The Rat's Own Fault

The boy sat on the big box, kicking his heels against the sides. He was ia short, stumpy boy. with an abundance of freckles held over from summcr. The box was an ordinary packing box. It stood on the sidewalk in front of t'ae Walton building in Franklin street, near where the Sixth avenue elevated road crosses. Underneath the box a long, lean, gray bewhiskered rat had taken iip temporary quarters. The rat was in bad luck. In the first place a sneaky looking dog, droopy.as to tail, a mongrel of the kind termed 'yaller," was lounging about, nosing in the gutter and j-earning for an opportunity to display the deviltry comrnon to liis kind. Behind the rat's refuge in a doorway a pretty young woman was tallring to a mnch infatuated "George." An elderly and important looking personage, wearing gold mounted evogl; -ses and carrying a gold In '. had just made an imposing deseen t from the elevated station and was promenading leisurely toward the box. A cart horse attached to a truck stood in front of a saloon near by waiting for the driver to :ome out. All was calm and peaceful. Then the rat came on the scène. The first to see hiin was the boy. He jurnped off the box, and the rat started out toward the station with the boy in hot chase. This aroused the dog, who, with a bowl of anticipated sport, joined in the pursuit. The fugitive made straight for the elderly personage. The boy was a -dirly good second and the dog a close third. The personage, becoming awaro that something was coming his way. glanced over the top of the gold mounted eyeglasses. "Hi, there!" yelled the boy. "He's comin your way. Head 'im off. Swather 'im one with th' stick." The old gentleman "swathered." He missed the rat and hit the boy on the shins. The boy gave a shrill whoop, lay down on the walk and wept. 'Did it hurt your" inquired theowner of the cane. That made the boy so angry that he stopped crying. "Did it hurt me?" he howled in righteous wrath. "Did it hurt me? You ol' gold headed snooper. How'd you like it ef I clubbed 3-er bloomin ol' shins with a waggin spoke? What'd you say ef a fat headed cove - Hi! Here he comes back! Grab 'im! Turn "im back! Hit 'im when he goes by!" The rat had doubled on his track and was flying np the street again with the dog severa! paces behind. In between the feet of the personage dodged the rat. The dog essa3'ed to follow by the same route and got tangled up with the feet. Down came the personage, his gold headed cane flying in one direction and his gold rimmed spectacles in another. Then and there he off ered a few remarks that -wrang from the boy an admiring tribute. "Gosh," said he, "you can enss." In the meantime the rat was on his way up the street, and the pretty young woman who with her "George" had emerged from the doorway, was 'walking down the street engaged in conversation. "Yes, he was just as nice about it as he could.be; said it "wasn't any trouble at all. He said- Oh! 0-w-w-w-w! George'. E-e-e-e-e-e-e! It's a rat! Help! It's coming tliis way. E-e-e-e-e-e! Help me up on this box. Yes, I'm all right now, but - Oh, Georgp, do you suppose he can climb up here? E-e-e-e-e-e! Don't let him climb up here or I shall d-d-ddie!" George let out a terrific kick that landed in the stornach of the pursuing dog. By way of retaliation the dog tock off part of one leg from Gcorge's troúsers, and fled across the streeí V,vling disnially until it carne to üj cart horse. Apparently connecting that animal with his inisfortunes, the dog nibbled at its hind leg. The horse snorted and ran down the street with the truck clattering after. The rat, Lnstead of taking this chance cf escape, rushed frantically across the street and back again, with the boy, who had cotne up, followed by the personage, hot on the trail. The personage was regarding with undisguised admiration the pretty girl, who, with garments gathered and held up lightly in one hand, was standing on tiptoe on tha box viewing the chase. George was looking at his trousers. The owner of the truck came out of the saloon in time to see his property rattling down the street. As he started after it, leaving a trail of profanity behind him, a gaunt cat sauntered out of the saloon. Before the teamster had caught his horse the cat had pounced on the rat and put an end to him. Then the dog avenged his woes by catching her by the back of the neck and shaking the life out of her. The boy hit the dog with a brick on general principies. Then he rerurned to the personage, the box, George, and the pretty young woman. The latter was saying: "Oh, dear! I was so scared. I hope I - Oh, George, did I hold my dress up so very high? Please say I didn't! That horrid old man with the eyeglásses!" "Why, of conrse you didn't," said George promptly. The girl descended and walked away with him, her fears