The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-10-28
NEWBURY
The Story Of Some Fire Dogs Which
Started to Move Away.


An automobile acting in rather a
suspicious manner last Monday at
tracted the lynx-eyed Watson's atten-
! tion, and, Immediately producing his
/ notebook, he jotted down the number,
which, on consulting his files, proved TO
be that of st. Johnsbury car. The
driver, stoutish built man. with all
the oarmarks pertaining to the Cloth"
was seen TO disappear, behind the
Methodist church, reappearing soon
with couple of fire dogs Of antique
pattern attached to his person. These
We're placed in the tonneau of his car.
Now these fire dogs belonged to the
party whose property adjoined that Of
the church, and had an intrinsic, as
well as sentimental value, as they
had been handed down from one gem
GRAFTON to another, and for all the
writer knows, we're the same fire dogs
Noah used while on his voyage to
Mount Ararat; consequently, The own
or did not care to give them up with
out giving his consent and receiving q
thank you, sir.
As soon as the fire dogs were placed
in the car, the driver did what seems
to many most unholy thing, he drove
his car diagonally across the common,
a thing that even fly, or a crow would
not dare to do without permission, for
that common is one of Newbury's sa-
cred possessions, and man who would
do such thing must have one of the
attributes which uncle Ira Brainerd, a
citizen of Newbury long Aago, claimed
were the essentials TO make up Meth
odist minister, "a loud voice, ignorance
and arrogance"
There Was Plenty of Arrogance in This
Case.
As soon as the car was seen to disap-
pear by the watehful Waston down the
main street, he telephoned .his friend,
Sherlock Holmes, who, though not the
son of prophet, is the son of noted
sheriff of Caledonia county Sherlock
was instantly alert, and notwithstand-
ing the hour, III 80 in a. M, slipped out
of his pajamas and DOMINIC suit Of
heavy Scotch tweed, called for his pipe |
and tobacco. For fifteen minutes he |
sat in deep thought, called by some
''intense concentration" Great drops |
Of perspiration rolled OFF his massive |
brow and came down and busted on the |
hardwood floor with report similar
to that Of soap bubble. All at once,
with great deliberation, he arose, adj
iusted his tortoise-shelled eve glasses,
buttoned ZIP his suspenders, slipped on
his heavy galoshes and his top coat and !
calling his two dogs, the one with the |
long hair and the short haired bull dog |
lf English descent; also his bobbed
tailed black cats ventured out on the
moor with a dare to-do-or die look on /
ais placid countenance. Almost across
he street from Sherlock's residence
ives what a few months ago was an
I'D bachelor, but, who, getting snarled
Up in the matrimonial net, lost his
reedom. and who has been busy for
he last eighteen months wondering
how in the revil il happened" In his
,ard Sher.1ck's dogs espied the fire
logs. They were seated in the ear
which bore the fateful digits which Wat
on had recorded, and IL was quite evil
lent with this grand scoop, Sherlock
lad added fresh laureis 10 his name,
nd, thinking perhaps he might get a
title more fun out of the eseapades it
ras his desire To let his quarry escape, !
4 the same time notify his father
nd have the gentleman, or would .be ;
risoner. explain 10 the judge how he ,
anne in possession Of the fire dogs; but
fter consultation with the owner. a ,
liz hearted man. direct descendant |
rom Robert Burns, he with his noble
nccstor, believing ia the principle Of
gently scan your brother man." !
bought it best to quietly retake his
without notifying the party, |
nd enjoying in his imagination the
urprise and discomforture of the own |
r Of the car on his arrival at st Us
ohnsbury in realizing the fire dogs had \
scaped. e
As it is. there is no hard feelings; r
II concede il mistake, and the mat c
n can be pleasantly adjusted by an I
pology. Z
Newbury is a great place for mani Il
Iate antiques, but when it comes down a
, men and women. they are Johnny :
n the-spot, and you will find it is Z
Iuch better to ask permission than it
l.. /. 4. e. .t...l L