Of Windmills and War Read Online Free Page B

I
need to do some homework. I have a test in English Literature tomorrow. I just
realized you all probably don’t have any kind of English classes. Do you study
Dutch writers?
    Bye for now,
    Danny
     
    The
months flew by as fall gave way to winter. But for Danny, Christmas 1938 just wouldn’t
be the same. He couldn’t get used to holidays without his big brother around.
On Christmas Eve, they drove out to his grandparents’ farm in Sandwich , a
rural community west of town. He loved visiting the big farmhouse and helping
his grandfather feed the livestock. He wished he could spend the holidays
there, but Dad never took much time off work and wouldn’t hear of leaving his
wife and son in the company of her family for that long. Dad didn’t much care
for Mom’s kin, and the feeling was mutual. Still, Danny was glad they could
spend most of the day on the farm. A light snow fell all day which made it just
about perfect.
    The
following week, Danny worked as many hours as he could at the grocery store. One
night, as he was helping Mr. Chaney close up, he put on his jacket to take out the
trash. As he rolled the big trash barrel out to the alley, he heard the
faintest whimper. Following the sound, he discovered a puppy hiding behind the big
garbage bin.
    Danny squatted
down to get a better look at the pup. “Hey, little fella. What’re you doing
back there?” The pup pulled back when Danny reached out his hand toward him.
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.” He could tell it was some kind of beagle
mix, though dirt and mud covered much of its coat. He could see the dog’s ribs
under all that mess.
    “Danny?
Where are you? Let’s call it a night.”
    “Over
here, Mr. Chaney.” He waved the older man over. “There’s a little puppy back
here. Looks like he could use something to eat. Okay if I give him some scraps
out of the trash here?”
    His
boss came closer to take a look. “Well, hello there, little fella. Look at him—he’s
shaking like a leaf. Think we should take him inside to warm up?”
    “Not a
bad idea. Awful cold out here.”
    As
Danny slowly leaned closer to the pooch, it backed up against the brick wall
and let out the most pitiful cry. “At least he’s not growling or baring his
teeth at me,” Danny said as he moved in closer. He carefully held out his hand
for the dog to sniff. “There you go, little fella. I just want to help.” The
puppy sniffed and sniffed, then slowly started licking Danny’s hand.
    “He
probably smells those vegetables you were sorting earlier. See if he’ll let you
pick him up.”
    And in
one gentle, swift move, Danny scooped the pup into his arms and held him tight.
Mr. Chaney opened the door and followed Danny and his new friend inside.
    “Let’s give
him some dog food just to be safe. I’ll be right back,” the grocer said.
    A couple
minutes later they watched as the dirty hound gobbled down the contents of a
large can of Alpo.
    “Whoa!
I can’t believe how fast he ate that. Think we should give him more?” Danny
asked.
    “Actually
the question is, should we give her more.”
    Danny took
a peek, and sure enough the he was a she. He laughed, giving the dog a rub
behind her ears. She immediately crawled up in his lap and started nuzzling
around inside his jacket.
    “I’d
say she’s probably had enough to eat. Don’t want to give her too much too fast.
Might make her sick if she hasn’t eaten in a few days.”
    Danny pulled
her head out of his jacket and took a long look at her. “Well, little lady,
what are we going to do with you?”
    Mr.
Chaney stood up. “Can’t leave her here. That’s for sure. I reckon you’re going
to have to take her home for the night.”
    Danny wondered
what his dad would say, but realized he had no choice. For years, he and Joey
had begged their dad for a dog until they finally just gave up. But surely Dad
would understand. Poor little dog couldn’t be left out in the cold on a
winter’s night in Chicago