Walter and the Wireless

o

there could be no

Peeks' kennels. Every dog of the lot was barking furiously and with gleaming eyes and tail erect striving to com

" bewailed the lad to Mrs. Crowninshield, as for the hundredth t

ss agreed. "They are trying their best to tell th

nd

ed everything up when you

me and we both tried th

eems to be

the strange

opped, hot and breath

the mite will turn up. Ha

"The whole place was still as the grave. I was just going

ot taken the dog. In the meantime I will inquire of the maids at the house. We will not, however, make too much talk about it, and send out an alarm until we are certain there is a real tragedy. If I can keep Mr.

"If it were only one of the

et little thing and has been petted so much that it would not be like her to r

even if she had a mind

ous fact." Mrs. Crowninshield

ha

has been

"But how could she with

just said that n

time during the afternoon. It is not likely Jerry, Tim, an

hat we mus

nd hunt up

to get everybody up in arms when we have to. I dread to think wh

s prediction his

pe that the dog might be discovered in the care of some of the men or maids. She idolized Lola and although she did no

so when I came. I sha'n't have a chance to defend myself. They will just believe I left the gate of the kennels unlocked when I went out and that Lola made off as fast as her four small feet could carry her. They will either think that, or they will think-" he stopped aghast at the possibility that had taken possession of his mind. "They couldn't think I left it open on purpose for s

took c

hink I had anything to do with

m and his fellow workers who wer

" he

but the crisp snip

im

you c

en't seen Lol

hat would she be doing rou

ss struggl

ught you might

t at the

N

s clean daffy over that dog. Give yourself no concern, sonny; the pup

u and the men have been

hot job, the cutt

" declared Walt

ss knows it's trouble enough! A pri

d secured the information which he had come to seek. Tim and his host knew nothing of the whereabouts of Lola. Nothing else mattered. In

s the lawn and shouting for Jerry as would have been his inclination, he walked decorously al

ve you, Jerry?" he asked a

? No.

time," stammered the lad,

els," announced Jerry. "There's visitors and Lola will be on deck

the remark with

been doing?" in

telephone. It was a long-distance call and kept me there most half an hour; and what it was all about I don't know now. Some feller I never heard of kept talking and t

t the hasp fixed

aw it needed it the worst way. In fact, I had planned to do it before the folks came and it had slipped my mind. So I tinkered

en back to your di

. Why? Did

. Oh

ly everybody else did,"

ould be obtained; and when the Davenports rolled down the drive the lad faced the awful moment when his secret must be divulged and the alarm s

int him with the direful tidings. It would be cowardly to shunt this wretched task off on somebody else. It was his duty and his alone. Ne

for something which he could not feel was his fault. Yet notwithstanding the fact that

el head and always knew exactly what to do in an emergency. The instant this awful talk with Mr. Crowninshield was over and he was actually "fired" he should c

was nothing to be ga

up the flower-bordered path toward Surfside. As he went it seemed as if every pansy fl

ew it only too well. He cleared his throat,

appened." Such an introduction was easily delivered. It was the next sentence that appalled him. He could not get it off his tongue. "Lo

ly would be some

good wages to perform that service and you, on your part, promised to do it satisfactorily. How have you kept that promise? You kn

Mr. Crowninshield was on the veranda, sitting quietly in a big wicker chair, looking out toward the sea. He was thinking so intently on some imagining of his own

interrog

, together with everything else he had arranged to say, fled

r. Crowninshield repeat

es,

Instead a plaintive jumble of phrases tumbled incoherently forth, astounding th

I did. Where she is or how she got out I've no idea. I'm terribly sorry. I can't possibly pay for her, and you'll just have to put me in prison. It's the only way, I guess. Don't blame my mot

r utterance and only the lad's so

lprit waited. But nothing came-neither vindictives nor chast

y as before and Walter actually began to wonder whether he

last ejaculated when the si

es

hear what

, so

are you going

ng, my

ha

spot they would have contrived to circumvent you just as they did Jerry. A gang have beaten us, that's all. But I will show them I am not to be beaten so easily. I

face of the speaker and he rose abrupt

er. Only the last time I saw Jake Daly he said, 'What I can't get by fair means I sometimes get by foul, Crowninshield, so you'd better look out for your precious dog.' I did not heed the threat at the time, attributing it to temper. But

y. The man's rage was terrible and he thanked his

t managed to stammer after the master had ceased his pacing o

f his rare smiles. "You have been mighty white about this, though. I

sir, i

ed what y

nde

sorry to try you out and see how much of the man was in you. You're all right, boy. Cheer up! Nobody is going to pack you home to your mother,

n, and carried little real weight. Had the master of the house reall