La Junta tribune., 1908-04-11
The Ownership
! Of HtO envy
Caesar.
By LEONARD FRANK ADAMS
i*s. BY Jessie Morgan.

q -
Ravenor stoM in the library In all
the luxury Of early morning nes.Iige
A gorgeous i,afhroi,e swathed his III;
frame from his chin to his heels Ills
feet were thrust into pstsr of com.
Portable looking Turkish slippers. Be-
tween his lips was a cigarette. dep
drafts Of which he inhaled tlionght-
fully as he eyed the man In the chair
by the window. The latter was re-
si,onslbIe for Ravcnor's apIear.. nee
downstairs nj This unseemly hour.
Rayenor's early caller WAS not pre-
possessing Indeed. lie was distinctly
otherwise. His eyes were smnii. wa
tery blne and shifty. His uDderJaw
WAS weak. and his seedy clothes and
frayed linen were none too clean Be
side him. Its own smart appearance In
striking contrast TO the mans s.n.ral
out ut the elbows air. eroached Bos-
ton terrier.
Want TO sell me the pup. suppose" I"
/ Ravenor said pleasantly. That's why
you're here. ism; II: That's why you
got me out OF bed At this nn-chrisiIan
1 hour
The man nodded hopefully.
sure he admitted. Il Thought
I you'd Ike chance at i'm so longs /
got to raise the dough"
.Whcrc'd you get bimf Ravcnor
asked sharply.
"Rsised I'm from pup. s'eip me-"
the man responded elibly. An !
wouldn't lie scliin' I'm IL | didn't need
] Al 4
/ 'ow You was open for n good trade In
! rs line. so brought I'm round 'E's
nil right. now. aln't e; Stand up Ptol-
+, cmy, an give the gent good look at
you"
{! The dog obelien'ly stood up. and
| Rayenor's eyes lighted with interest
| There could Inc no denying that Ptol-
emy was 4 fine specimen OF his breea.
| His clean cut head. his well shaped
| shoulders. even his crooked little tall.
all bespoke that.
II got is pedigree ere on this pa
| Der" the man observed, drawing
dirty envelope from his pocket.
"Oh. never mind that" Ravenor re
piled, with meaning grin What do
| you want for him."
I'D oughter get dftS, an 'c's dirt
cheap al that"
"Tell you what I'll doI'li give you
thirty
The man shrugged his shoulders. II
| cant Ike too fussy boss lie said. Il
need the money. an | need it had So
/ long as | know 'c's gnin' into good
'ands guess there amt nothin for ne
to do but to ,nke yon up. though its
| most Ike sivin' I'm 10 yon nj that
| price"
| Rarenor counted ont the bills aud
handed them TO the man. who ran them
over with grimy fingers and departed.
| with sigh and sorrowful glance In
7, the dogs direction, both OF which We're
/ rather over,lone.
| Once the front door had closed be
hind him Ravenor tossed his cigarette
| Into the fireplace and pressed the but
ton ON the wall
annie he said Ia the second girl,
who answered his summons. I've just
bought this pup. He answers 10 the
name OF Pfoiemy Take him down.
stairs and give him feed: then let
him OUT In the back yark. I'm going
upstairs You may cail me AT 10
Ravcnor Went upstairs To resume his
Intercepted sinmbcrs md Ptolemy,
having Jared sunptuously mt the hands
nf the cook. was turned loose Ia the
back yard. where he gaiiopcd abont
;leefuliy. enjoying a rare half tnsu-s
sport with a bit OF trailing cloihesline
and making desperate endeavors to
catch the sparrows which now and
again futtered INTO the yard.
1t was perhaps tlrec-lnarters IT an
hour after the sale that a cautious whls-
tie sounded from the alley side OF the
high fence which Inclosed the back
yard. Ptolemy. with a yelp OF joy. an
swcrcd X. The back gate swung noise
lcssly open. Just far enough for the dog
to squeeze through. lie was gathered
up by the seedy man who had inter
viewed Ravenor in the library. thrust
unccrmoniousIy beneath his coat and
borne down the alley at shuning run,
Therefore when Ravcnor made his
appearance at II o'clock no Ptolemy an
awered his repeated whistlings. Annie
land the cook protested wccpingly their
complete mystifcation In the Il ,g's dis
appearance. Sure. they had ihorght
him right in the yard all the time, they
declared He'd been chasin: the spar
rows and yeiping there not ten minutes
since. Rayenor searched the lack
yard thoroughly. the tool house. the lit
tie shed that held the ash barrels. even
the coli OF hose that lay in one corner.
hut no trace of his recent purchase
could he find.
After lunch he went downtown to
pnt an advertisement OF his loss in the
paper. The afternoon being par;icu-
iarly hne. he decided TO walk home.
He had reached the ilt.ie square whese
NorwOol street crosses the avcnne and
was striding briskly past the statue IN
he center of the tlImlnutive park when