The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-08-25
DAD
BY EDNA 8. KNAPP.


waved a pebble at me and dashed
down the hall TO Dads refuge.
groaned inwardly, because Dads 80
tired that he barks worse than ever
He's trying to earn enough overtime
10 buy us all new summer toys, 50
he keeps bringing home work from
the office.
| went back to the sitting room
where Ed md Gabe were studying, and
little Ada pettlng her kitten. We
could hear Mr.. Beebe roaring about
something, and Dads barked replies
Ada began to cry with fright so l
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 sllngshots 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 paror at the
time Excitabe 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 eur
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 ard play to-
gether always and go to school to-
gether' lamented Gabriel.
"Dad said speak to EN- at school,
the whole town needn't know about
this one-slded squabbe," said Ed.
"Jimminy," exclaimed Gabriel, bis
face clearing. Il know how we can
communicate"
mo written notes." began.
~Dad-"
"Whlstled ones,' interrupted Gabe.
There's the list of words, 60 of em,
we made at Flo's party; words formed
with letters used on the musical staff.
"Hurrah !" cried Ed, we've all got
nlcknames that flt 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
err Besides, | 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 I noticed my
brothers began right off to whistle
queer little snatches to each other.
They understood, and Ada could tell
what they said, though I couldn't, The
new amusement seemed to entertain
Ada at first, and 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 whisted
something over and over. Gnge and
Abram Beele on the other side of the
fence, began looking for the new bird.
Gabriel whstIed, but giggled, and our
nelghbors spotted him.
"What are those Dee chaps up TOT"
through the open window heard Gage
say.
G ~ don't know" returned Abram.
d Then an obliging breeze waited copies
:. OF the list over the fence, All four
boys laughed, and they whlstled lot
q back and forth.
:. Well, the boys kept up their funny
+ snatches of whistlng and took great
comfort in communicating" Dad UNI
o derstood, and, sometimes he grinned
and sometimes he looked suddenly old
e and worried. That look came when
Gage (who had CHANGED TO witness the
accldent 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
fed to me and cried and cried SNo-
!. body told me then what he said tbpt
@ he was pleading, Ada, Ada, face Dad
Y Dee"
BY Friday noon I decided to take
/ Ada out of school, Saturday she lay
on the lounge while | worked, and
J. 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.
q bled and cried so that called our
g doctor. He said she had something
Y on her mind and wouldn't give her any
medicine.
5 I coaxed and coaxed, and then the
e truth came out. She'd wanted to try
J. a slingshot while the boys lay
$ on the table before being de-
u stroyed she had tried "Just once" and
hit the Beebe window She dared
not tell at first Now Dad would
/. whip hervsf she told; he hated decep-
q ton.
r insisted Dad liked us despite his
e bark. Then l heard a quer little snort
+ and there he stood. "I'll take a hand
0 in this" he barked, but he gathered
It her up gently. SO l went to get his
dinner.
Ubot NIGHT ha tnoL Ado ovnr IN toll