He did nothing but lie on
the Lomen porch on a soft rug, or wander about with a doll in his mouth,
much as a certain type of woman lolls through life carrying a lap dog.
Then there was the tramp Nomie, the pet of the Miners' Union, and the
Fire Department. This fox terrier was a constant attendant at all
important affairs of the town--social or political--at parades,
christenings, weddings, and even funerals. At concerts or at the theatre
he walked out upon the stage, and waited quietly near the wings till the
program was finished. He went to church quite regularly, but was
non-sectarian, and was just as apt to appear at the Eskimo Mission
Chapel as at St. Mary's when the Bishop preached.
Rarely did he fail to be at all Council Meetings, informal receptions,
and formal balls. At these he was untiring, and would select a couple
for each dance and follow them through the mazes of the waltz and
one-step with great dexterity; visiting between times with his many
acquaintances.
The knowledge that Nomie assisted at every fire, and at all of the
drills of the Life Saving Crew on the beach made Baldy feel that these
social diversions were only an outlet for abundant vitality, since there
were not fires and wrecks enough to keep him busy; and a poor little fox
terrier, no matter _how_ ambitious, is debarred by his size from the
noble sport of racing, or the more prosaic business career of
freighting.
So it really seemed, on the whole, that Baldy was exceedingly liberal in
his estimate of dogs in general.
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