The Topeka state journal., 1908-02-12
THE EVENING STORY
The Ownership of Ptolemy caesar.
(By Leonard Frank Adams.)


Ravenor stood in the library in all
.ne luxury OF early morning negligee.
a gorgeous bathrobe swathed his big
frame from his chin to his heels; his
Ieet were thrust into a pair OF COM
iortaple looking turkish slippers; be-
tween his lips was a cigarette, deep
q@n,usnts OF which he inhaled thought
| ,oiy as ne eyed the man in the chair
py the window. The latter was re-
spohslpie for Ravenor's appearance
downstairs at this unseemly hour.
hdVenors early caller was not pre-
possessing; indeed. he was distinctly
uunel wise. HIS eyes were small,
Walery-bfue and shifty; his under law
was weak and his seedy clothes and
! I.ayed linen were none too clean. Be-
side him, its own smart appearance in
| strk1ng contrast to the mans gen.
1.al out-at-the-elbows air. crouched a
| Boston terrier.
want to sell me the pup. I sup
pose, Rsvenor said pleasantly.
Ihat's why you're here, isn't it?
Inats why you got me out of bed at
this unohristian hour?"
Inc man nodded hopefully.
sure. he admitted. II thought
you'd like chance at i'm. 50 longs
l got to raise the dough-"
Where'd you get him % Ravenor
asked sharply.
| RAISED i'm from pup. s'elp me-"
| the man responded glibly. 'An' I
wouldn't be selling i'm il didn't
| need the coin the worst way. card
as ,ow you wa. open for good trade
| IN is line, SO brought i'm round.
Es all right. now amt e? Stand up,
Ftolemy. an give the gent a good
look at you.''
The dog obediently stood up, and
Ravenor's eyes lighted with interest.
There could be no denying that
Ptolemy was a fine specimen of his
breed. His clean-cut head. his we'll
shaped shoulders, even his crooked
little tail. all bespoke that.
Il got 'is pedigree ERE on this
paper" the man observed. drawing a
dirty envelope from his pocket.
oh, never mind that" Ravenor
replied with a meaning grin. What
do you want for him?''
I'D oughter get fifty, an 'e's dirt
Tell you what I'll do, I'll give you
| thirty"
The man shrugged his shoulders.
II can't be too fussy, poss,'' he said.
Il need the money an I need it bad.
So long as I know 'e's goin' into good
ands 1 guess there amt nothin' for
me to do but to take you up, though
it's most like givin' i'm to you at that
price,
Ravenor counted out the bills and
| handed them to the man, who ran
them over with grimy fingers and de-
parted with a sigh and sorrowful
glance in the dogs direction, both of
| which were rather overdone
Once the front door had closed be-
hind him. Ravenor tossed his cigarette
into the fireplace and pressed the but
| ton on the wall.
who answered his summons, "Ive just
bought this pup. He answers to the
name of Ptolemy. Take him down.
stairs and give him feed. Then LET
him out in the back yard. I'm going
upstairs. You may call me at 1O'
Ravenor went upstairs to resume
his interrupted slumbers, and
Ptoleny, having Jared sumptuously
at the hands of the cook was turned
loose in the back yard, wnere he gal
loped about gleefully, enjoying rare
half hours sport with bit of trailing
clotheslfne, and making desperate en-
deavors to catch the sparrows which
now and again f1uttered into the yard
1t was perhaps three-quarters of ar
hour after the sale that cautious
whistle sounded from the alley side OF
the high fence which inclosed the
joy answered it. The back gate swung
noislessly open, just far enough fol
the dog to squeeze through. He wal
gathered up by the seedy man who
had interviewed Ravenor in the Ii.
brary, thrust unceremoniously be.
| meath his coat. and borne down the
alley at a shutting run.
| Therefore, when Ravenor made his
| appearance at IL O'Clock, no Ptolemy
answered his repeated whistlings
Annie and the cook protested weep
ingly their complete mystification in
the dogs disappearance. Sure. they
had thought him right in the yard
| all the time, they declared. He'd
| been chasing the sparrows and yelpine
| there not ten minutes since. Ravenor
| the Toulouse, the little shed that
held the ash barrels even the coil
| Of hose that lay in one corner, but
no trace of his recent purchase could
he find.
After lunch he went downtown to put
an advertisement Of his loss in the pa
/ per. The afternoon being particularly
| fine, he decided to walk home. He had
| reached the little square where Nor
| wood street crosses the avenue, and
| was striding briskly past the statue in
| the center Of the diminutive park when
sparrows, dashed past him.
There could be no mfstaking that
head, those clean-cut shoulders, the dis
| tinctive markings of the neck and dank,
/ Here, you, Ptolemy, Ptolemyl Come
| here. Come here, I say he cried
| The dog stopped, seemed to debate
| for moment, then came toward Rave
nor wriggling his twisted stump of a
| tail in ridiculous apology.
Mice way you deserted me this
morning, wasn't it?" said Ravenor Sc
verely Come on with me now No
more back yard orgies for you unless
some one has an eve on you."
| He started homeward, the dog follow
| ing meekly at his heels; but before he
reached the other side of the park he
caught the quick tread of light foot
| falls; an agitated voice close behind
him was saying, "Oh. beg your par
DON"
| He swung about to find himself face
| to face with Katherine Gray. Ravenor
unconsciously stfffened. 1t was a trif1e
| disconcerting to come thus abruptly