Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1920-06-10
Jimmy
Gets a Dog

In needless moment the King.
thornes yielded to Jimmy's ardent and
vociferous pleas and admitted that It
might be possible to permit him to
have dog to play with. UP to that
time they had been able to match his
teasing by succinct and comprehen-
sive mol" But now life was vastly
different.
Every Homecoming of tho elder
members of the family, II not greeted
by "Didyuh bring my dog?" was hailed
with the wall, when kin have my
dog?" or "Whut kind of a dog is it
I'm going to get?" until the King
thornes reached the stage where their
opinion on dogs as whole was 90
intense that it was wordless.
The situation led to dissensions also,
for both Kingthorne and his wife &C.
cused the other of having been the
one who said the fatal word Of assent.
The peace of the family was gone, and
the more they argued the worse 1t
grew. OF the lot Jimmy was the
most injured, for with all the bicker.
ing because of dog there wasn't any
dog.
You said could have dog!" hs
invariable ended in the plaintively &C.
cusing tone before which all well
brought up parents shrink.
When the Kingthornes had time to
look for dog they never could find
an attractive one, and If they did SEE
possibility they lacked the time.
Sitting in her living room one after
noon conversing with visitors about
green tomato pickles. Mrs. Kingthorns
after staring from the window, gave
little shrek.
Just the thing!" she cried. "HoW
did it get there?'
"What?" demanded her caller
"There aren't green tomatoes growing
out there!"
"Pickles?" repeated Mrs. King
thorne, dreamily. mo, it's a dog. II
doesn't seem to belong to any one
either!"
Everybody looked. The dog wal
most apparently youthful, because II
still wabbled slightly when it walked
or, rather, rolled For 1t was fat ant
globular, made still more so by {
thick coat of woolly brown fur. From
one end of the brown mass a pinl
nose stuck out and from the othel
end protruded tiny plumed tail. H,
really was too much like an idea
puppy to be quite true.
"There isn't a soul In sight," a.
serted Mrs. Kingthorne. "And nobody
would let a puppy like that go for ,
walk alone, 80 it must be lost. It'll
get stepped on or stolen or something
and to own 1t would send Jimmy Init
Mysteries of Joy. 30, really, I think 1
is my duty to rescue the puppy, dom
you?"
Everybody wanted to see the pupp,
at close range, 80 everybody sal.
Yes Mrs. Kingthorne went out an.
brought the animal in.
Don't dogs have germs an,
things?" demanded one Of tho VISIT
ors "It is likely to give Jimmy some
thing, isn't it?"
That was why everybody followe,
Mrs. Kingthorne down into the lauu
dry to see her give the waif q bath
He was very little and the tub wa
very big and the soap was exceed
ingly fluffy, so 1t took four Of then
to wash and dry him. Afterward h
frisked in front Of CRATE fire an,
Mrs. Kingthorne admired herself q
tremely for finding him.
Jimmy, for some reason, was late
but presently Kingthorne arrived. H
seemed little dazed at the choru
of joyful shrieks and the bundle o
brown wool that was thrust at him.
Welt" he murmured In q puzzle,
tone. THAT doesn't look a bit lik
the ONE
THE one!" cried Mrs. Kingthorns
What one, and what is it,"
The bell rang just then and King
thorne went to the door, When b.
rejoined them he was leading by
leash an Airedale pup. A grown-u]
Airedale is without doubt the uglies
dog yet invented, but an Airedale pu,
transcends by hundred degrees tn
| ugliness Of the grown-up Airedale
There is no use in trying to tell wha
Kingthorne's pup looked like, becaus
if adequate words could be found nc
body would believe the description
anyhow.
Kingthorne spoke into the immens
silence almost defantly. "He's
bench dog" he said. "All my III
I've wanted an Airedale-and l an
sure Jimmy will be crazy about thi
one. So will you when you get USE
to his looks and appreciate his nobl
nature. That brown, woolly thin
hasn't any class, my DEAR"
well, like him!" cried Mrs. Kinl
thorne, Indignantly.
| Jimmy slammed into the house Jus
then. Something slammed in wit
him. 1t was an overgrown, calflik
creature, all legs and tail and tongue
with a great ugly head. and its styl
of architecture was combination o
everything from early Greek down.
Hes mine!" Jimmy cried, proud
ly. can ashcart man gave him to me
an he's goin' to sleep in my room
! an everythin'! An you said l coul,
have a dog!" He gave a passin,
/ glance Of disinterested scorn at tn,
/ blooded Airedale and the toy WOOL,
pup.
/ II suppose" said Kingthorne, Will
resigned sigh to his wife. that ",
, can chloroform our dogs!"
1t is always difficult to argue Will
one who refuses to talk back.