The San Francisco call., 1909-03-20
ALONZO AND
HIS SPOTS
By VIII Scarlet

ANY of the Juniors who are
just reaching the age when
little boys and girls begin to
doubt the existence of the Sand
man and of Santa Claus may think that
the Junior Calls interesting little dog
Alonzo is not real. live little dog at
all. Artist YardIey," they may tell
you. has invented AIonzo." Or, as q
little girl 1 know puts il, "The man
what draws the pictures just made
Alonzo up out of his head
Now let those Juniors be careful.
It is a bad thing TO doubt unless you
have very good reason for Doubling,
and even then you must take care lest
you doubt too much. Alonzo is a real
dog. He has bright eyes and smart
little legs and a stumpy tail And he
is very dignified and seIf-important
little fellow, too.
Alonzo, the real AIonzo, was found
2Dn last Washington's birthday. lhe
boys who compose the track team of
St. Joseph's school of this city were
holding a field day out at Visitacion,
and it was there that they met Alonzo.
He took part in some OF the races and
frisked about and laughed and v-agged
his tail and said, just as plainly as
any dog could have said ii, Delighted"
The boys adopted Alonzo as their
official mascot and triumphantly
brought him home They were sure
he was the real Alonzo. for he was ex-
actly like Mr. Yardley's dog we all
know so well, even to the black spots.
So AIonzo was given nice cozy corner
to sleep in after he had ha- his supper.
Next morning, when the earliest ar
rival at the school yard went to in
quire how AIouzo had rested during
the night he found that Alonzo had
not rested. AIonzo was not to be
found. The boys, you may be sure,
were very much excited, and they
looked for Alonzo everywhere. But
they looked in vain-
And then. on the sth of March. just
three days before the date of the big
athletic meet in which the st. Joseph's
track team was to take part, the little
mascot came back. On that Monday
morning the boys found him curled
up in the school yard, asleep in lie
sun. 1t certainly was Alonzo, and he
was all there-exeept his spots.
This is the part Of my story that
some Juniors will find it hard 10 be-
lieve. Alonzo had lost his spots He
had still his bright eyes and his alert
little legs and his stump of tail, but
his spots were gone. Possibly during
the days he had been playing truant,
AIonzo was caught in a heavy shower
and the rain washed his spots off At
least, the ST. Joseph's boys prefer TO
explain the facts in that way. They
have, too high an opinion Of AlonZo 10
accept the theory that he had fight
with another dog and that the other
dog knocked spots out OF him.
The boys bought couple of yards
of ribbon for AIonzo, for their mascot
was to accompany them in the parade
of athletes at the meet of the follow
ing Thursday, and everything looked
bright But just then q boy from an
other school came along and declared
that the deg was not Alonzo Ana
he tried to prove his declaration by
asking a question that nobody could
answer: IF that's AIonzo, where are
his spots?"
That question made Alonzo's little
friends think. That's what everybody
will say when they see him in the
parade they said to one another;
and for awhile there were puzzled
faces and puckered brows at the How
ard street school. Then one bright boy
got an idea He took Alonzo home
that afternoon and took him out 10
his fathers paint shed and got brush
and some black paint and painted the
spots on Alonzo And when the JoD
was done AlonZo was himself again
He had recovered his black spots, and
nobody could say, That is not Alonzo.
When the night of the parade came,
Alamo was there with his bright eyes
and his two inches of tail and his two
Yards of ribbon and his spots But
there is something very strange about
those spots. For Some reason or other
the spots that been painted in black
turned brown overnight
When the boys from St Joseph
nassed along in the parade, many or
the Juniors who We're looking at the
nroceSsien called out. "AlonZo, Alonzo!
Apd Alenzo threw out his chest and
held his head very high and did MS
very best to keep time TO the music.
Later on he had his picture taken by
The Call photographer, and was alto
gether a very happy dog When the
photographer waved his hand 10 m
djcalte that the picture was taken,
AIonzo looked troubled and pricked up
his ears and put his head to one slde
as though he wanted to say Please
don't forget my spots, my brown spots.
The boys say that Alonzo Is splen-
did plaxfellow and he is big favorIte
at St Joseph's school Inc tfach team
intends to keep him for the next In
door meet. for they are sure he will
baln them to win the cup. The only
+hinp that troubles them is his spots
viii they turn yellow or pink or blue2
Some Of the smaller half believe that
Alonzo can change his spots whenever
he nleases. and they are much sur
r,rfead that he did not take it into his
head TO wear green spots on st. Pat
rfck's day.
batb frequently; rub every part of
the body with towel daily. Keep
The hair cut short and wash the head
freauently Every morning brush the
teeth well. Keep the hands and feet
c1aa,, AspeciasIy Dirt from the nails
contains poisonous material there
fore cut the nails often and clean