Evening star., 1925-07-19

troll, Mr.. Burrldge was apt 10 loT
get the gentler graces of ciyiliza
ton and, as his wife said, be of
again. Mr.. Burridge was bale
and stout and looked overfed.
Laura" Mrs. Burridge used to sa,
10 her daughter when she saw Mr.
Burridge's face turning scarlet. "fol
heavens sake be careful--your IA
Tiers off again"
She also used to say TO her daugh
ter:
II wish your father wouldn't make
a garden--it makes him so angry.
He was one of those pinkish-lookins
men who take TO gardening enthu
siastically, but who, before all the
ground is spaded, become irritated al
the injustice of the world and want
to bite some ones head off. Mr.. Bur
ridge always planned q much larger
garden than he could handle, and the
larger the garden the angrier he was
apt TO become.
So Mrs. Burridge looked out the
window apprehensively when she
heard Mr.. Burridge swear. and she
was Just in time to see the spade
clang up against the side OF Mr.
Fogarty'S garage-the spade Mr.. Bur
ridge had thrown at Rumpus, the dog
of Mr.. Fogarty. who lived next door
She heard the dog give yelp or lear
and she saw MIR. Burridge swing the
four-tined garden fork above his head
and throw that at the dog also. The
fork missed the dog by 40 feet Mr..
Burridge then leaped out of his gar
den and picked up a box that had
contained tomato plants and threw
it with all his might at the dog.
Laura" said Mrs. Burridge to her
daughter, you had better put the cof'
fee on the table: l think your father
is through gardening"
AS Mr.. Burridge went to recover
the garden fork, little Mrs. Fogarty
came to her back porch.
oh dear"' she said in the apologeti
cally sweet voice that had become a
permanence with her since her hus-
hand had brought Rumpus home.
"Oh, dear Has our dog been bother
ing you again."
For answer Mr. Burridge turned his
back on Mrs. Fogarty. jerked the
fork from the soil and threw it into
the middle of his garden.
He brushed his hands together an
grily, as If to say:
I'm through. Dogs-dogs-do
Ten million useless ours digging up
everything a man plants"
He yanked his coat from the limb
of the small tree on which it hung
and strode toward his kitchen door.
his mouth grimly set.
Laura" said Mrs. Burridge nerv-
ously, for heavens sake be care,
full; your father is off again! Call
Ted"
"Teh-dee. Teh-dee! Teddy. Theo-
dorer called Laura at the back door,
but no one answered. She drew back
against the door frame and Mr.. Bur
ridge stalked past her and through
the kitchen without a word. He went
up 10 the bathroom
From under a Spiraea bush close
TO the Fogarty property line young
Ted Burridge stuck out his head. As
he did not see his father, he came
all the way out and Rumpus leaped
toward him wagging his short tail
and painting artificially in a manner
he had of showing joy and delight.
Nice old Rumpus! Good old dog
gle" Ted comforted him, an arm
around Rumpus' neck. You didn't
get hurt, did you, doggie? You're a
good old doggie, amt you, doggte?"
Tied, you come right in to your
breakfast this minute" Laura called
to the boy. 'If father sees you hug
ging that dog
IAN right. doggie," said Ted, ignor-
ing his sister as elder sisters should
be ignored. IN see you after break
fast, doggie."
claimed as Ted slid past her into the
kitchen.
You'd better look out. young man;
father1l be terrible if he catches you
petting that dog"
IN the bathroom Mr.. Burridge
L. washed his hands and when the
soap fell to the floor he kicked it
viciously.
He then went to his bedroom and
lerked six pairs of trousers OF the
closet hooks. He threw one shirt un-
der the bed and tore three collars
raucousIy, and thus dressed for bust
ness. He then threw practically all
the remaining contents Of his dresser
into a suit case and went down to
breakfast.
Now, listen to this" ordered Mr..
Burridge when he was seated. Jane
for heavens sake, can't you pay
little attention to me once in while?"
why, / Why, yes. George! I'm
listening" said Mrs. Burridge hastily.
Il want you to buy a dog"
IA what?" gasped Mrs. Bur
ridge.
"A dog. l said a dog, didn't I? /
went out there this morning to plant
my tomato plants, in my garden, on
my own property And what hap
pened?"
No one ventured to say what hap
pened.
1t was not the moment for any one
to make any remark. Mrs. Burridge
and Laura and Ted knew from eXpe-
rience that father was off again and
that now was the time to be silent
and show deep and concerned atten-
tion.
Il worked like q slave over that
garden, that's what happened" said
Mr.. Burridge, land | planted those
tomato plants and that dog of Fo-
garty's came over and began digging.
He dug them up faster than 1 could
plant them-that's what happened.
And if it's not one dog, it's another.
I'm through
No one denied that Mr.. Burridge
had a perfect right to be through.
I'm through repeated Mr.. Bur
ridge again. Jane. how long have
owned this house?"
NJ aaf4