Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-05-16
CHAPTER XIX.

y
had been of greater bulk and more ap
proaclable, and It was the evil fortune
OF Joe's mongrel TO encounter him IN
the sinister humor of such wish un
Fulfilled.
Responsibility dwelt at Beaver Beach
under the care OF Mr.. Sheehsn unit!
his master should return, and Sheehan
was kind, but the small dog found the
world lonely and time long without
Joe. lie had grown more and more
restless, and al last, this hot morning,
having managed to evade the eye OF
all concerned in his keeping made of
unobtrusvely, partly by swimming,
and. reaching the road, cantered into
town, his ears erect with anxiety. Bent
upon reaching the familiar Office, he
passed the grocery, from the doorway
of which the pimply checked clerk had
thrown a bad potato at him q month
before The same clerk had just laid
down the Tocsln as Responsibility
went by. and, inspired to great deeds
in behalf of justice and his native city,
he rushed to the door, lavishly seized
this time a perfectly good potato and
hurled 1t with q result which costa
sized him, for it took the mongrel fair
~ aside the head, which il matched In
size
The luckless Respectability purpose
20 reach Joe's stairway had been en-
tirely definite, but upon this violence
he forgot It momentarily. 1t is not
Easy TO keep things in mind when one
is violently smitten on mouth nose,
cheek, eye and ear by missile large
enough to strike them simultaneously.
Yelplng and half blinded be DETECTED
to cross Main street. Judge Pike had
elected to cross In the opposite dlrec-
ton, and the two met in the middle
II the street
The encounter was miraculously fit
ted 10 the judges need. Here was no
butterfly, but 4 solid body, light with
al, wet muddy and dusty yellow dog
eminently kickahe. The man was
heavily built about the legs. and the
vigor of what he did may have been
additionally inspired by his recogni-
ton of the mongrel as Joe Louden's.
The impact of his toe upon the little
runners side was momentous. and, the
latter rose into the air. The Judge
hoped, as one hops who, unshod in
the night, discovers an unexpected
chair. Let US be reconciled to his pain
and not reproach the gods with it, for
two Of his unnterding adversary's ribs
were cracked.
n aI vafr
ed his tracks shrleking distractedly
and, by one of those ironical twists
which Karma reserves for the tails Of
the fated. Owed for blind safety into
the store commanded by the ecstatic
and inimical clerk. There We're shouts
The sleepy square beginning to wake
up; the bench loafers stroled to
the street; the aged men stirred and
rose from their chairs; faces appeared
IN the open windows of offices; sales
ladies and gentlemen came to the door
ways Of the trading places. SO that
when Responsibility emerged from the
grocery he had a notable audience for
the scene he enacted with a brass din
ner bell tied to his tail
Another potato, flung by the pimpled,
uproarious prodigal clerk. added to
the impetus of his flight A shower OF
pebbles from the hands OF exhilarated
boys dented the soft asphalt about
him. The hideous clamor Of the pur-
suing bell increased az he turned the
next corner, running dstractedly. The
dead town had come to life, and Its
Inhabitants gladly risked the danger
Gus heat in the interest of sport, where
by it was merry chase the little dog
led around the block. For thus some
destructive instinct drove him. lie
could not stop with the indispensable
terror changing at his heels and the
increasing crowd yelling in pursuit, but
he turned to the left at each corner
and thus came back to pass Joe's stair
way again, unable to pause there o,
anywhere. unable to do anything ex
cept to continue his hapless flight, poor
meteor.
Round the block he went once moro
and still no chance at that empty stair
way, where perhaps, he thought, there
might be succor and safety. Blood wa.
upon his side where Martin Pixies boo
had crashed. foam and blood huns
upon his jaws and lolling tongue. HI
ran desperately, keeping to the mid
die Of the street. and, not bowling, Sc
himself despairlngly to outstrip thu
terror. The mob, disdaining the SUI
superbly, pursued as closely as 1t could
throwing bricks and rocks at him
striking at him with clubs and sticks
Happy Fear. playing "tc-tac-toe," RICH
hand against left, IN his cell, heard thu
uprosr, made out something Of wha
was happening and, though unaware
that 1t was a friend whose life wa
sought, discovered similarity to hi
own case and prayed to his dim god
that the quarry might get away.
Mad dog" they yelled. Mad dog
And there were some who cried, 40
Louden's dog that being equally q
exciting and explanatory,
Three times round, and still the III
tie fugitive maintained a lead. A gra
helmeted policeman, a big fellow, ha
Joined the pursuit. He had childre
at home who might be playing In tn
street, and the thought OF what NIGH
happen to them II the mad dog shout
head that way resolved him to be coo