Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-04-18
Jimmy
Gets a Dog


vociferous pleas and admitted that it
might be possible to permit him to
have dog to play with. Up to that
time they had been able to match his
teasing by a succinct and comprehen-
sive moi" But now life was vastly
different.
Every Homecoming of the elder
members Of the family, If not greeted
by "Didyuh bring my dog?" was hailed
with the wall, when kin have my
dog?" or "Whut kind of dog is it
I'm going to get?" until the King
thornes reached the stage where their
opinion on dogs as whole was so
intense that it was voorhees,.
The situation led to dissensions also,
for both Kingthorne and his wife ac-
cused the other of having been the
one who said the fatal word of assent.
The peace of the family was gone, and
the more they argued the worse it
grew. Of the lot Jimmy was the
most injured, for with all the bicker-
ing because of a dog there wasn't any
dog.
you said I could have dog!" he
invariable ended in the plaintively ac-
cusing tone before which all well
brought up parents shrink.
When the Kingthornes had time to
look for dog they never could find
an attractive one, and if they did see
possibility they lacked the time.
Sitting in her living room one after
noon conversing with visitors about
green tomato pickles. Mrs Kingthorne
after staring from the window, gave
little shrek.
Gust the thing!" she cried. "How
did 1t get there?'
'What?" demanded her caller.
"There aren't green tomatoes growing
out there!"
"Pickles?" repeated Mrs. King
thorne, dreamily. mo, it's dog. It
doesn't seem to belong to any one,
either!"
Everybody looked. The dog was
most apparently youthful, because it
still wabbled slightly when it walked,
or, rather, rolled. For it was fat and
globular, made still more so by a
thick coat of woolly brown fur. From
one end of the brown mass pink
nose stuck out and from the other
end protruded tiny plumed tail. He
really was too much like an ideal
puppy to be quite true.
'There isn't soul in sight," as
serted Mrs. Kingthorne. "And nobody
would let a puppy like that go for a
walk alone, so it must be lost It'll
get stepped on or stolen or something,
and to own it. would send Jimmy into
Mysteries of Joy, so, really, 1 think it
is my duty to rescue the puppy, don't
you?"
Everybody wanted to see the puppy
at close range, SO everybody said
Yes" Mrs. Kingthorne went out and
brought the animal In.
things?" demanded one Of the visit.
ors. ut is likely to give Jimmy some.
thing, isn't it?"
That was why everybody followed
Mrs. Kingthorne down into the laun.
dry to see her give the waif bath
He was very little and the tub was
very big and the soap was exceed.
tngly fluffy, so 1t took four of them
to wash and dry him. Afterward he
frisked in front of CRATE fire ard
Mrs. Kingthorne admired herself ex
tremely for finding him.
Jimmy, for some reason, was late
but presently Kingthorne arrived. He
/ 90
of joyful shrieks and the bundle OF
brown wool that was thrust at him.
WE'LL" he murmured in puzzled
tone. THAT doesn't look bit like
the one
"The one!" cried Mrs. Kingthorne
What one, and what is it?"
The bell rang just then and King
thorne went to the door. When he
rejoined them he was leading by q
leash an Airedale pup. A grown-uI
Airedale is without doubt the ugliest
dog yet invented, but an Airedale pup
transcends by hundred degrees the
ugliness of the grown-up Airedale
There is no use in trying to tell what
Kingthornes pup looked like, because
If adequate words could be found no
body would believe the description
anyhow.
Kingthorne spoke into the immense
silence almost defiantly. Hes a
bench dog" he said Cali my life
I've wanted an Airedale-and 1 am
sure Jimmy will be crazy about this
one. So will you when you get used
to his looks and appreciate his noble
nature. That brown, woolly thing
hasn't any class, my DEAR
We'll, like him!" cried Mrs. King
thorne, Indignantly.
Jimmy slammed into the house just
|: then. Something slammed in with
him. 1t was an overgrown, calflike
creature, all legs and tail and tongue
with a great ugly head, and its style
of architecture was combination OF
everything from early Greek down.
He's mine!" Jimmy cried, proud