The L'Anse sentinel., 1922-11-08
DAD
BY EDNA s. KNAPP.
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20. 1922. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.

the instant let him In, but he only
waved u pebble at me and dashed
down the hall to Dads refuge. I
groaned inwardly, because Dads so
tired that he barks worse than ever.
He's trying to earn enough overtime
to buy us all new summer togs, so
he keeps bringing home work from
tho office.
/ went back to the sitting room
where Ed and Gabe were studying, and
little Ada petting her kitten. We
could hear Mr.. Beebe roaring about
something, and Dads barked replies.
Ada began to cry with fright, so
had to take her right TO bed.
Both men went to the sitting room
and had scene with the boys be-
fore Mr.. Beebe slammed out.
"He said we broke his parlor win
dow" cried Ed. choking with wrath.
after we'd promised Dad to stop
using our slingshots! Mr. Beebe would
not believe us, but Dad did. and Dad
wouldn't pay for his old window" de-
clared Gabriel.
The window got broken Tuesday aft
ernoon, and Monday night the boys
were forbidden slingshots. Mr.. Beebe's
own sons were in their parlor at the
time. Excitable Mr.. Beebe hated like
poison to part with a dollar, and his
sick wife was In Colorado, so could
not calm him down. Somebody broke
the window; the shot came from our
direction; hence the rumpus.
"He said his boys shouldn't speak to
us nor we to them until we confessed,
groaned Ed.
"And we live next door and play to-
gether always and go to school to-
gether," lamented Gabriel.
"Dad said speak to 'em at school;
the whole town needn't know about
this one-sided squabble," said Ed.
"Jimminy," exclaimed Gabriel, his
face clearing. 81 know how we can
communicate"
mo written notes." began.
Dad"
"Whistled Ones" interrupted Gabe.
There's the list of words, GO OF EN-.
we made at Flo's party words formed
with letters used on the musical staff"
"Hurrah!' cried Ed, we've all got
nicknames that fit, and we can whistle
at each other. Let's type some more
copies of that list"
That night / had stockings to mend
and bread to set, and Ada to look aft
er. Besides, l couldn't tell one note
from another by ear, though I've
learned to play some by note. (The lit
tie ones had another mother who went
when Ada came.) But l noticed my
brothers began right off to whistle
queer little snatches to each other
They understood. and Ada could tell
what they said, though l couldn't. The
new amusement seemed to entertain
Ada at first, and l was so glad She's
always poorly in the spring.
Our boys went out in the back yard
behind an evergreen Wednesday after
noon with their lists. Ed whistled
something over and over. Gage and
Abram Beebe. on the other side of the
fence, began looking for the new bird.
Gabriel .whistled, but giggled, and our
neighbors spotted him.
what are those Dee chaps up to?"
through the open window heard Gage
say.
II don't know" returned Abram.
Then an obliging breeze waited copies
of the list over the fence. All four
boys laughed, and they whistled lot
back and forth.
Well, the boys kept up their funny
snatches of whistling and took great
comfort in communicating" Dad un-
derstood, and sometimes he grinned
and sometimes he looked suddenly old
and worried. That look came when
Gage (who had CHANGED to witness the
accident) whistled something that al
ways made Ada tremble and fly at
me. Over and over Gage whistled
that when Ada was in sight, and she
fled to me and cried and cried! No
body told me then what he said, but
he was pleading, ada, Ada, face Dad
Dee"
BY Friday noon decided to take
Ada out Of school. Saturday she lay
on the lounge while i worked, and
we watched Mr.. Beebe gardening with
his boys. He gives them everything
that costs no money. Gage looked up,
saw us, and whistled that queer mes
sage. Ada shut the window and trem-
bled and cried so that I called our
doctor. He said she had something
on her mind and wouldn't give her any
mediclne.
coaxed and coaxed, and then the
truth came out. She'd wanted to try
a slingshot; while the boys lay
on the table before being de-
stroyed she had tried "just once" and
hit the Beebe window. She dared
not tell at first. Now Dad would
whip her II she told; he hated decep-
tion.
insisted Dad liked us despite his
bark. Then heard quer little snort
and there he stood. "Tll take hand
In this" he barked, but he gathered