The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-10-11
BY DONALD ALLEN.
Copyright. 1911. by Associated
Literary Press

Copyright. 1911. by Associated
Literary Press.1
Miss Cherrie Vale, almost twenty
years old. had decided ideas about
suburban life. One of them was to
keep a goat as q pet comrade aad
friend. She had no care for canary.
parrot, dog or cat. but she did want
a goat. and she wanted a name for
him. Just why she called him
Piutarch she never explained, but
that cognomen was bestowed upon
the animal generally referred to AS
Billy. the day she bought him in the
city and had him shipped out to tae
village.
Miss Cherrie had plenty of friends.
Among themselves they said goat
was queer pet for Il girl to Keep
around, but when any one was ask ed
why a goat shouldn't be coddie l.
combed, petted and fed on the best
OF the land he could put forward no
good objection. That the Vale goat
appreciated his position In society
was to be noted in his walk: that
tho bad boys In the village had bet
ter let him alone was shown when
Miss Cherrie went for them with d
horsewhip and the village constable
afterwards frightened them with
tlIcdtS VA anu NbheNVf~-
Three months after his arrival
from the city Plutarch owned the
village 1t WAS his privilege TO war
der where he would and be unnlo-
Tested by man or beast. He toeh on
the dignity of a governor and the eN-
clusiveness Of the president Of but
ter trust, and his days were full of
compiacency. Then came the shadow
of trouble. and 1t soon developed INTO
a solid substance.
A new bridge WAS built across a
creek. a steep hill graded down AID
| maeadam road brought tho autos
| chugging through village which had
hitherto been avoided.
| The dogs ran out, to be Knocked
| down and rolled over. Some were
killed and others went limping away
! to be wiser next <me. After few
weeks Plutarch Vale was about the
| only living thing in the village who
| hadn't come to the conclusion that
| an auto had the right OF way over
! everything. He hadn't been impulsive
| in his actions nor had no jumped TO
conclusions. He had stood at the gate
and sized things up as he chewea
his eud He had recognized the Tact
! that an auto was bigger than he was.
ma -rhur It kicked up far moro dast,
but he was not OiSiiiosCp- 49, ''~O -
goat, and he had never yet met any
. thing that could stand head-on coli
llision with him. He would daily TOR
!, awhile and then to business Some
/ OF those who believed they could READ
his thoughts said he was picturinS TO
himself a mile of highway filled with
smashed autos and grooming men.
Others warned Miss Cherrie that tie
fatal day would dawn for him. but
she refused to fence him in.
One Sunday morning the goat made
ready for business by eating an I'M
usually hearty meal and jumping
fence half a dozen times to get the
kinks out Of his legs. Then he trot-
ted off to the public square and wait
ed. After a quarter of an hour, dur
ing which interval he paid not the
! least attention to the insulting re-
marks OF the hA,f dozen idlers on
the tavern steps, he espied an auto.
| There were three men in it. and they
had no cause for haste.
Plutarch walked to the middle OF
the street and posed himself. His
heart did not beat one faster. The
auto horn walled at him, but he did
not bat an eye. The coming vehicle
might have swerved from its course,
but it did not The goat might have
sidestepped and saved his bacon. but
he was no such goat. Head down
and his tail jerking, and the col
lision came.
The auto did not rise thirty feet
| into tho air and come down with a
| kerchunk, 1t was the goat. But for
| young man in the tonneau OF the
machine the auto would have passed
on with dignified indifference. He
ordered stop and got down. Be-
fore him lay the huddled remains OF
what had once been a goat in his
Il haiycon days. He was now smashed
frazzled, broken-pulped. Never again
for him!
Some men would have dropped a
silent tear and passed on to XIII a
dog In another village, but not Fred
Gleason. His inquiries as to the own
err Of the victim were answered, and
he straightway proceeded to the resi-
dence of Broker Vale and sent his
card in to Miss Cherrie. She came
into the parlor prepared to find a
book agent and make short work OF
him, and was therefore somewhat
l surprised to behold a gentleman who
bowed and stammered. and finally
said:
II was told on the public square
that you were the owner Of goat"
Yes. SIR
would you be willing to put a
4 price on him and let him go?"
"Sir, am not selling goats"
mo, but you see-you know"
II have a goat, but he Is not for
SALE"
L II know. but you see II have
killed him and wish to pay dam
ages"
"What-killed Plutarch!" half
shouted Miss Cherrie
Yes. He was in the street and
made dive for my auto We were
going too fast to stop and"
II will never forgive you, sir
never! He had as much right to the
street as your auto You are prob
able proud Of the feat you accom-
lfshed. You probably chuckled over
4 It, The wonder Is that you did not
sneak away after your crime"
Miss Vale, I'll" stammered Mr..
Gleason, but before he could get furth-
er she hauEhtily said: