THE FICTION ION NO SALE CORNER By Richard H. H Wilkinson WE could sell seU Dusty Sylvia Svlvia said Joe stared at her You dont don't mean that thaU Dusty thumped his tail tall on the floor and pricked his ears There was he hoped a possibility of being being belag be be- ing lag taken for a walk up the slope behind the house where rabbits frequently ran and offered no end of excitement Sylvia laughed nervously Of Ot course I dont I was only Joking We wouldn't sell Dusty for a million million mil mU- lion llon dollars She reached down i and twisted oneS one Minute Mi f of Dusty's flopping flop- flop nu e S 3 ping ears ear around Fiction h her e r forefinger I Dusty lolled his tongue and sighed in contentment Next to chasing rabbits there was nothing he liked better than having his ears twisted unless it was hunting a glove or an old shoe or pocketbook that either Joe or Sylvia had bid bid- den Joe l lay y awake that night and thought about what Sylvia SyMa had said He felt guilty and ashamed but when you ou haven't enough to eat and you own some property properly that would bring an easy thousand dollars dollars dol dol- dol lars on the open market you cant can't help thinking about it Sylvias Sylvia's aunt had given them Dusty the week before they left for Hollywood lie He was seven seven sev sev- seven en weeks old a pure bred Springer Spaniel black as coal and Intelligent as two ordinary human beings The next morning Joe decided togo to togo togo go down onto the boulevard Sometimes Sometimes Some Some- times on the boulevard he met someone someone he knew and would get talking and perhaps get a line Une on something He put Dusty on his leash and started out Joe turned down Vine street Just below Selma some children r 1 i I How flow much said Joe Joe not looking at him were were playing on a lawn One of ot them was crying Joe stopped to see what the trouble was A little girl had bad lost her rag doll It was somewhere about but he couldn't find It Dusty licked the little girls girl's hand She cooed happily and patted his bI head The other children crowd ed abo about lt Joe unsnapped unmapped Dusty's leash leab held the little girls girl's skirt kirt to his bl nose nos and said laid Go find I Dusty Dudy let out a yip and went bounding away Two minutes later he came back holding boldine In hi bis hie mouth the rag doll The lit 11 tie tle girl clapped ber her hands Smart mart dog dOl said caid a voice Joe turned A car bad had stopped at the curb A small mall round man witha with a friendly face bad emerged onto the sidewalk Joe nodded Pur Pure bred Springer Sprincer They're all aU smart Are Me they said the little man HU His eyes twinkled to sell seU him Joe said aid nothing He felt a queer prickling at the thi bile bate of ct hi bin skull I Like Uk ike to eel seU him said the man again acain How much said Joe not looking look ing at him Nine hundred TOE thought of Sylvia She was I JOE probably h hungry Shed She'd be hungrier hungrier hung hung- rier tonight The only alternative was city relief A man has his pride He lie remembered the hug Sylvia had given Dusty before they left He thought of ot the way Dusty would nip at their toes when they were getting dressed in the morn ing He shook his head No Nol he said No Not I Not for twice that amount The rotund man laughed Then how about hiring him You too loo of ot course Were We're making a picture that requires a cute dog who will go find things that have been hid hid- den Joe threw up his head What Think it over said the rotund man Pay would be 25 23 a day Heres Here's my card H II Dm smiled Hope I didn't Insult you with that nine hundred of ot- fer Your dogs dog's worth two thousand thou sand If it a cent Never saw a apure apure apure pure black Springer with those lines Be De sure to look took me up U If 25 doesn't suit suU you we can probably talk terms Joe stood on the curb and watched the black limousine re re- cede He glanced at the card then down at Dusty Dusty was watching him expectantly He wanted to walk some more Joe slipped the card into his pocket and started up Vine street at a pace that rather rath rath- er surprised Dusty