Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-12

Miss Piper and her dog Peter, a black
and yellow mongrel, kept candy store to-
| gether.
| Norm, Miss Piper"
| Norm, Miss Mabel"
| Mother says, could you come across the
street a minute? man jest telphoned to
the drug store to say pas fell on his head
up to the mill, and she amt got no one to
leave the baby with
why, yes. Mabel. I'll go n get the baby
| n bring him over here"
| Miss Piper started toward the corner
| where her bonnet hung beside the small,
cracked mirror. Peter jumped UP, wistful,
ears erect, his whole face asking questions.
| Peter, you mind the shop while I'm
gone. Shan't be but minute. No, guess
1 won't need my bonnet after ALL Shaw
now, that's too bad about yer pa,'' And
Miss Piper held the fly screen at the door
open for the little child, then followed her
| self, and Peter was left alone amid the
kites and the marbles and the candy. Peter
was very much worried to how he was
| going to make the change If customers
came in. Alas, as puppy he had frittered
away so much of his time chasing his own
| tail in the sunshine that now in middle age,
| suddenly fallen heir to a great business, he
| found he had really no notion of five and
six for cent If it was only a cats scent
| ne cOulu reckon Wlln tndl, out
| Peter lay with his muZzle to the bottom
| board of the screen door, hoping there
| would be no customers and wishing that
| his mistress would return.
| However, here We're two little boys, But
| such nice, polite little boys, Peter would
let them come in. They We're not very well
dressed, to be sure, but Peter had learned
| long ago that not every poor mans dog has
| fieas, whereas the glossiest hide may con-
| tain a number.
Peter ran around to the back Of the
| cases, barking loudly, telling them that the
| sassafras and wintergreen loZenges were
| just in fresh that morning, and that the
| cases were unlocked and they could help
| themselves-and also please leave the exact
| change, because he was extremely poor in
| his decimal currency.
| But all the first little boy said was
Gee! She amt here Wonder where
she's .C;s gone gone. Say amt dis graft .
Awful fierce dog. Bite yer head off f ye
go anywhere near them cases.
Why, no, he amt fierce. I know Pete:
| you do. Pete's a good dog; amt you.
Pete? Course you are. Pete wouldn't ole
me. would you. Pete? I been in here be-
why he was barkin. Now I tell you
| what; I'll take Pete out on the front
STEPS and Ike KEEP p him busy busy pay an
wire ! gave you this mornfn for
| sinker.'
| There's no better fun in the world than
chasing sticks and getting hit in the nose.
| maybe by a second, thrown just you
| are trying to pick the first one up, and
| Peter, absorbed in the sport forgot about
the shop till the companion of the boy who
| was throwing the sticks for him came
| out his right-hand jacket pocket bullying,
| and, Peter thought, just the faintest odor
| of wintergreen about his garments On
| near approach Peter was thoroughly per-
| Suaded.
| ''Tll just walk up the street little
way with them" said Peter to himself. I
| like candy when it's paid for, though l
should not think of taking any for myself
in my mistress absence. III only go ut
| tie way-not out Of sight of the front door
| Of the shop
80 botherv' said the boy who had thrown
the sticks. Hes goin' to follow u.s. thats
what he's goin' to do. Just look at m:
jumpin up and sniffin your pockets; an
| barkin. He knows we got sumpin we
| hadn't oughter."
about eight elms distant UP the village
| street when Miss Piper re-entered the
shop, vigorously talking to herself
"Allus said them telephones. was more more
bother than they was WORTH she SAID,
| "givin' poor Mrs. Beesly, with her weak
heart a chase way up to the mill only TO
| find they'd got the name wrong, an II was
one O. them sfx-for-a-cent Italians. Why,
| where's Peter? Peter! Peter." She tried
| to whistle, then, happening to look in the
| direction of the case she threw up her
hands and shrieked so that a little girl.
who with a doll to be mended, was just
| twisting at the knob of the screen door,
| threw down her doll and ran away to tell
her mother that old Miss Piper was having
| a fit.
Burglars have been here" scbbed Miss
Piper into her checked apron. Burglars"
| she stamped her foot. 1T amt the candy,
it amt the candy-but they have took my
| dear. dear Peter, my beautiful retriever"
Peter as l have said, was a black and
| yellow mongrel, with about as much re-
| triever as an alligator-skin satchel; but re-
| triever sounded ar1Stocrauc ana Worunier
| to be mourned.
Still moping and moaning Miss Piper
| went to the door, where the poor, de-
serted doll baby sprawled-and 10! from
behind an elm tree not far OF, despite the
! frantic hands stretched out to grasp him
| and drag him back, bounced Peter-cer-
| tainly Peter!
| Piper started after the dog, and the two
young burglars who already beheld the
| shades Of the prison house closing about
| them. broke from concealment behind the
elm and scampered up the sidewalk with
Peter Piper, retriever. trying to retrieve
| himself in their pursuit and capture.
At the junction of East Main and Main
streets a trolley line brings excursionists
| from the city with paper bags containing
bread and butter and hard-boiled eggs.
which they eat beneath the ample, over
street. Miss Piper was always thankful the
trolleys didn't go by her shop, though
! thrice an hour she could hear them sauall-
ing around the eornsS only block away
tripped and stumbled on the shining steel
rails right in the teeth and eyes of the
oncoming trolley car and it's Mortified pas
sengers. The boy on the further sidewalk
only danced frantically and yelled. But
little brown black-yellow flash Of fur grasp
ing the nape of the jacket Of the little
figure lying In the dust jerked the boys
head-which was the only endangered part
Of him-to one side. just as the jolted
to a stop, and the motorrnan. white, sick
and shaky, got off the with his con-
troller handle in his hand to face the ring
Of jabbering passengers.
Then the burglar, who had been merely