The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-05-03
CHAPTER XII.
"Oh Nv Poor Tootleg.n


loud the first time"
Lucille whistled again with consld
erably more audible result. We al
listened.
There was faint whine and a short
sharp but distant bark. | presume
that | was the most surprised person
in the party.
There she is" Vida declared. 81
thought maybe she was up here
But that doesn't sound like Too
tles,' Lucille objected.
1T must be-" Bopp announced this
masterpiece Of logic. There isn't any
other dog in the house, is there? Prob
ably her voice sounds different far off. "
And probably she is penned in
somewhere and frightened. That
might make her sound different" All!
Why did have that idea. and why.
having it, did not conceal it in one Of
the recesses of my brain instead of
voicing it to all?
ooh, my poor ToOtles." Lucille be
gan picturing her pet suffocating
Maybe she is dying or dead already
whistle again" directed the cap.
! tain.
Lucille made several Intellectual at
tempts, but failed. Il can't" she de-
clared. II have to cry"
Let me call her." interposed.
"She knows me-"
AS boy / used to be able to make
considerable racket by blowing on two
fingers held at the proper angle in my
mouth, / tried it with gratifying re-
suits. / must have been heard on the
mainland.
The reply was mmediate-short.
snappy barks, still long way off, but
very reassuring as to vigOr and de-
light.
shes right under usr' Lucille cried
mo, over by the window, | should
say" argued Vida
Poor darling she has forgotten how
she got into the place, and she thinks
some one is keeping her coOppd up on
purpose. Please, Monty, keep on whis.
tling. She does recognize you, and
she'll know that help is coming. We
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 TootIes. 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 rea-
son dismOunted from her throne, and
carnival was king.
| whiStled blithely, piercingIy joy
fully, coaXingly and whenever l paus-
ed the barking rewarded me-
'Tear up the floor" Lucille ordered
I'VE can't let her stay there any long
err"
Hadn't we better see if she won't |
come out by herself?" the captain ask
ed tentatively. at seems a shame TO
tear up that there planking"
mot for Tootles," Lucille replied. |
What do ! care for an old attic floor
when my Tootles is in danger? She |
shan't stay there another minute if 1 |
can help it," She tried to pry up a
board with her finger nails.
Wait" requested. Let me do this
scientifically"
| wrenched a leg from an old arm
chair which had already suffered the
of one of its extremities
and with that as a lever pried up one
of the flooring boards at the ends which
nXfnn1n1 1OnCn fhn Annn |
AS the plank came up amid a cloud of
lust Lucille gave me Il look such as
must have rewarded LauncelOt from
the grandstand after he ran curtain
pole through cast iron white hoop
We assembled around the hole had
made. No Tootles III sight
Whistle" Lucille commanded me.
l obeyed.
Joyful barks, but nothing more.
Take up some more boards" Lucille
night have been saying. "Wait until
you see the whites Of their eyes" or
Don't give up the ship"
Hadn't we better waltz" Captain
'erkins was an earnest advocate Of i
he Fabian policy.
mo"
l took up another board and yet an 6
,ther, stopping to whistle each time,
without apparently getting any nearer. c
She's there somewhere" declared I
'ootles' foster mother, puzzled, but |
till determined. Keep on until you S
nd her" b
had faIy mn nj NI1t holf n L.,
f the boards when my foot slipped t
rom the cross floor beam on which l
,as working and struck the lath i
which was nailed on the other side. II
The lath offered but slight resistance. f
he plaster was even more fragile, and
went through rather hastily, clutch a
lg wildly at nothing in particular g
~ last recollection was of Lucile's b
Orror stricken face as she saw me II
hiking from sight, like the villain in
Lorna Doone."
My next conscious remembrance was
sitting fiat In the middle of bed, b
le springs of which were gently Il
ouncing me up and down after the Il
ashton of net into which trapeze b
erformer had dropped from the top h
{ the tent. Above was hole in the N
Cling, around me were chunks of Of
laster and splinters of lath, and sit a,
ne in chair by the window was Jim, IL
Is mouth open, emitting a series of IL
tort, sharp yelps. W
Lucille Vida, Bopp, Kent and the h
sptain made ring of faces around o,
lie hole In the ceiling. W
"stop barking, you darn fool !" shout n,