Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-10-15
For Goodness Sake
Copyright. by J. B. nppIncOtt Coz
By Clifford Howard

upon my remarks and told me that |
was naughty, naughty boy, and that
il / didn't stop ringing that bell she
would call policeman.
Then l heard somebody on the low.
er floor calling for Bruno" and insist
ing that It was a perfect outrage.
Really, l felt awfully mortified. It
was the first time anything Of the
Kind had ever happened to me, and |
particularly regretted that 1t should
have occurred at Bertha's home. l
realized keenly that l ought to do
something decisive at once; so l
grasped my cane In the middle and
aimed a desperate blow at the push.
button. But Just as l swung back my
arm q light suddenly shone in the
glass panel Of the door, there was a
galloping noise, as of a human being
md a Quadruped coming along the
hall, regardless Of the umbrella stand,
Ind amid the snarls of a dog an elder.
y gentleman could be heard announ.
ing his intentions Of breaking some.
5ody's neck.
So | said to myself: For goodness
'ake!" and the dispatch with which I
got down to the sidewalk was a reve.
alton. didn't know that l had It in
ne to be so nimble.
l had barely reached the bottom
when the cross man let the dog out and
old him to "sic" me and chew the
pants on" me. At the same time he
lung a stick Of wood after me, and
made use Of very ungracious express.
sion.
can understand why he might have
liked to hit me with the stick, but |
am at a loss to know why he should
have wanted the dog to treat me so
shabbily. I certainly had not done
lnytnlng to the dog.
thought 1t best to run all the way
ZONE. It was only a matter Of a few
blocks anyhow, and l planned to get
INTO the back alley and Jump the fence.
| was worried, though, to know how
| was going to get around the corner
at Butternut street. It is no easy
task to 90 round a corner on an icy
pavement at full speed without either
breaking your neck or losing ground,
and had before me the further pos.
sibility Of losing a portion of my ap.
parel should l invite the nearer ap-
proach Of the dog by slaekening my
gait.
Therefore, when l beheld standing
on the corner tall, flat-footed man
who looked like Presbyterian, | said
to myself: For goodness sake!" and
the next moment grabbed him about
the waist and swung myself around
the corner with dexterity that sur.
prised my most hopeful expectations.
AS | did so, I hurriedly begged his
pardon and told him to believe me
that / should never have taken the
liberty had not been sore pressed.
Ireally was very sorry when heard
with what loud whack the old gentle.
man fell down; and when | heard him
graphing with the dog | said to my.
self: For goodness sake!"
don't know just what the cross dog
did to the good man, or what the good
man did to the cross dog, but the two
OF them together certainly made an
unholy disturbance. And three or four
timid pedestrians, seeming danger in
the commotion, took their cue from
me and began to run.
It was exceedingly disagreeable to
me to be the cause of so much public
excitement; and when windows began
to so up and men and women poked
their heads into the night / felt posi-.
lively Inundated. By the time | got
into our back alley there was perfect
stampede of boys and men coming
down the street. There did not appear
to be any clearly defined notion among
them as to what It was all about, but
so far as | could Judge, the crowd was
made up of two factions-one running
away from danger and following me as
leader, and the other impressed with
the conviction that was being chased.
Included in the latter faction we're two
policemen.
Fortunately, happened to know one
OF these and when they nabbed me as
| was about to scramble over the fence
| said to him: Believe me, O'Hara
this is all a very painful mistake. I
am simply running away from a dog
charged with a mission to injure me
and disgrace me-"
After a moments consultation in
which 0'Hara assured his fellow Off.
Ger that he knew me to be a perfect
gentleman, they agreed to allow me to
proceed unmolested, with the under.
standing, however, that l would appear
in court should developments make It
necessary
The family we're somewhat surprised
to hear me come into the house
through the kitchen, but said nothing
to them at the time concerning my
misadventure, except to confide to my
sister Ellen that had inadvertently
got some ice water down my neck, and
that one of her hot lemorades. with