Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1911-12-07
Scotch pup had ravished the rag do'l

Scotch pup had rxvished the ra0 doll
from the nursery. dragged It to cor.
ner of the lawn. ding hole and buried
it after the manner Of careless under
takers. There you have the mystery
solved and no checks to write for the
| hypodermical wizard ,Or q pun notes
to toss to the sergeant. Then let's get
down to the heart Of the thing, tire
some readers--the Christmas heart OF
/, the thing.
Fuzzy was drunk-not riotously or
helplessly or loquaciously. as You or
might get. but decentiy- appropriately
and inoffensively. AZ becomes gentle
man down on his luck.
Fuzzy was h soldier of fortune. The
road. the haystack. the park bench. the
! kitchen door. the bitter round OF elee-
mosynary beds With shower bath at
tachment. the petty pickings and ig'
nobly garnered largesse Of great cities
these formed thedchapters Of his his
tory.
Fuzzy walked toward the river. down
the street that bounded one side OF the
saw leg of Betsy. the lost rag doll.
protruding. like the clew to lillipu-
tinn murder mystery. from Its untime-
ly grave in a corner of the fence. He
dragged forth the maltreated infapt.
tucked 1t under his arm and went on
his way. grooming 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 we'll that she had no eyes
save unseeing circles of black. for the
faces Of Fuzzy and the Scotch terrier
were 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
gan'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. He fan.
cied that as a hummer at the feast or
Saturn he might earn few drops from
the wassail cup.
He set Betsy on the bar and ad
dressed her loudly and humOrously
seasoning his speech with exaggerated
compliments and endearments, as one
entertaining his lady friend. The loaf
ers and .Aibbers around caught the
farce Of it and roared. The bartender
gave Fuzzy a drink Oh. many of US
carry rag dolls.
"One for the lady?' suggested Fuzzy
impudently. and tucked another contri-
button to art beneath his waistcoat.
He began to see possibilities in Betsy
His first night had been success
Visions Of a vaudeville circuit about
town dawned> upon him.
In group near the stove sat Pig
con" Mccarthy. Black Riley and zone
Ear Mike. well and unfavorably
known in the tough shoestring district
that blackened the left bank of the
river They passed newspaper back
and forth among themselves. The item
that each solid and blunt foretinper
pointed out was an advertisement
headed lone Hundred Dollars Re.
ward" To earn 1t one must return the
rag doll lost. strayed or stolen from
the millonaires mansion.
Black Riley came from behind the
stove and approached Fuzzy In his one
sided. parabolic way.
The Christmas hummer. flushed with
success. had tucked Betsy under his
arm and was about to depart to the
filling of mipromptu dates elsewhere.
Say. boy" said Black Riley to him.
"where did you cop out dat dollT
This doll?" asked Fuzzy. touching
Betsy with his forefnger to be sure
that she was the one referred to-
"Why. this doll was presented to me
by the emperor Of Beloochistan. ! have
700 others in my country home In New
port. This doll
"Cheese the funny business" said
Riley ~sYou swiped 1t or picked II up
at de house on de hill where-but
never mind dat. You want to take 80
cents for de rags. and take 1t quick
Me brOt hers kid at home might be
wantin' to play wild 1t. Hey-whatT
He produced the coin.
tuZZy luuSueu u SuiSiiHS. iu'S'Ch''
alcoholic laugh In his face.
Black Riley gauged Fuzzy quickly
with his blueberry eye as. wrestler
does. His hand was itching to play the
Roman and wrest the rag Sabine from
the extemporaneous Merry Andrew whn
was entertaining an angel unaware.
But he refrained. Fuzzy was fat and
solid and big Three inches Of well
nourished corporeity. defended from
the winter winds by dingy linen. inter.
vened between his vest and trousers.
Countless small. circular wrinkles run
ming around his coat sleeves and
knees guaranteed the quality of his
bone and muscle His small blue eyes,
bathed In the moisture of altruism ana
wooziness. looked upon you kindly. yet
without abpshment. He was whisker.
ly. whiskyly. aeshily formidable. So
Black Riley temporized.
"Wot1l you take for 1t. den?" be-
asked.
Money said Fuzzy with husky
frmness. "cannot buy her"
He was intoxicated with the artists
first sweet cup Of attainment To set
a faded blue. earth stained rag doll on
a bar. to hold mimic Converse with 1t
and to find his he9rt leaping with the
sense of pIaudits earned and his throat
scorching with free libations poured In
his honor-could base coin buy him
from such achievements? You will per
ceive that Fuzzy had the temperament
Fuzzy walked out with the gait OF
trained sea lion In search Of other
cafes to conquer.