Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 June 1936 — Page 17

. words. He was too excited at the

Today's Short Story

WHISTLER

By Dorothy Barnsley

| seemed to Buddy that he had . been {ll for an awfully long time. ‘Now that he was able to move around again, his legs felt funny and refused to carry him very far. _ The doctor sald that in a few weeks he would be well again and able to play with the other ‘boys. Today for the first time his big chair was out in the garden because the spring sunshine had turned suddenly warm. Buddy’s mother sat in another chair near by. Whistler, the dog, was curled up in a white ball at Buddy’s feet. Buddy did not know what he would have done, all during these days when he could not run around and play, without Whistler. The little terrier was his constant companion. Buddy fell to thinking again about the story of Whistler. He called the dog Whistler because he knew now that that was his proper name. 3 : ” 2 2 UDDY had strayed quite a long way away from home the day he found Whistler. The dog was obviously lost, and attached himself to the boy. Mother did not look very pleased when Buddy turned up with the white canine bundle in his arms.

In answer to Buddy's anxious pleading, she said, “Well—I suppose you can keep him until his real owner comes to claim him, But you've got to remember that he: isn’t really our dog.” Buddy hadn't paid much attention to the warning in her last few

~ thought of keeping his new-found . friend. They were absolutely inseparable. _. -And then the calamity happened. One day the dog disappeared. Frantically Buddy searched all over town, but there was no trace of Whistler. He would have kept on searching, but he caught the cold which developed into that alarming illness. Buddy lay in bed for a good many days. But he could not forget about the dog.

» ” » UDDY felt so queer and weak

that he was not sure whether the somebody in his room was mother, or a stranger. He kept asking this Somebody to find his dog, and the Somebody promised that she would try. After that he slipped off into an awful black dream. When he awakened, a miracle had happened, and Whistler was at the side of the bed, reaching up on his little legs to lick Buddy's hand. From that moment on Buddy started to get better. . He turned abruptly now to his mother. “Mother, tell me again how you got Whistler back.” She smiled a little as she. said, “Well, it was like this. You were very, very ill, Buddy, and asking all the time for the dog. I made up my mind I'd get him for you somehow, but I didn’t know how. I put an ad in the paper, but there was no reply. . I was just about desperate, I can tell you. EJ # ”

= one day I was walking along Main-st, and what do you suppose I saw? Whistler, sit-

ting in the back of a parked automobile! Of course, I knew it was

Mr. Parker was sorry, and let you bring Whistler home to me! He must have been an awful nice man, Moth’. I s’pose he must have loved Whistler, too?” “Yes, he did—he does. And there’s something I've got to tell you, Buddy. You haven't heard the end of the story yet. You see, Mr. Parker only loaned us the dog while you were ill. He wants him back again. He's coming here this afternoon—to get Whistler!” ® 8 =» . UDDY decided that he was going to hate Mr. Parker. Surprisingly enough, he didn’t. Amazingly, he liked the man. He had vaguely expected that Mr. Parker would be old. He wasn't. He was young. He came in a big car with golf clubs in the back. . He talked to Buddy about ball games and about dogs. Especially about Whistler, and Whistler’s mother. He told how the little terrier got his name. It seemed that there was a rollicking sort of a song called “The Whistler and His Dog.” Mr. Parker liked to whistle it, and when the terrier was a tiny puppy without any name he used to listen, and cock his little head on one side, and try to make funny sounds. To prove it, Mr. Parker began to whistle now, and Buddy was entranced at the antics the dog went through. After that Mr. Parker went into

gone for quite a long time. When they came back Mother's face was very pink and pretty, and her eyes were shining. mr 2 a =n HE said, “I have very good news for you, Buddy. Mr. Parker has decided that you may keep Whis« tler.” : Buddy cried, “Gee!” In the fullness of his gratitude he could find

no words. He said to Mr. Parker, “But won’t you miss him?” Mr. Parker said gravely, “I'm afraid I shall. But, you see, I really haven't any place to keep him. I only have a tiny apartment, and I live all alone. It will be much nicer for Whistler to live in a house with a garden, and have a little boy to play with him.” Well, that was that. Mr. Parker drove away with his golf clubs and Whistler stayed with Buddy. But he only stayed for three days. On the fourth day, he disappeared again. At nightfall, Mr. Parker brought him back. Mr. Parker was laughing, but Mother interrupted, “That settles it. Whistler has chosen his ‘master. You'd better take him with you, Mr. Parker. There's no sense in our keeping him if he’s going to run away every time I let him out of the garden. Besides—it's too much of a nuisance for you to have to keep bringing him back!” 8 8 R. PARKER stared at her. “You mean——you don't want me to come?” Mothers’ face went all pink again. “Well, I don’t know—-1I—— 1 mean ——I thought——" Then suddenly she looked at Buddy, and wouldn't say anything at all. Mr. Parker went. This time he took Whistler with him. But within a couple of days the dog was back again. Alone, this time. He was scratching at the back door. All dirty, and tired, and

a terrible thing to do, but I didn’t | hunery

care. I just opened the door of |

that car and grabbed the dog! I'd have got away with him, too, if a man hadn't come out of the sporting goods store and stopped me. “The man—he told me afterward

Mother got on the telephone right away. “Mr. Parker, this is Helen is here again. I think you'd better come for him.” It wasn't long before Mr. Parker arrived. He said: "Well, I'll be darned. When the dog’s with you,

* But it was Buddy who supplied a solution to the situation. He had

HAVING YOUR HEAD CRACKED IN AN ACClDENT OF THIS

sorry, = MISTER s000 1 DIDNT

the house with Mother. They were}

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DOG'S BEEN DIGGING UP BONES AND BRINGING THEM

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—By Blosser

‘NEIGHBORHOOD?

1D LIKE TO SEE ANYTHING OR ANYBODY

{TRY TO KEEP / 1 DONT THINK

OOOLA AN’ YOU'LL LIKE IT ‘ME FROM SO WELL, BUT LEAVING THIS) COME WITH ME

Bennett, Buddy's mother. Whistler |

AND IL SHOW

ONE CHANCE IN TEN OF GETTING THRU THEM ALIVE...

TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD MEN

(SEE THOSE DINOSAURS ? WELL, TH’ SWAMPS THAT COMPLETELY SURROUND Us ARE ALIVE WITH THEM! YQU WOULDN'T STANDy THEN, HOW TH’ -

HECK. DID WE HAPPEN TOIT IN HERE 50 ~~ +

DIGGING UP BONES--RIGHT IN THIS

GREAT CAESARS GHOST/ THAT GIVES ME AN IDEA :

™ - i. IS THIS BONE ¢ IS THERE SOME MYSTERY

CONNECTED WITH

—By Crane

O) PLENTY! RRS TO SH Pi

/ANY ENE (ANN ENEMIES W PICKET

STEPBROTHER HASNT) WELL WELL!] A ANYBODY

I DONT KNOW = LUCK, I’ GUESS! I NEVER THOUGHT WED MAKE IT, BUT T SAW NO REASON, AT TH’ TIME, TO ACQUAINT

YOu TWO WITH TH’ TERRIBLE TE ee

J0 PUT IT BLUNTLY, EEN WHY, THAT \ YES -WITHOUT RE. | \/IRTUALLY OUR BIG _ 18 MAKES US DINOSAURS, BN | PRISONERS’. NONE CF US |. : EVER CAN 1

“STEPHEN! STEPHEN | WAKE LP! WHAT ON EARTH ARE g-

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THATS TWICE NOW, ITS GOT

AWRY. FROM ME,

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