Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20


the second from the lowest
brownstone step of Mrs. Hales
IL boarding house this June eve
ming. She was weeping gently
and silently, because she was home
sick and tired and had no home to be
iomesick for. She had been in New
York a year now, and that was long
enough to learn that working as a
ntenographer for Wilson, Dickett &
10. was absolutely no beer and hardly
any skittles. 1t was work.
Ned Norton came out of the board.
ing house. He stood a moment or two
ut the top of the stoop, whistling soft
~ a jazz tune, the words of which
were something like "Oh, mam-my:
My true-oo blue-oo ma-ha-my!
My ma -ha-ha -ha ma ha-me-h he ma
ha-my."
Looking down at what he had first
thought was shadow, he saw 1t was
Little Jane, and he noticed that her
shoulders had a respondent droop.
He seated himself beside her, and
nut a comforting hand under her ell
bow. Little Jane drew the elbow out
Of his hand.
please don't!" she said.
Ned Norton held out the offending
hand and slapped it sharply.
Down. FidO!" he said to 1t reprov-
tngly, Bad dog. Go and lie down.
He said, "Aowr! Aowr; Oowr!" imi-
tating a dog that has been slapped.
He said: well. don't come annoying
ladies'. then, you worthless hound the
next time you do that I'll take you
over to the river and drown you. The
IDEAL You miserable cheesehound!
You -
He continued to scold the unfortu-
nate dog and Little Jane continued 10
look across the street at nothing
Pm sorry" she said presently. Il
I just feel so mean tonight. YOU
] didn't mean -
weep. Yeep." said Ned Norton,
initiating a happy dog: He said;
GOOD dog. Good Fido! Nice old fell
1ow!" and Little Jane smiled.
"You-you like dogs?" she said.
Ned Norton bent down and stroked
The head of the imaginary dog.
He's a nice old doggie; yes. he is;
he said. Hes a good old doggie!. he
snapped his fingers. up: up!" he
said. "Shake hands with the laoy'
That's a dog. Nice old Fido!
"What--what kind of dog is ne?
asked Little Jane. and she felt looo
per cent better already.
"Collie." said Ned Norton promptly.
.Soft brown with a white saddle ana
white paws. That dog--what do you
suppose 1 paid for that dog? AS
nun? One - thousand - dollars! Alb
solute thoroughbred. Here! Fido. Roll
over, Roll over. How's that?" He
bent down and patted the head OF the
imaginary Fido. Don't you want to
nat him." he asked anxiously. He'd
like you to pat him.
Little Jane laughed.
Every evening after dinner they
took Fido for a walk. The walk was
almost invariably the same, westward
to Mount Tom, which is-as every.
one ought to know-on the edge of
the Hudson. Here they took the leash
from Fido and let him run a while.
He was a good dog and had spe-
cial permit to run at large without
muzzle. While he ran about playing
with the children or chasing imagi-
nary rabbits, Little Jane and Ned
Norton sat on a bench and talked.
Little Jane was diffident and inclined
to periods of shyness, and when these
came, Fido would come running to
them to be petted. Ned Norton would
pet him and then Little Jane would
pet him and laugh. Ned Norton
would hold out his cane and Fido
dozen children-real children-would
be grouped at a respectful distance
watching Fido go through his whole
set of tricks.
over Ned Norton would say, and
over the cane Fido would go, each
time higher until Ned held the cane
as high as his head. Sometimes Fido
missed this high jump and had to try
it again. Or, with Ned Norton holding
the cane as a baton and walking back
ward, Fido would walk on his hind
legs. He rolled over. He played
dead He was a lame dog" The
children could almost see the dog.
They asked for him when Ned Nor
ton and Little Jane came to Mount
Tom.
'Make-make Fido do some tricks"
they begged Ned Norton.
Sometimes, going to Mount Tom or
returning from there, Ned Norton let
Little Jane hold the leash at which
Fido pulled SO strenuously.
"Just hold him while l light olga.
rette," Ned Norton would say. Fido
became a famous dog among the
younger set of Mount Tom.
ONE evening-this was in July, the
~ 28th or 29th--Ned Norton and Lit
tie Jane were bringing Fido back to
Mrs. Hales boarding house, when sud
denly Little Jane stopped down.
"Oh, the dead little kitten" she ex-
claimed. THE sweet little thing!
Look. Ned. the poor little thing has
hurt its paw
She gathered the imaginary kitten