A Yellow Dog's Luck

Alfred de Musset, the famous Frenen poet, was at one tiine conducting a canrass for election to the French academy. Members of this distinguished body are elected to it by those who are already members, and enstom requires that an aspirant shall go about soliciting the votes of members. Musset had gone f rom one academician to another and was on his way, onfoot, to the house of the Count de Saiute-Aulaire, just outside of Paris, whose vote he hoped to gain. When he had almost arrived at the place, a large yt'llow dog began to f olio w hirn, but the dog sneaked behind, and as the poet was too rnuch wrapped in his thoughts to look around he did not know that what was perhaps the most hideous dog in Paris was at his heels. When the poet rang at M. de SainteAulaire's door, the dog watched his chance, and as the door was opened slipped into the house. The servant supposed the dog was the newcomer's, and the poet supposed that it belonged to the house. The host and his family were warm ïdmirers of Musset and gave tuin a nearty welcome, though they gazed askance at the horrible yellow dog.which had curled its long legs down on a beautiful rug woven by the young lady of the f aniily as a present to her grandmother. "Extraordinary taste in pets," saidthe host to himself. "But to a great poet anything may be pardon ed.'" "Strange," said Musset to himself, "that an elegant fanjily like this should keep such a hideous cur!" When presently the poet had been invited to remain to dinner and the dog bad prornptly accompanied the farnily and their guest to the dining room, the master of the house was in grave doubt whether "anything could be pardoned to a poet." The animal rnshed around the table, grabbing a piece of food, frightening the venerable grandmother almost to death, and acting like the miserable, hungry vagabond that he was. The hostess, by way of delicate compliment to her guest, caused alarge plate of food to be placed for the dog. The animal ate it in a minute's time and galloped around the table for more. He barked ferociously when one of the f amily declined to give him a piece of meat that he saw on a plate. The dog"s actions prevented any conversation or any enjoyment of the meal. The host looked at his guest and wondered. The guest looked at his host and wondered. As the party was rising from the table the dog rushed against a servant and caused him to upset the greater portion of a set of jare and precious china, an heirloom in the family. The ladies gathered about. weeping, and began to piek up the priceless fragments. Something in the hostess' face inspired the poet with a sudden and fearful thought. He rushed up to the count. "Can it bepossible, sir," he exclaimed, "that vou swpposed that this dog longed to me?" 'Why, of course we supposed he was yours,'' said the count. "He carne with you, did he notV' "I liever saw the hideous beast before!" said Musset. "I supposed all the time that the dog belonged to the house.' Then the animal, which had shown signs of nneasiness during thislittle conversation, sneaked toward the door. He was kicked out, yelping, but once wel outside he shook hiinself and trotted ofi with a complacent air, which seemed to say: 'Well, thafs all right- so long as you didn't tïirn me out before dinner!" M. de Sainte-Aulaire voted for Musset "But," he said, "I shouldn't havo done so if that dog had really been his. Upon such little things do great thinge de pend!'