HOW ANIMALS PLAY 231 



I walked a couple of doors to where a most charm- 

 ing acquaintance lived, rang the bell, handed my 

 card to the maid and with an ostentatious snap 

 mashed my hat flat under my arm as I was ushered 

 into the long parlor. 



There is little doubt of the effect of that hat on 

 the colored maid, and no doubt that she told 

 "young miss" of my formal appearance and the 

 awe-inspiring tall hat, for "young miss" was a 

 long, long time in making her appearance. I sat 

 bolt upright in my chair with my precious new hat 

 under my arm and waited, it seemed to me, for 

 hours; presently a something came bouncing into 

 the room, 



A SOMETHING ROUND AND FUZZY. 



It was not a maid or a madam, but it was alive. 

 I was astonished at first, but my astonishment soon 

 changed to interest when I discovered that the 

 thing was a big fat raccoon. The 'coon's antics 

 soon set me to laughing and my innate love of ani- 

 mals made me forget the assumed formality of 

 my call, and, sad to relate, forget all about the 

 lovely girl I was calling upon. In a few minutes 

 I was down on my hands and knees playing with 

 the 'coon. I had just shot my opera hat out to its 

 full aristocratic dimensions with a snap which so 

 astonished the 'coon that it rolled over backward, 

 when I was startled by hearing a silvery laugh and 

 looking up was very much embarrassed to see 

 "young miss," arrayed in an exquisite evening 



