The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-02
Ecenng Story
Whose Pun?
BY lEssIE DOUGLAS.


ing the room on tiptoe opened her
and white>i with the short sleeves
and the ruffles around the skirt.
She listened almost breathlessly for
a complaining voice below to cry, Co
milla, sCa-nil-la!" as she wrestled
with q button in the middle of her
back. AShe was safel Still on tiptoes
she went across the floor and down
the stairs, to be greeted at the ban
body OF soft brown fur.
"Binka," Camilla whispered, will
you be good y l take you out? Very
good ?"
The little dog stuck out its long
pink tongue and tried to cover Camil-
las hand with wet kisses.
s'Come on, theni" Camilla closed
the door behind her as tho she were
thief, so softly, SO stealthily. But
once down the steep. white path. with
the while gate swung to behind her,
she began to run lightly and gayly
aleng the country road.
Binks was just as gay. He made cir.
i cles in quest of his tail and chased
ina ginary cats and darted about like
| a small prisoner set free
She found herself thinking with
strange, homesick longing of that
| home that she had left a month ago.
i That careless, happy; Laughing mousse
hold, with Ted and Winnie, Ellen ana
| the baby for constant companionship,
s'But I'll never let them know she
said aloud; come on. Binks,tha isn't
a rabbit at.aifr
Aunt Emma had written that she
would like one of the children 70
stay with her for a while she haa
tthAse were her nearest relatives and
! THAT child would find herself greatly
benefited some day by the arrange
ment"
send. Because Camilla was just thru
school and TED was needed on the
farm this summer and Winnie was
, engaged and Ellen just wouldn't go.
! She crinkled her nose when she re-
lnembered how the days went-one SO
imueh like another, that there was
! only the calendar to tell that they
Rise at 7. Battle and dress Break
fast at 1880. In silence, for Aunt
! Emma did not like conversation at her
meals. Then Camilla waxed the old
mahogany in the parlor ana austea
each fragile knickknack and washed
1.-THE breakfast dishes and put them
away in the white cupboard In the
dining room.
! There was the porch to sweep, and
best of all the flowers to gather IN
about her iii the sunshine, and large
straw hat, that Aunt Emma said she
must wear. For Aunt Emma thought
her freckles were common" and II
was mt ladylike to have brown hands,
SO she must wear old gloves.
i Then there was mending to 40 apo
lunch to get
Camilla stopped suddenly in her
thoughts, for as far down the road as
she could see there was no brown,
wrigglfng, furry body
''Binksl,' she called. and again,
i.sBinksl''
She whistled ana called his name
\ again and again. but no funny little
lmongrel pup appeared at her calling.
Camilla could have sat right down
in the road and cried. She had found
Binks when he came shivering to the
door lust a few days after she had
been with Aunt Emma. Much to
Aunt Ennma's disgust she had fed
him and bathed him and changed him
into soft little silky mischief from
the whinpering tiny thing who had
| begged from her.
n Camilla, Binks was the one gay
. SPOT in her sober life at present
But when she trudged home ar
hour later, she went alone. for BInki
{ had disappeared as nysteriousiy a.
he had come, .,-.5-,.-
{ she forgot the dress with the shorf
: sleeves and the pink ruffles in her dis
. tress. But Aunt Emma, spying hei
from the porch, looked up with dis
pleasure. She was entertaining th'
curate, ana Camilla looked altogether
too colorful and gay and careless, witt
no hat and short sleeves.
Camilla going into the house did no
E see the gleam of laughter light thu
Young mans eyes fora moment.
But next day Binks had not re
E turned to his home. Tho house seemed
drearier and. darker than ever, ant
Aunt Emma more difficult" Camille
, thought longingly of home, and almos
decided
D "I'lI stick It out a bit longer sh'
told herself staneh1y, for she knew
how hard it was just now at home
If Winnie had a new dress Ellen mus
I go without; so that Camilla hat
!. secretly resolved that she would get I
: position n the district school thi
T autumn.
: But when she took her little pail ant
!. went over for the butter in the after
4 noon, her heart gave a great bound
: for there in the high road was funH.
: little dog running along with his pinl
= tongue hanging out!
.Binksi" she called; "Binksi'
And before her very eyes some on
whistIed and Binks turned tail ant
| fled But Camilla was not to b.
| daunted, She followed, teei scramble,
| under a fence and went thru tn
] meadow; jumped the brook and cam
out at last in the village square 4
find Binks standing beside a youni
man with soft gray suit and laugh
II ing eyes
rThat's my dog" Camilla said witt
her eyes flashing fire.
at is?" said the young man in
conversational tone.
"of course! I can prove IT to yol
by his eolIsr. Come here, Binks.
lCsmilla commanded.
The little dog seemed to smile, bu
he did not move one step from tn
heels OF. the young man. Canill'
Istooped over and lifted him up ant
cried. ssThere,% but when she locke,
at his collar abe read with DISNEY