Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-23

called at the butchers and collected
big. juicy shin-bone. Anyway. 1t
was after dark when I got back and.
when came in to dinner was alone.
Z The table chat that evenin' wasn't
quite as lively as it generally is. And
after we'd been sitting around in the
Twin room an hour or SO with every
thing quiet, Wee suddenly let's loose
with sigh, which is a new stunt for
her. She amt the sighin' kind. But
there's no mistake about this one.
"Eh?" says I. lookin' up.
IL hope you found him a good
home" says She. ~
ooh" says /. 1.-THE impossible beast
Probably as good as he deserves"
Then we sat while longer.
Little Richard was getting very
fond Of him." Wee breaks out again.
''Uh-huh," says I.
We went upstairs earlier than usual.
There wasn't so much to do about
gettin' ready-no givin' Buddy q last
run outside, or maxim him shake a
good night with his paw, or sesin'
that he had water in his dish. Moth
ing but turnin' out the lights. Once,
long after Wee should have been
asleep. thought I heard her sniffin'.
but dozed off again without maxim any
remark.
must have been sawin' wood good
and hard, too. when wakes up to
find her shakin' me by the shoulder
Listen. Torchy." she's sayin'. Isn't
that Buddy's bark?"
"Eh? Buddy's?" says I. How could
it be?"
But it Isl" she insists. ITS coming
from the garage, too"
well, that's odd" says I. Maybe
I'd better go out and see"
was puzzled all right, in spite OF
the fact that I'd left him there with
his bone and had made Dominick
promise to stick around and quiet him
il he began yelpin'. But this wasn't
the way Buddy generally barked when
he was indignant. He was lettin' 'em
out short and crisp. They sounded
different somehow. more like business.
And the light was turned on in the
garage.
be in there. Maybe l wouldn't have
dashed out so bold il I'd doped it out
any other way. l hadn't thought Of
car thieves. Course, there had been
some cases around, mostly young hicks
from the village stealth joy-rides.
But hadn't worried about their
wantin' to take my little bus. So
arrives on the jump
And there in a corner of the garage
are two young toughs, jumpin' and
dodgin' at lively rate, with Buddy
sailin' into 'em for all he's worth and
givin' out them quick short battle
cries. One OF the two had just man
aged to get hold of a three-foot length
of galvanized water pipe and is swing
in vicious at Buddy when crashes in.
Well. we had 1t hectic for a minute
or SO there, but it turns out a draw
with no blood shed. although l think
Buddy and could have made 'em
sorry they came If they hadn't made
a break and got past us. And when
We gets back to where Wee is waitin'
with the fire-poker in her hand Buddy
still waves in his teeth a flve-inch
strip of brown mixture trousering.
You blessed, blessed Buddy" says
Wee. after she's heard the tale.
Oh. yes. Buddy finished the night
behind the stove in the kitchen.
guess he's kind Of earned his right to
that bunk. Course, he amt sprouted
any wing yet. but he's gettin' so the
sight of a switch waved at him works
wonders. Some day. perhaps, he'll
learn to be less careless what he ex-
ercises them sharp teeth of his on.
Last night it was the leather covering
on the library couch-chewed hole
half as big as your hand.
Never mind" says Wee. 1--WE can
keep cushion over it,"
Copyright, 1919, by Sewell Ford.