ear, with
"A knowing smile, that it was because
Mrs. Carey was jealous since her nus
band had not bought her a dog.
There never had been any very marked
cordiality between the two young mar
/ ried couples. The men came and went Go
their business on the same trains. and
would have been good friends probably.
I having the same tastes in tobacco and
politics, but that each man was uncom-
fortably aware that his wife wished he
wouldn't
[ After the advent of Peter. especially
after he began to grow into an age of
ImischieyOus intelligence. the neighboriy
relations slowly died away, until at the
/ beginning OF summer there was a very
I thinly yelled hostility.
The two houses. alike as two peas. and
| built by corporation, We're divided by a
wide strip Of emerald lawn, carefully
watered and clipped by the two men after
work al night and early in the morning.
There was between the front porches "A
distance just great enough so that ordi-
nary conversation on one porch could not
| De heard on the other
When Peter, having chased home a
wandering hen. would return with self
satisfied leer on his ugly face to his
mistress, Mrs. Carey, running into the
/ back yard 10 see why her hens were
squawklng would catch a ripple of
/ laughter from Mrs. Leighton, and see her
/ pull Peters sJubby ears affeCtionately.
Being just ont Of carshOt she could get
only the caressing tones of Mrs. Leigh
tons voice, but, being a woman. she
could very well guess what kind OF a
/ scolding Peter was getting.
Air. Carey rather liked Peter. He knew
q good dog when he saw one, and Peter
was uudeniably good dog Moreover,
he believed i'm the instincts Of a high-bred
animal. and did not Peter. after chewing
up his wifes dish towels, stop in his
complacent journey across the lawn to
wink one red eye at Mir. Carey. secure in
the belief that in spite of the woman 5
urgings that gentleman would not turn
the nozzle Of the garden hose his way?
But one evening matters reached a
crisis Nr. and Mrs. Carey were going
To an elaborate dinner to which the
LeightOns were not invited It so hap
pened that when the cab ordered by the
Careys drew up at the curb, Mr.. Leighton
was spraying the dividing line of lawn
with the garden hose.
Mr.. Carey came down the steps OF his
porch and waited on the cement walk in
front, while his wife put on the last
dear finishing touches to her toilet The
men EXCHANGED civilities a little shame
facedly, and Mr. Carey lifted his hat to
Mrs. Leighton. who. with Peter beside
her, sat reading on her front porch.
Hello. Pete, old boy" said Mr.. Carey,
and Peter made a loving dash for the
friendly voice. Just at that instant Mrs.
Carey, in dainty and elaborate white
garments. ran down the steps. Peter
IN his mad course, encountered his mas
ter's legs-but true TO his race, he knew
10 obstacles and went right ahead, leav-
ing Mr.. Leighton in an ungraceful,
~AAflffA ms bDaAAloi blt tiiS obah4tls 6AtAlitl
A half second later there was a scream.
for the hose shot from Mr. Leighton s
hand and the spray of water went
straight for Mrs Carey. soaking her
crisp whiteness to be6raggled Iimpness
in one awful moment. To make matters
worse Mrs. Leighton laughed, and she
could never make Mrs. Carey believe
that the laugh was not meant fer her,
instead of the peculiar position Of her
husband.
That gentleman rose with as much dig
nifty as he could muster and offered pro-
fuse apologies. which We're accepted by
Mr.. Carey but not by the drenched
woman.
Mrs. leighton who was really cha
grined and sorry. came straight over
and offered her assistance. She cried