Judge, 1921-09-17 · page 9 of 36
Judge — September 17, 1921 — page 9: what you’re looking at
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# "An Adventure in Discontentment" This story satirizes rigid bureaucracy and the clash between reasonable men and officious minor officials. Dave Mitchell, a brave and kind man, takes his wife's Pekingese dog to the park. He encounters Patrolman Murphy, who demands the dog wear a muzzle as required by law. Dave, unprepared for literal enforcement, makes a flippant joke about leaving the muzzle "on the hat-rack at home." Rather than exercise discretion or humor, Murphy arrests Dave and insists he answer to a judge. The satire targets the petty authoritarianism of low-ranking officials who rigidly enforce rules without judgment or mercy—even when circumstances (Dave's sick wife waiting at home) might warrant leniency. The story mocks how bureaucratic power corrupts even minor functionaries into unfeeling martinets.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THAT BRIDG DUNNO, MIS An Adventure in Discon- tentment By JONE DE VANY | AVE MITCHELL was a brave man. That is why, when Mrs. Mitchell, small, woebegone and ban- daged for a headache, begged him to take Tiny, the Peke, to the park “just for a few minutes” before he went to business. Dave did nct refuse. He squared his big 1914-football-team shoulders, reflected that brave men can afford to be kind, and with a silent prayer that he might be un- observed by his own species, saun- tered forth. From his overcoat pocket jected a small, brown head with flat nose and bold, bright eyes, that looked upon an autumntime world with satisfaction. In the freedom of the park, this satisfaction increased to joy and ecstasy, frankly expressed in Pekingese language. Dave Mitchell, momentarily for- retful of his courageous ignominy. yielded to the mild intoxication of the Fall sunshine. Therefore he did not observe Pa- trolman Murphy until the latter was close upon him. Had he seen him, pro- FE, MY MAN? 1 wuz JEST KINDA WAITIN’ WILL IT BEAR OUR WE "RAOUN’ T" Dave would have made no effort to avoid him, first because, as we have already remarked, he was a brave man, and secondly because it would never have occurred to him to re- gard the policeman other than a hu- man being somewhat similar to him- self in impulses and reactions. “Your dog, sir?” inquired the officer, indicating Tiny by a jerk of the thumb. “My wife’s,” pleasantly. returned Mitchell Drawn by Pavt REILLY SKEPTICISM. ” IT WOULD, MESELF.” “Where's yer muzzle? The pa- trolman’s voice was businesslike. “I'm not using one now—not since the v Are we in danger of a gas attac Dave looked for a_refiec- tion of his own grin in the face of the policeman, but none was visible “T mean yer muzzle fer that there dog, and you know it.” “Oh. Home on the hat-rack, I think.” After he had said it, Dave felt the ghost of the old sensation that he used to experience when he passed the ball to the wrong man; but he was totally unprepared to hear that he had lest the game. “Well, I guess you better come over and explain that to the judge. There ain’t no law about muzzlin’ hat- racks; but there is one about muz- zlin’ dogs, and I'm here to enforce it, see? “You and the judge?” queried Dave. Even then he did not realize that there would not be another kick- off. “Yes, me and the judge,” said Mur- phy seriou: “Come along.” “But, I say, my wife’s sick—down with a headache. I—” “Come along. Yer undev arrest. Don’t you know it?” comicbooks.com