Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-11-19
lust Between
Yourselves
By Philip II. Love,

Yourselves !
By Philip II. Love-
Butch, my reporter dog" has been
digging up news again.
If you read this column on August
q. you'll recall that Butch tipped
me off to both of the invasions of
France-the one across the English
Channel and the one from the south
and that I've since been counting
on him to notify me Of Germany's
surrender. And just to refresh your
memory further, Butch was sold to
me as German shepherd, was iden-
tilted later as Belgian shepherd
and finally proved to be an altogether
new breed-a reporter, or as some
might say, "newshound."
Well a reporter is handy kind
of dog to have around the house.
For one thing he'll keep you in
formed of the comings and goings
of nearly everybody in the neigh
borhood. And that saves an enor-
nous amount of jumping up and
running to the window to ee whose
automobile door just slammed out
side or whose heels clicked up or
down the sidewalk.
Butch knows the individual slam
of every car door and the individual
click of every heel-and mas an in
dividual bark. growl or whine for
every one of them. If he gives a
single short, gruff bark, it means
that Tommy, Navy lieutenant two
doors up the street, is either COM
ing or going A long, low bark is
for Joe, the man next door. A long
and a short are for Billy, boy
three doors up. A continuing whine
means that Duchess, a Great Dane
from across the street, is galloping
around. And if Linda is anywhere
about-well, she's something extra
special SO far as Butch is concerned
Linda Percy, IL, of Lafayette
School, lives about block up the
street. She has two dogs of her
own, Toughy, who looks like wire
haired terrier but isn't one, and
Blackie, who looks like cocker
spaniel and is one She's a great
hand with dogs. Give her an hour
with even the dumbes5 mutt and
she'll teach him to fetch a stick,
jump through her arms and even to
come when he's called-Which, if
you've ever called dog that
wouldn't come, is quite a feat
Linda has spent lot of time
with Butch, and he's crazy about
her The moment she gets within
half-block of the house, he starts
whining. AS she comes nearer, he
whines louder and louder, until,
finally, when she's exactly two doors
up the street, the whines suddenly
become a storm of excited barks.
And then there's no peace until you
let Butch out to play with Linda,
Toughy and Blackie.
But that-and, of course, the in
vasionS-aren't the only evidence of
Butchs reportorial ability. I had
more proof of it the night of the
election.
Id listened to the returns on the
radio for a while I wanted 10 listen
longer, but had to get to bed so AS
to report for work early the next
morning. When I turned in, Presi-
dent Roosevelts lead seemed SO
slight as to leave considerable
doubt-in my mind. at least-that
he had been reelected.
I don't know how long I had been
in bed. but some time during the
night, Butch began TO bark as If
the house was on fire. Since he
never barks during the nlght-ex-
cept. as I've reported. at the times
of the invasionS-I knew that some
thing was. as they say. cooking
I stumbled out of bed, practically
fell down the stairs and made the
cellar in something less than moth
ing fiat. There was Butch, standing
at the foot of the cellar steps, bark
ing as if Linda were two doors up
the street-Which she couldn't have
been at that hour.
OF course, l scolded him. You
dumb dog" began, what's the big
idea"
And then it daWned on me. The
ELECTION has been decided, l thought.
III turn on the radio
And I did-just in time to hear
that Gov. Thomas E. Dewey had
conceded the election and that Pres
ident Roosevelt was to be our Com
mander in Chief for another 4
years.
Butch got an extra helping of
hamburger that night. And I'm
thinking very seriously Of asking
Maj. Edward j. Kelly. superintend-
ent of police, to give him & press
card.