Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1919-06-13
CHAPTER Z.


O0AP En- !.
-
a DOG and q Damsel.
AZ sat on bench In Madison
sqUare after half past eleven in the
evening dog came trotting up to me.
stopped at my feet and whined.
There Is nothing remarkable In hav-
ing strange dog run to one. nor In
seeing the creature rise on its hind
legs and paw at you for notice and n
caress. Only. this happened to be an
Eskimo dog.
str0ked the beast. which lay down
mt my feet. raising Its head sometimes
to whine and sometimes darling of a
little way and coming back to tug ut
the lower edge Of my overcoah But
my mind was too much occupied for
me to take any but a perfunctory in
terest In Its maneuvers. My eight
years Of thankless drudgery .as a
clerk, following on a brief adventur-
Gus period after l ran away to sea
from my English home. had terrUinat-
ed three days before upon receipt of a
legscy. and l had at once left Tom
Carson's employment.
Six thousand guineas-thirty thou
sand dollars-the will said.
had seen for some time that Car
son meant to get rid Of me. II had
been q satisfaction to me to get rid
u him instead.
: He had been alternately a prospee.
tor and company promoter all the
vorking years Of his shabby life. Tom
was a. secretive a. clam. except
with Simon Leroux.
LerOux was . parish politician from
some place near Quebec. and his
ciean-shaven. wrinkled face was as
hard and mean ~ any city boss In the
United States He and old Tom used
70 BE- closeted together for hours at
q time.
never liked the man and I never
cared for Carson's business ways 1
ives glad TO leave him the day after
my legacy arrived.
Ny plans were vague. l had been
occupying. at a low rental. a tiny
apartment combating OF two rooms.
hath and what IL called Kitchen
ette.- at the top Of nm old building
In Tenth street which was about to be
pulled down. I had half planned to
take boat for Jamaica. wanted to
think and plan.
The Eskimo dog was growing I'M
easy. II would run from me, looking
round and uttering q succession Of
short barks, then run back and tug at
my oyercoaf again.
Evidently 1t wished me to accom-
pany It. and I wondered who its mas
ter was and how It cane to be there.
I rose and followed the beast, which
showed Its eager delight by running
ahead Of me. turning round at times
to bark, and then continuing on ITS
way with. q precision which showed
me that II was certain Of its destina-
ton.
The dog turned down q street In the
Twenties. ran on q few yards, bound
ed up flight Of stone steps and be-
gan scratching at the door of house
that was apparently empty.
This place I knew by reputation. II
was Jim Days notorious but decently
conducted gambling establishment. |
which was running full blast at time
when every other institution of. this |
character had found II convenient to
shut down.
So the creatures master was inside |
Days. and II wished me to get him |
out. looked In some disappointment |
Mt the closed doors and turned away.
/ meant to 60 home. and had pro-
ceeded about three PAGES when the |
lock clicked. / stopped. The front |
door opened cautiously and the gray |
head Of Jim's negro butler appeared.
Then emerged one Of the most beau |
tiful women that ! have ever seen.
She could not have been more than
twenty years Of age. Her hair was
Of fair brown. the features modelled |
splendidly. the head poised upon a
HAWKES. throat that cleaned white be-
meath a neckpiece Of magnificent
sable.
She carried a sable muff, too. and |
under these furs was a dress Of un-
stylish fashion and cut that contrasted
cur'Vusiy with them. ! thought that
those loose sleeves had passed away
before the nineteenth century died. In
one hand she carried a bag. into which
sAe was stufhng large roll of bills.
She passed 30 close to me that her1
oress brushed my Overcoat. and for IN
snstant her eyes met mine. There was
beok in them that startled meter
~ and heapaesunese ~ though she
- eu9ered sorse tes.1mhslg shocl
vee1 made her sct!' u one au..-
I'm conseeus --&