Torchy As A Pa

step in my career. No. Didn't strike me that way at all. Looked like a side issue, a trifle. There was no long debate over whether I would or wo

up to it for a long time, but you're so busy on other lines that you hardly notice. Then all of a sudden-Bing! Lots of young hicks' start in on a foxtrot all free and clear, and be

hen they're like Joe Sarello, who generally has a lot to say. He'd been discoursin' on several subjects-how his cousin Carmel was gettin' on with his coal an

razor artists so often you hardly get to know one by sight before he's missin'. But Joe Sarello, out here at Harbor Hills, with his little two-chair joint opposite the station, he's a fixture, a citizen. If he gets careless and nicks you on the ear you can drop in every mornin' and roast him about it. Besides, when

s about as thrilled as if he'd been quotin' the f. o. b. price of new crop Brazil nuts. In fact, he'd mentioned this side line of his before. Barberi

ogs, hey?" asks J

side than the right. "Oh sure! I like dogs well enough. That is, real doggy dogs; not these litt

my neck, and holds a hand mirror so I can get a rear elevation view of my no

es as you'd want to see. They're sort of rusty brown and black, with comical long heads and awkward big paws, and stubby tails. And the way they was tumbling over each other,

he pick heem first wan, but now he hafta go by Chicago and no can take. Fine chance

e breed, J

uch ignorance was painful. "Wot kind?

dales," says I, like it w

rticular kind of a dog? And wasn't it this kind? Why, sure, it was. Well, why

u," says I.

ome of these fancy, full-grown specimens of classy breeds brought big money at times. But little pups like this, that you could hold in your hand, or tuck into your overcoat pocket

couldn't back out without feelin' like a piker. And when Joe says confidential

ood in him, at that

mothair ees from Lady Glen Ellen III., hees father ees blue

ght," I breaks in. "I'll take your word fo

four tam a day. Bymeby put in leetle scrap cook meat an' let him have so

ot wise from my talkin' to 'em. Might be inte

es it out I ought to make quite a hit, presenting Vee with something she's been wantin' a long time. Almost as though I'd had it raised s

s I've opened the livin' room door

ovation don't come off. I don't get mixed up in any fond and impetuous embrace. No.

chy!" she gas

in' at it, though, it might be a young zebra or a bab

aspier than ever.

that the kind I've heard

em very much, but-well, I hadn't really thought of owning one. They-

s one size up like he was a child eater? H

lin' him up and cooin' to him, and he's gnawing

in the garage, and have Dominick look after him, cou

ey?" s

could almost watch him lengthen out and fill in. Yet for a couple of weeks there he was no more'n a kitten, and just as cute and playful. Every night after dinner I'd spend about an hour rollin' him over on h

th. Sharp as needles, too. I noticed a few threads pulled out of my sleeve. And once when he got a go

for more, though, until he was tuckered and then he'd stretch out on some

sound real Scotch. Vee got some kennel catalogues, too, and read over some of those old Ian MacLaren stories for names, but we couldn't hit on one tha

gh and ready

ys I, examinin' a new tooth

eeth and paws on; good, husky, tough-skinned ones, at that. Not havin' 'em he took it out on us. Oh, yes. No

an dogs, you k

s like I'd shoved it through a pane of glass. Hey, you tarrier! Lay off me for a minut

as good as a vaudeville act-until I discovers that he's gnawed a hol

scales for the fraction of a second. And much too lively for any lap. Being cuddled wasn't his strong point. Hardly. He'd be all over you in a minute, clawin' you in

teach him to stand up on his hind legs and walk for his meals, as straight as a drum major. Also he'd shake hands for a bit of candy, and retrieve a rubber ball. But chiefly he delighted to get a stick of soft wood and go prancin' through the house with it, rapp

he collar. "Whaddye think this is, a

back, real hostile, an

he dearest thing to do that, Torchy? Do let him have hi

orked out in other things. We had some perfectly good ideas about what he should do; he'd have others, quite different; and we'd compromise. That is, we'd agree that Buddy was right. Seemed to me abo

three hours on a stretch and seemed to be out for the long-distance championship. Not havin' looked up the past performances in non-stop howlin' I couldn't say whether he'd hung up a new record or not. I was willin' to concede the point. Besides,

him. Course, he did dig up a lot of Vee's favorite dahlia bulbs, and he almost undermined a corner of the kitchen wing when he set

illed in and sodded ove

ng he'll be big enough to tu

ulgin' in a half hour's rough house play with him. Buddy liked that. He seemed to need it in his business of growin' up. If I happened to forget, he wasn't backward in remindin' me of the oversight. He'd developed a bark that was sort of a cross between an automobile shrieker a

art of me. Sometimes I missed. That was a point for Buddy. Then I'd pry his jaws loose and he'd dash off for another circle. I couldn't say how the score averaged. I was too busy to keep count. About fifty-fifty would be my guess. Anyway, it did Buddy a lot of good and must have been fine practice. If he ever has to stop an offensive on the part

as admirin' at young Master Richard toddlin' around as if he was some blood relation; followin' him everywhere, with that black nose nuzzled under one of the youngster's arms, or with a sleeve held tender in

es 'em kind of a simple expression. But you get a good look into them brown eyes of Buddy's, 'specially when he's listenin' to you with his head cocked on one side and an ear turned wrong side out, and you'll decide he must have some

ded. And you can't tell me he don't know the meanin' of the words when you call him a "bad, bad dog." No, sir. Why, he'd drop his head and tail and

w'at he lak, all tam. He know better, but he strong in the head. Yo

't care much for the job. So Buddy gets off by

nd Buddy locked in the garage and howlin' indi

the idea

chasin' the chickens all over the place. He'd cornered our pet Rhode Island Red rooster and nipped out a mouth

sit. Before anybody has time to stop him Buddy is greetin' her in his usual impetuous manner. He does it by plantin' his muddy forepaws

nt. She asks Vee why we allow a "horrible beast like that to run at large." She's a vivid describer, Auntie. She don't mind droppin' a word of good

fox fur on the collar. And it's hung where Buddy can just reach it. Well, you can guess the rest. Any kind of a fox, deceased or otherwise, is fair game for Buddy. It's right in his line. And when they discovere

expect she didn't actually weep, but she must have been near it. And there was Auntie with more stern advice. She points out how a brute dog with

uilty in the first degree. Sente

llinses might want him. Anyway, he's impossible. You must get rid of

ys I, "if that'

drapin' himself on the door half-way out of the car. Maybe I stopped at Joe Sarello's, maybe I only called at the butcher'

around in the livin' room an hour or so with everything quiet, Vee suddenly lets loose with a sig

ys I, lo

ound him a good

ssible beast? Probably

at a whil

tting very fond of him

uh,"

makin' him shake a good night with his paw, or seein' that he had water in his dish. Nothing but turnin' out the lights. On

and hard, too, when I wakes up to

he's sayin'. "Isn't

says I. "How

ists. "It's coming f

says I. "Maybe I'd b

around and quiet him if he began yelpin'. But this wasn't the way Buddy generally barked when he was indignant. He was lett

r way. I hadn't thought of car thieves. Course, there had been some cases around, mostly young hicks from the vil

lin' into 'em for all he's worth and givin' out them quick short battle cries. One of the two has just managed

I could have made 'em sorry they came if they hadn't made a break and got past us. And when we gets back to where Vee

Buddy!!" says Vee, aft

ed any wings yet, but he's gettin' so the sight of a switch waved at him works wonders. Some day, perhaps, he'll learn to be less careless wha

Vee. "We can keep