Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-07-03
M1Nx,s TRIAL.

II ever there was spoiled dog 1t
was Mink, and a proper name she
had. too. OF course. she was very
young when she did the dreadful thing
which led to her trial and conviction,
but youth is not always an excuse.
Mink was one of nine children, and
came to the Horizons when she was
small enough to be carried in Toms
pocket. She was skye terrier, and
she became so attached to Tom that
I'm afraid Elsie held him responsible
for the whole affair.
The little girls had been busy dress
| making for a month, for Emmelina
Horton, the big wax doll and Elsie's
Oldest daughter was about to be mar
ried. There was to be a grand we'd
ding at Elsie's house, and all EN-
melina's friends, with their mammas,
were to be invited : So every after
noon they met in the Horizons nursery
and spent busy, happy time making
wonderful garments for this occa-
sion.
One afternoon, unfortunately, Elsie
left the nursery door open while she
ran downstairs to say goodbye to
some of her friends. Mink peeped in,
saw something white lying on Elsie's
little work table, as we'll as some
pretty scraps on the floor, and en-
tered to investigate. The result was
the "ruination," as Elsie remarked
of Emmelina's wedding gown and the
shutting up of Mink in the cellar to
await her trial. OF course, the wed.
ding was postponed.
The trial took place in the nursery
the very next day. There was a jury
of half dozen little girls, a half
dozen being considered quite enough
for a dog Elsie was. the Judge, and
Tom. the policeman, brought in poor
Mink on her hind legs, looking very
much ashamed of herself.
She. listened to the whole story,
with her head on one side and her
right ear cooked, and one or twice her
soft. pathetic eyes filled with tears.
Sometimes she wagged her stump Of
a tail quite piteously and when the
torn up white dress was shown to
her she looked guilty indeed.
When the judge pronounced sent
ence Mink Immediately rolled over
and played dead so deep was the
disgrace. She had to wear clothes
like a doll for a whole week, and Tom
had to take her out each day in a
doll carriage.
It was a good lesson to Mink, who
| had a terrible ordeal to go through
every time she met her dog friends.
Nowadays she never goes near the
nursery, and if the faintest allusion is
made to Emmelina's wedding dress
the culprit will Immediately put her
tail between her legs and creep under
the sofa.-Pittsburg News.
THE DEN OF WILD BEASTS.
I have been sitting by my window
watching the boys and girls play.
They seem to have such good times
that often wish I might join them,
even though am grown up. The
game they appear to enjoy most, for
they play 1t most is "The Den OF the
Wild Beasts"
Each player represents some feroc
ions wild animal. such as panther,
wolf, lion or bear. Each chooses a
tree or post or stone for his particu.
lar den. AS a<signal for the game
to commence all make terrible noise
initiating the animals they pretend
to be.
The most yenturesome then leaves
his den and advances toward the mid
die of the playground, where he
dances around, trying to entice the
other animals from their lairs. Sup
pose the wolf come out first. Per
haps lion and a tiger will imme
diately follow. Then the wolf calls
out, I'm after the lon!" The vol
starts in pursuit, and the lion tries
to get home to his den before be
Ing caught. II the wolf catches hin
he takes him back to his own lair
and there the lion has to stay through
out the rest Of the game, unless the
wolf himself is caught,
No two are allowed to chase the
same animal at the same time. and
the chase belongs to the one who
calls I'm after so-and-so!" No animal
can be taken while he is bringing 9
captive home.
It often happens that all the ami
mails are in the field at the same time
each in pursuit of his prey. Their
it is most exciting. Whenever the
captor of an animal is himself cap
tured the prisoner is free to leave the
den and go back to his own lair. The
game ends only when all the animals
are caught and imprisoned in one den
| Washington Star.