Rock Island Argus., 1908-03-10

Ravenor stood in the library in all
the luxury of early morning negligee.
A gorgeous bathrobe swathed his big
frame from his chin to his heels. His
feet were thrust into a pair OF COM
Portable looking Turkish slippers. Be
tween his lips was a cigarette, deep
drafts of which he inhaled thought
fully as he eyed the man in the chair
by the window. The latter was re-
sponsible for Ravenor's appearance
downstairs at this unseemly hour
Ravenor's early caller was not pre-
possessing. Indeed, he was distinctly
otherwise. His eyes were small, wa
terry blue and shifty. His underjaw
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 general
out at the elbows air, crouched Bos-
ton terrier.
want to sell me the pup, suppose"
Ravenor said pleasantly. That's why
you're here, isn't it? That's why you
got me out of bed at this un-Christian
| hour?"
The man nodded hopefully.
Sure" he admitted. Il thought
you'd like a chance at i'm so 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 l
wouldn't be sellin' i'm if 1 didn't need
the coin the worst way. 1 card as
'ow you was open for good trade in
is line, so l brought i'm round. 'E's
all right now, amt e? Stand up, Ptol-
emy, an give the gent good look at
you"
The dog obediently stood up, and
Ravenor's eyes lighted with interest.
There could be no denying that Ptol-
emy was a fine specimen of his breed.
! His clean cut head, his well shaped
shoulders, even his crooked little tail,
all bespoke that.
81 got lis pedigree ere on this pa
per-" the man observed, drawing q
dirty envelope from his pocket.
"Oh, never mind that" Ravenor re-
piled, with meaning grin. What dc
you want for him?"
I'D oughter get fifty. an 'e's dirt
cheap at that"
"Tell you what I'll do-Tll give you
thirty"
The man shrugged his shoulders. 81
can't be too fussy. boss" he said. 81
need the money, an / need it bad. Sc
long as / know 'e's goin' into good
'ands l guess there amt nothin' for me
to do but to take you up, though it's
most like givin' I'm to you at thai
price"
Ravenor counted out the bills and
handed them TO the man, who ran them
over with grimy fingers and departed
with sigh and sorrowful glance ir
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.
"Annie," ne said to the second girl
who answered his summons, 1--WE jus
bought this pup. He answers TO the
5 name of Ptolemy. Take him down
stairs and give him a feed; then le
him out in the back yark. I'm goin:
upstairs. You may call me at TO-"
Ravenor went upstairs TO resume hi
interrupted sIumbers, and Ptolemy
having Jared sumptuously at the hands
of the cook, was turned loose in th'
back yard, where he gallOped abou
gleefully, enjoying a rare half hour
sport with a bit of trailing clotheslint
and making desperate endeavors II
catch the sparrows which now ant
again fluttered into the yard.
: 1t was perhaps three-quarters of al
: hour after the sale that cautious whis
tie sounded from the alley side of th
high fence which inclosed the bacl
yard. Ptolemy, with a yelp of joy, an
swered it, The back gate swung noise
: lessly open. just far enough for the do,
!. to squeeze through. He was gathered
up by the seedy man who had inter
s viewed Ravenor in the library; thrus
1 uncermoniously beneath his coat ant
borne down the alley at a shuff1ing run
Therefore when Ravenor made hi
appearance at II o'clock no Ptolemy an
swered his repeated whistlings. Ami
and the cook protested weepingly thei
complete mystification in the dogs dis
appearance. Sure, they had though
him right in the yard all the time, the
declared. He'd been chasing the spal
lrows and yelping there not ten minute
! since. Ravenor searched the bac
/ yard thoroughly. the tool house, the lii
tie shed that held the ash barrels, eve
e the coll of hose that lay in one cornel
but no trace of his recent purchas
c could he find.
= After lunch he went downtown t
i. lput an advertisement of his loss in th
, paper. The afternoon being paEticr
O larly fine. he decided to walk home
q He had reached the little square wher
Norwood street crosses the avenue an
was striding briskly past the statue
the center of the diminutive park whe
. dog In full cry after flock of elusiy
sparrows dashed past him.
{ There could be no mistaking tha
head, those clean cut shoulders. th