The Washington herald., 1920-10-31
AN O. HENRY STORY
COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON

Fuzzy impudently. and tucked an
other contribution to Art beneath
his waist-coat.
He began to see possibilities in
Betsy. His first night had been
success. Visions of vaudeville
circuit about town dawned upon
him.
In a group near the stove sat
Pigeon" Mccarthy, Black Riley,
and "One-ear" Mike, we'll and un-
favorably known in the tough shoe
string district that blackened the
left bank of the river. They
passed a newspaper back and forth
among themselves. The item that
each solid and blunt forennger
pointed out was an advertisement
headed "One Hundred Dollars Re-
ward" To earn 1t one must return
the rag-doll lost, strayed. or stolen
from the millionaire's mansion. 1t
seemed that grief still ravaged.
unchecked, in the bosom of the too
faithful child. Flip, the terrier,
capered and shook his absurd
whisker before her, powerless to
distract. She walled for Betsy in
the face of walking, talking, mama
ing, and eye-closing French Ma
tisement was last resort.
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 un-
der his arm, and was about to de-
part to the filling of impromptu
dates elsewhere.
Say, Bo," said Black Riley to
him, where did you cop out dat
doll?"
This dollT" asked Fuzzy, touch
ing Betsy with his forehnger to be
sure that she was the one referred
to. why, this doll was presented
TO me by the emperor of Beloochi-
stan. 1 have 700 others in my
country home in Newport. This
doll"
Cheese the funny business" said
Riley. You swiped it or picked it
up at de house on de hill where
but never mind dat. You want to
take so cents for de rags, and take
1t quick. Ne brothers kid at home
might be wantin' to play wild it.
Hey-what?"
He produced the coin.
Fuzzy laughed a gurgling, inso-
ithAE aiCOhOliC lausn III MS lace.
Go to the office of Sarah Bern
hardt's manager and propose to
him that she be released from a
lights performance to entertain
the Tackytown Lyceum and Lit
erary Coterie. You will hear the
duplicate of Fuzzy's laugh.
Black Riley gauged Fuzzy quick
ly with his blueberry eye as a
wrestler does. His hand was itch
ing to play the Roman and wrest
the rag Sabine from the extempo-
raneous merryandrew who was en-
tCrtaining 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. intervened between his vest
and trousers. Countless small. cir
cuIar wrinkles running around his
coat-sleeves and knees guaranteed
the quality of his bone and muscle.
His small, blue eyes, bathed in the
moisture of altruism and wozi-
ness, looked upon you kindly, yet
kerly, whiskyly. f1eshily formida-
bic. So, Black Riley temporized.
"Wotll you take for 1t, DEM" he
asked.
Money" said Fuzzy, with husky
hrmness, cannot buy her"
He was intoxicated with the ar
lists first sweet cup of attainment.
To set a faded-blue earth stained
rag-doll on bar, to hold mimic
converse with it, and to find his
heart leaping with the sense of
plsudits earned and his throat
scorching with free libstions pour
ed in his honor-could base coin
buy him from such achievements?
You will perceive that Fuzzy had
the temperament.
Fuzzy walked out with the gait
of a trained sea-lion in search OF
other cafes to conquer.
Though the dusk of twilight was
hardly yet apparent, lights were
beginning to spangle the city like
popcorn bursting in a deep skillet.
Christmas Eve, impatiently ex-
pected, was peeping over the brink
of the hour. Millions had prepared
for its celebration. Towns would
be painted red. You. yourself, have
capers of the Saturnalians.
Pigeon" Mccarthy, Black Riley
and "One-ear" Mike held a hasty
converse outside Grogan's. They
were narrow -chested, pallid strip
lings, not fighters in the open. but
more dangerous in their ways of
warfare than the most terrible of
Turks. Fuzzy, in a pitched battle,
could have eaten the three of them.
In a go-asyou-please encounter he
was already doomed.