Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-03-26
A HypercriticaI Canine.


Wei, what's the matter now ?"
asked Mrs. Dudgeons, as her husband
entered the room. You've got a face
as long as from the Battery to Harlem
and as dark rs the subway"
It's that wretched little shrimp OF
yours againi" answered Mr.. Dudgeons,
di~sconsolately. He's chewed up my
new pair OF embroidered slippers his
time!"
How dare you call my little darling
Too Sweet a shrimp" cried the wife,
Indignantly. Where is he? What
have you lone TO the poor thing?"
oh. nothing. AS he had started on
the slippers II already rendered them
useless. l thought he might as we'll fin
ism them"
Mrs. Dudgeons arose In an agitated
I'M Il must go and see about it.
The dye from the colored threads might
poison him!" And she hurried away.
Il hope IL will" muttered Mr.. Dudg-
cons as she made her hurried exit. "By
Jove! life would be more bearable IL
that destructive little beast wasn't in
the world. What does a woman want
with such a stupid toy anyway? Just
because her friend Clara had an inn
ported English poodle / have TO buy
her one, too. l hope the next time he
dimes on belongings OF mine he may
dies OF cute indigestion!"
When Mr.. Dudgeons returned TO his
den" all was serene once more. His
fond mistress had rescued the slippers,
or rather had rescued Too Sweet, as
she would have put II, and so her hus-
band proceeded to do some writing, for
he was a literary gentleman and was
at present engaged on several poems Of
"a reflective character for one of our big
magazines.
One evening about a week later
when hubby came home he was met on
the threshold by his wife, in a greatly
perturbed state. She was crying and
wringing her hands
Wei. what's the matter now?" in
quired Mr.. Dungeons, using he iden-
teal words his wife had used to him
on the occasion of the famous slipper
episode. Has the ooK left?"
You have got your wish" sobbed his
wife. TOO Sweet is dead-dead!"
Mr.. Dudgeons suppressed q mad i'm
pulse 10 yell "Hurrah!" in Difference to
his better half's grief. He merely said
quietly: Tn sorry, dear, but I'm
AFRAID I'll nave to leave you to do all
the mourning. You know Too Sweet
was a great trial to me and"
You won't be quite SO u~nconcerned
when o hear all" broke in Mrs
Dudgeon, laying tragic emphasis on the
last word
you mean the i'm which Toe
Sweet met his untimely end?" asked
her husband with a twinkle In his eye
Why. has he eaten another pair OF
slippers"
Worse than that" said Mrs. Dudg-
cons, drying her eyes.
Well, go on. I'm prepared for any
thing"
Mrs. Dudgeons burst into a hysteric-
al laugh.
The moor little love lost his rag dol
this morning. explained the lady, "and
he simply had TO find something. Sc
he wandered into your den. jumped uI
on your desk and ate up your last
| poem-you know, the one for Scrib-
bler's. Ten minutes later the unfor-
tunate creature was dead!"
Mr.. Dudgeons stood dumfounded.
"You don't seem to see the joke al
ALL" observed his wife in cutting &C
| cents. AZ all events you can never
say again that YOU verse doesn't yield
results. 1t has been tried on a dog
apd the dog iied-which is what you
wanted. III you had been clever enough
to conceive the plan yourself you
might ave been rid OF Too Sweet lona
agoi"