The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-08-16
Bedtl
Il
! Stories
|e Folks
HOW FLUFFY SAVED TooDtEs.


longing to Tiny Toodles, and Toodles
was the pet name of big, chubby
fellow about four year old. Fluffy
slept in Toodles' bed, and was fed
from pretty saucer that stayed
right under the bakk steps, and all
day long they played together.
Of course, Toodles was not his real
name-that was frederick Walton
but Toodles seemed to fit him exactly,
SO Toodles it was to all the family. !.
In September the Waltons went up
in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Vir-
ginia to live near alplace where there
was a big ranch ponies. There
were hundreds of acres of land where
dozens of the shaggy colts and fat
mothers ran abolt grazing. So
Toodles had the time of his life, sit
ting on a big rock n the field watch
ing them feeding er wading in the
creek. One day VIXEN he came in to
dinner his mother tbld him that when
they went back to town it would be
impossible to keep Fluffy, as the fam
lily would give UP their house and
take a fiat. "You know they will not
allow dogs in fiatsi" remarked Mrs.
Walton, sadly.
1--WE leave for town tomorrow,
continued Mrs. Walton. so | think
it best to give Fluffy to some kind
person here in the neighborhood be-
fore we, go. | will see about it this
afternoon, and YOU may take him down
to the stream after dinner and build
houses in the sand.
After the meal vas over Toodles
started off with his pail swinging on
his arm, and at his iat, brown ankles
toodled Fluffy. A pretty picture they
made on the bank ping up sand and
sometimes making oats of bark to
float down over the lrocks. Sitting
down with his arm round the dog,
he began to cry.
81 can't let yoit D. Fluffy, l love
you too much. be epf q am not
going home al h am going to
run way-just 10 I'd mend we
can live in a, hbu the woods all
by ourselves. and dwarf will
give us nice apr ga nuts and
can ride the pom get big"
Tondles lnntr she sIp r.
was growing sui atl5 Heavy
masses were pill yer the huge
crest of old Higs |. thai reared
its top up into "a far over the
foothills. Down I sooded Sides of
the mountain crept shadow.
Toodles looked al Tor signs of
home in the woods boys always
found in fairy boots, it was grow
ing night, and theis las nothing to
be seen but trees bwn below the
valley shone in the citing sun and
Toodles could have sen the windows
of his mothers room blinking in the
light-only he did rot know which
house it was he had led for the many
farms at his feet all cooked alike.
Under big rock he saw hole hal
lowed out OF the earth. oh, Fluffy,
he exclaimed, that is just what We
want-a nice cave.n And he sanl
down to rest on the ground which was
covered with fallen leaves. Fluff!
curled up around his feet. sound,
the two slept, while the sun sank t.
rest and the darkness settled over tn
mighty mountains. Down in the farm
houses below twinkling lights shone
but the boy and dog slept on.
But Mrs. Walton at home was will
with grief, for night was come and n
sign of the child. All over the field
lpeople ran with lanterns calling, me
on horseback rode up the lanes, neigl
bors searched the orchards an
meadows, but no sign of Toodles c
Fluffy. So a party of men started u
the mountain. For hctlrs they locke
but found nothing, i and present.
turned to go home. Then out OH tt
still night air they Heard the shri
barking of a dog up aHpve their head
THAT is the boys hog cried OF
iof the party. Il am 81 re the child
with him-hasten."
Following the SCUM the men RI
toward the big stone, nder which |;
Toodles still asleep, al j as they DIRE
near Fluffy came lean ing to me
them. why, here iEI the boy."
claimed a man, taking the child in /
arms. So down the mountain Tn
, trudged, till Toodles Twas placed
the arms of his weerfhg mother. al
Fluffy dancing about he Two.
"If it had not besEl foi Fluffy
/ would never have been foun'
laughed Toodles, snlf iggling up tig
, to his mother.