Show JOE FINDS A FRENCH POODLE Like This Amusing Little Street Boy the tile Dog Had to Work for a Living BY CHARLES BATTELL LOOMIS Author of Yankee Yankee Enchantments e etc c. c etc Joe Dempsey was a street boy and he was a pretty tough little gust Customer mer In Inmany Inmany inmany many wa ways s but he had a love for animals ant ani I ani-I mals and he hated to see them cruelly treated More than once In his short life he had addressed such words to who were abusing their horses as had brought on him a taste of the same whip that had been used on the animals but he never got more than a taste as he dodged to a safe place and kept up his moral lecture and once he had the satisfaction of seeing seeing seeing see see- ing an officer of the S S. S P P. C C. A A. arrest arresta a man who was kicking a horse hoise that ought to have been In bed instead of drawing a heavy load of jun Junk One day he was on Courtlandt street near near the railroad ad ferries looking for a chace to carry a valise when he saw tw two o boys trying to make a French poodle poodle poo poo- dle die stand on his head The poodle was possessed of a good deal of spirit and snapped at the boys bos but he was unable unable unable una una- ble to get away as he was tied The boys had probably seen a picture on a circus poster of a poodle standing on his head and having haYing found this poor fellow in an alleyway they intended to make him everything in a poodles poodle's poodles poodle's poodles poodle's poo poo- dle's curriculum Its a won woner er youse souse wouldn quit hurtin dat mutt said Joe after one of the boys had the poodle a particularly hard bloW Its a woner youse wouldn min mm yer own business said the boy with witha a menacing gesture It was at this point that Joe stopped talking and began to act and when he had finished acting the boy was very much the worse for year and his companion companion com corn panion who was an arrant coward had disappeared with the dog But Joe was not through with the Incident and he asked the boy whose head he had punched who owned the dog I dunno who owns him Mickey foun him an we was him tricks Well come an help me git him an Ill I'll gi yer a quarter fer him said Joe and at mention of the money the boy whose name was John piloted Joe JoeI I through around the corner where they saw Mickey Ickey and the dog walking leisurely leisurely lei let surely along in fancied security Soy Soy Mickey dig dis feller wants der del mutt He Hell He'll 11 gi us 10 cents fer It John put It at 10 cents thinking to divide even at S 5 cents apiece which would have left him 15 cents that Mickey Mick Mick- ey knew nothing about but Joe divined his game an and wishing to show him that he understood It he said No Ill I'll give a quarter for it but a nickels nickel's s all you you'll II get from him because you ran away like a coward Why yer er wait an let mo me do yer up up Mickey seemed to see of the question for he grinned but buthe he said nothing Joe had Just 2 33 35 cents m in his pocket which he had earned running errands The dog was not riot worth a quarter to him as plain dog but he was willing willingto to pay that for him in order to save him from the boys First he grasped the dogs dog's string and then he counted out two dimes f for John and a nickel for Mickey and left with the dog When he was half a a. block away he looked back and Saw aw Mickey scrapping with John for a more even division of the money Joe chuckled to himself and then addressed the dog do they call yer Well mutt what yer It was not so much the words as the tone that told the intelligent poodle that he had fallen into the first friendly hands that had touched him since his accidental separation from his master mastera a week before He wagged his plumed tail and almost smiled out of his beady eyes and when Joe put down his hand I he licked it Say mutt what's yer name name Is It Fido The dog made no reply as Fido meant nothing to him Is It Rover Again no reply except a wagging of the tallIs tail tall Is it Nero Yap said the dog and put his ws' ws up on Joe Chee Chet but you know a alot lot Ill I'll try yer er again to make sure Is It Rover or Fido No answer Is Is it Nero Again a yap and a vigorous wagging of the tail taU I wasn wasn't t so slow mesel On der del third guess Well Nero you an me belongs belongs' to each until I have to give you up an an I hope dat wont won't ever happen Want 1 some grub No answer Youse You se dont don't know everything do you sou ou said Joe rather disappointed Then he happened to think of a variation variation varia varla- tion of the question Want some meat Yap yap barked baked Nero eagerly Toe Joe dug his hand Into his trousers pocket He had Just five pennies He had Intended blowing himself off to toa a a dinner that should cost a little more than usual but the quarter paid for forthe forthe forthe the dog had reduced his funds to 5 cents and now If he bought meat for forthe forthe forthe the dog it wo would d me mean n that he must get along until morning with nothing t to eat for it was n not t likely likely- that he would get anything to do In the way of running errands as the market had closed He went several blocks out of his way to a butchers butcher's store The dog was evidently hungry and now that he owned him he was responsible for tor him Up to this time Joe had thought of Nero as a useless friend but the butcher butch butch- er said Does he do any tricks tricks' tried him said JoeI JoeI Joe I I used to have a French poodle poodle poodle- and nd he knew more than I did myself That's honest He could play soldier Yes sir play soldier said the butcher looking Intently at the dog who pricked up his ears at the word The butcher glanced around the shop and picked up a broken broom handle which he held toward the dog Shoulder arms arms arms' said he and Nero shouldered that stick as If he had been In the army for ten years Joe turned a handspring for sheer Joy Mr Mr Cutts I wont won't do a thing but teach him tricks Aint he great He sure is said Mr 1 Cutts You want to keep a close watch on him or somebody 11 steal him The dog was evidently glad to show showoff showoff showoff off his tricks to friends for he played dead sang Walked on his forelegs and waltzed with the broom handle and then he went up to tho counter put his paws on It it and said as plainly as barks could say it Some meat please Joe hesitated a minute He could go goto goto goto to an room eating-room and for 5 cents he could get a piece of chuck steak that was all right and that would satisfy his hunger but there would not be enough for Nero and him On the other hand he could get a big piece of raw meat but he had never cultivated a taste for that article and he knew that dogs had appetites much bigger than their size He won the victory in a minute GI me cents' cents worth of meat fer the dog will yer yer said heThe he The answer of Mr Cutts was delight delight- I I ful That dog has paid I Keep your 5 cents r rA I A minute later two or th I came In and Joe departe I I chunk of raw meat for Ner NerI i I et pocket Docket and the 5 cents g IS lay I in his trousers pocket I Come an well we'll eat cat I he and Into the night dog t tI tto tto I to see which could make male th thI I to the place where the c 5 I was being kept warm for I lows as Joe 4 11 |