The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-12-10
seoteh nun had ravished the rag doll

/ Scotch pup had ravished the rag doll
from Gle nursery. dragged 1t to a cor
! ner of the litWn. dHa i hole and buried
! II after thc uauHcr Of careless under
takers There you lave the mystery
+ solSe,taHd ~ checks to write for the
/ iEpot rruiral wizHid or fl pun notes
j To toss to Gha sergeant Then let's got
/ down Ia The heart If the thing. tire
some rendets-the Christmas heart If
the thing
Fuzzy wns drunk not riotously OF
helrlessIy OF loqugciously. as you or
might get. but Jeceutly appropriately
and inoffensively. as becomes n gentle
man down on his luck
| Fuzzy was a soldier of fortune. The
road. the haystack. the park bench. the
kitchen door. the bitter round of elee-
mosynary beds with shower bath Mt
tachmcni. the petty plckings and ig
nobly Earnered largesse of great cities
these formed the chapters OF his his.
tory.
Fuzzy walked toward the river. down
the street that bounded one side OF the
/ hVhrt anu kibuhues
saw leg OF Betsy. the lost rag doll.
| protruding like the clew TO lillipu-
! tian murder mystery. from Its untime
" grave In n corner OF the fence. lie
dragged forth the maltieated infant.
| tucked II under his arm and went oil
his way. grooming n road song OF his
brethren that no doll that has been
brought up to the sheltered life should
hear Well for Betsy that she had no
ears. And well that she had no eyes
save unseeing circles of black. for the
faces of Fuzzy and the Scotch terrier
we're those OF brothers. and the heart
Of no rag doll could Withstand twice TO
become the prey Of such fearsome mon
sters.
Though you may not know It. Gro
gap's saloon stands near the river and
near the foot OF the street down which
Fuzzy travelled. In Grogan's Christmas
cheer was already rampant
Fuzzy entered with his doll lie fan
ried that IT'S II hummer Mt the feast Of
Saturn he might earn few drops from
the wassail cup.
He set Betsy on the bar and I'd
dressed her loudly and humorously
seasoning bis speech with exaggerated
compliments and endearments, ns one
entertaining his lady friend The lonf
ers and hihherS around caught the
farce of Il and roared The bartendpr
gave Fuzzy drink Oh many of Us
carry rag dolls.
Zone for the ladyf'' suggested Fuzzy
impudently. and tucked another contrl.
button TO urt beneath his waistcont.
He began to see possibilities III Betsy.
Ills first night had been Il success.
Visions of vaudeville circuit abgUt
town dawned upon him
In Il group near the stove SIT Pig
col" Mccarthy. Elack Kiley and One
Ear Mike. well and uufavorably
known In the tough shocstiing district
that bIacken~d the left brink OF the
river. They passed a newspaper back
and forth among themselves. The item
that each solid and blunt foretinger
pointed out was mn advertisement
headed zone Hundred Dollars Re.
ward To earn II one must return the
rag doll lost. straycd or stolen from
| the miliionnire's mansion.
Black Riley came from behind the
stove and approached Fuzzy IN his one
sided. ltataboic way
The Christmas mununer. flushed with
success. had tucked BETSY under his
arm and was about 10 depart 10 the
filling of mipromptu dates elsewhere
Say. hoy. said Black Riley TO him.
where did you cop out dat dolr'
"This do1lf" asked Fuzzy. touching
Betsy with his foretinger to be sure
that she was the one referred to
why. this doll was presented to me
by the emperor Of Beloocbistan. | have
/ TOO others III my country home in New
| port This doll
Cheese the funny business said
Riley You swined It or picked II up
at de house on de bill where-but
never mind dat You want to take 80
cents for de rags. aud take II quick
Me brothers. kid at home might be
wantin t. play wild It. Hey whatf"
lie produced the coin.
Fuzzy laughed n gurgling inaolent
alcoholic laugh In bis face.
Black Riley gauged Fuzzy quickly
with his hliieberry eye as q wrestler
does His hand was itching to play the
| Roman and wrest the rng Sabine from
| the extemporaneous Merry Andrew who
| was entertaining an angel unaware
Hut he refrained Fuzzy WIS fat and
solid and iig. Three inches Of we'll
nourished corporeity. defended from
the winter winds BY dingy linen. inter
vened between his vest and trousers.
Countless small. circui,lr wrinkles run
ming around his coat sleeves and
knees guaranteed the quality of his
bone and muscle Ills small blue eyes.
batfed In the moisture of altrilism and
wooziness looked upon YOU kindly. yet
without Adjustment He was whisker-
". whiskyly. tieshliy Formidable. Sc
Black Riley temporiDed.
'.Wotl you take fer It. den5" he
asked.
Money said Fuzzy with husky
firmness. cannot buy her