Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1912-05-23

room SO. II e
pushed the door open, and an an
swering whistle greeted him. He
paused to listen; clearly and birdlike
he heard, 'Where is my wandering
boy tonight"
He laughed. The girl stopped
whistling and held out her hand. 1t
was a fine hand, with long, wonder
fully artistic fingers.
"Ohl how good to see your cheer
full face" She smiled happily. 'Do
sit down; 1 want to really talk for
a few minutes. Miss Smith does
bore me So"
Virginia" he said kindly, ''what
have you been doing? Miss Smith
tells me she can't manage you at
ALL"
Nothing much," she laughed
childishly. "Come Closer" she con-
tinued, "and I'll whisper in your
ear. I've been flirting with the man
next door,"
Flirting? 1 don't understand.
How could you? You haven't seen
him ?"
.'No, of course not. / merely
whistled to him yesterday, and he
answered me. You know / had to
do something to amuse myself. We
kept it up all day, and Miss Smith
was wild. This morning he sent me
that red rose" She indicated long
stemmed American Beauty in vase
on the bureau.
! you're a great kid, Virginia !"
DR.. Blake smiled proudly. 81 wish
your father could have lived to see
you grow up. Little Virginia" he
unused. 81 wish l were younger,
little girl, so that | could marry you
instead of fathering you. Have l
taken good care of you, honey?" he
asked, longingly.
"Good carew Suddenly Virgin
las eyes filled with tears, and she
leaned forward and kissed the hand
that was firmly holding hers, and
that had been her prop and stay in
the fifteen years that he had cared
for her.
He leaned over her tenderly. 'Be
a good girl, dear, and do what Miss
Smith tells you to, but go on with
the whistling if you want to; it may
keep you cheerful, and he seems
gloomy enough. You might as well
be friends, and later on, when you
are stronger, l shall see that you
meet. l must go home now. How
ever, some day soon Pm going to
take you along with me-"
She put her arm around his neck
and smiled into his steel gray eyes.
Daddy Doctor"-she used the name
she had given him when at her ia
theirs death he had taken her to his
home, a lonely little orphan, to pro-
tect and love. Daddy, oh, Pm glad
to have you, and for your sake / will
be good"
When he closed the door she was
whistling Tosti's ''Goodby."
Virginia was very quiet and we'll
behaved all evening, and when DIR.
Blake made his last round before GO
ing home for the night, he found her
reading and apparently contented. 1t
was not until the lights we're out that
she softly whistled '"Taps;" there
was an echo from the next room,
then all was still.
The following morning, about
seven, there was whistled very bright
ly, "Reveille" At once there was a
vigorous reply.
On and off all that day, and for
many succeeding ones, long and in
teresting whistling conversations
were carried on.
The girl improved rapidly, though
the man evinced little interest in
anything apart from the whistling
and sending the red rose each morn
ing.
From classic to popular, to grand
opera or ragtime, their knowledge
of music seemed to be unlimited
And to Miss Smith, who secretly en-
joyed this friendship, it was a con-
slant revelation. Very often the
airs were unfamiliar 10 her hut fhf