Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-08-11
CHAPTER XII.
"Oh, my poor Tootles."


VN said the captain to Lucille
IYk "thc pup might hear you
You didn't whistle very
loud the first time"
Lucille whlstlcd again with consid
crably more audible result We III
listened.
There was n faint whine and q short
sharp, but distant bark. l presume
that T was the most surprised person
In the party.
"There she Isl" Vida declared. ~
thought maybe she was up here"
l, "But that doesn't sound like Too
Ties" Lucife objected.
ut must be-" Bopp announced this
masterpiece OF logic. "Thcre isn't any
other dog In tho house, is therc2 Prob
ably her voice sounds different far off, ;
"And probably she Is penncd IL
somewhere and frightened. Tha,
might make her sound different" All
Why did l have that idea, and why
having 1t, did | not conceal 1t In one OF
the recesses of my brain instead OF
voicing II to all?
ooh, my poor Tootlcs." Lucille be
gan plcturing her pet sulrocating
Maybe she Is dying or dead already
whistle again." directed the cap
tain.
Lucille made several Intellectual at.
tempts, hut failed. II can't" she de,
clared. 81 have to cry"
'Let me call her." interposed
She knows me-"
AS boy l used to be able to make
considerable racket by blowing OH two
fingers held at the proper angle in my
mouth. l tried it with gratifying re
suits. l must have been heard on the
mainland.
The reply was immcdiate-short
Snappy barkS, still long way off, bui
very reassuring rs to vigor and dc
light.
''Shc's right under us!' Lucille cried
no. over by lie window, shonlt
say" argued Vida.
Poor darling she has forgotten how
she got into the place, and she thinks
some one is keeping her coopcd up on
purpose. Please, Monty, keep on wills
thing. She does recognize you, and
she'll know that help Is coming. W.
must take up the floor"
In her excitement and time of need
she had turned to me and not to Bopp
didn't know how Tootlcs, whom had
last seen dashing up the beach amid a
cloud of sand, could possibly have man
aged to get under the attic floor, but
Lucille had called me Monty, and rca
son dismountcd from her throne, and
carnival was king.
I whistlcd blithcly, piercingly, Joy
fully, coaXimgly, and whenever pnus
cd the barking rewarded me.
'Tcar up the floor" Lucille ordered
1--WE can't let her stay there any long
err"
"Hadn't we better see IL she won't
come out by herself?" the captain ask
ed tentatively. at seems q shame to
tear up that there planking."
"Not fer Tootles," Lucille replied.
what do care for an Old attic floor
when my Tootles Is In danger? She
shant stay there another minute If !
can help It," She tried to pry Up a
board with her finger nails.
"Wait," requested. "Iet me do this
scientifically"
wrenched leg from an old arm.
chair which had already suffered the
amputation Of one OF It's extrcmities
and with that as lever pried up one
OF the flooring boards at the ends which
extended loose over the floor beams
AS tho plank came up amid cloud of
dust Lucille gave mo q look such as
must have rewarded Launcelot from
the grandstand after no ran curtain
polo through o cast iron white hoop.
We assembled around the hole had
made. No Tootles in sight.
whistle" Lucille commanded me.