The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-06
EDening Story
The Name Of a Dog.
BY MARTHA NC. WILLIAMS.


Mrs. Selden said, waving languidly
toward the object in her lap. Anna
Field laughed softly, answering. Mar
Vicious lady, with most dog owners
beauty lies in the eyeeof the gazer.'
How do you manage to escape %
Maybe. L don't escape, fully" Mrs
Selden said. What does he look like
to you?"
"Plain mutt" from Anna promptly
She was a trifie given to slang in
the face of the oyer-precise.
why L find marvellous resem-
blances in. his sweet little face to so
many of the great men pictured in
the Newspapers. All of them. indeed.
who wear whiskers. Only last night
smoothed back puppys ear and
rotary Hughes" was answered.
Credible said the irrepressible
Anna. Newspaper illustration has
added new terror to life, new
pang to death. If you look hard
enough you can find anybody in any
body eise's picture. But why puppy !?
Haven't you named your possessio on %
The Selden's head shook. Nothing
seems to fit him" said the heads
owner. First 1 meant to call him
Prince for the adorable Prince of
Wales; but he is so good looking it
would seem sarcasm on the doggie. -
What about CerberuS? Only dog
gle. hasn't three heads from Anna.
Selden's kps pursed. 81 don't think
much of that name" they said.
What I want is something strong
and strange with distinguished i'm
plication.'
fSuch as the Akooned of Swat %
Anna queried. Mrs. .Selden's lips curl
ed family as she said: II heard that
twenty years back-when I was quite
small, in fact"
1T is a classic, like ourselves. :"
Anna flung back with bright malice;
that Mrs. Selden must look back to
see forty-fiv this affectation of youth
reused the ire of her contemporary,
who. howey II, after a minute ran on:
Il see something individual. We must
have a name for doggfe. I have it.
BOTHER spells bother and holds
the initials of Brown, Oliver, Thomp-
son. Herbert, Edward and Root-your
roster of adorers. None of them can
accuse you OF playing favorites, and
each will pat himself on the back that
he is mot left out in the cold".
How flippant! Anna, you are real
ly giddy at times" Mrs Selden re-
Anna was sure the name had stuck,
so went on with spFightliness: make
each godfather furnish a silver link
for the-collar, duly engraved. Buy a
lock for it yourself; thus you keep
things even. Also intimate gently,
u
instincts so are likely to be influenced
by Bothers attitude in small things
and great
"a clever idea. My dear, really
am intuitional,' Mrs. Selden paused.
And this dear doggie is the same
he growled fiercely at a ragamuffin in
the park yesterday. But when we met
the Boone's big police dog he was a
real little genleman-jumped up in
my arms, and lay still as a mouse
Some dogs are like that-also some
men," Anna said oracularly. Il don't
like their sort. By looks, shagginess,
whiskers and all. Bother should be
real dog ofAsortss What breed is he !?
/ never saw one of it before"
-l,ot'I--I-have forgotten--its a very
long name-but Mr.. Brown imported
it specially for me from the Duchess
of Something's own kennels. The man
who brought it over lost the papers
or else the name would have been set
tied offhand. I'm glad it was not-you
know like my own impress on every
thing about me. Mr. Brown did not
tell me so-but I have heard (this
mysteriously) that he paid a frightful
price-because he wanted me to have
something no other woman could get.
Dear of him. wasn't it? He under
stands me wonderfully some ways
others are-well!-closed to him. 1
wish they were not
''Wherefore!" asked downright
Anna. Mrs. 'Selden tried to blush.
"OhH' she said. I'VE on this side are
so crude-with so little manner-and
no repose. I think I should love Lon
don, and adore county society. He
tells me the Browns have lived for
ages in the midlands, refusing titles
because they knew themselves too dis
tinguisheh for Them
How considerate!" Anna interject
~
properly grateful"
"No doubt they are from Mrs. Sell
den, who was impervious to gentle
sarcasm. But do you know, 1 am
almost sorry B has to come first. Pup
Bother, mean-bears Mr.. Brown a
grudge<I think it is reallYagainst the
rude fellow who brought Aim over
What becomes of instinct, let alone
intuition?'' Anna was rude enough to
ask. But her hand was on the door
as she did it, $50 she did not catch the
angry look that followed her cut.
The noble army of godfathers took
Bother to their hearts jubilantly-
save and except Lawyer Herbert; who
complained to that dreadful Anna that
he had been counted in, rather than
elected. She answered him with a
wink that seemed to pacify him, so
the dog was truly lionized by the Sell
den set. Also he was featured in the
papers, evening and Sunday. And see
ing that 3 led all the rest, gossip had
it that Mrs. Selden was by way of be-
coming Mrs. Brown. There was moth
ing definitely settled-partly it must
be confessed because Bother refused
to make friends with his first god
father. Mrs. Selden was acutely su
perstitious. also acute1y distrustfui of
any who might possibly have designs
on her money. Since it was the ped
estal that Aifted her above the herd,
small wonder at her vigilance. Brown
bluff and rudy and hearty, affected
scorn of it, saying: Damn your dol
lars. Missy. Keep 'enl in two old
stockin's if it suits We" He was
sketched, as was Mrs. Selden, in COM
pany with Bother, but his name was
printed in smaller type, and his ped
igree fell below the suggestions ona
Supplied for Shis partial namesake.
One morning In spring Bother sur
prised every one by-elea ping thru an
open car window, and disporting him
self madly on the lawns in the park.
There was such hue and cry after him
when Mrs. Selden cried loudly a hun