Of Windmills and War Read Online Free PDF Page A

.
    Thankfully,
Dad was gone by the time he got home and his mother was already in bed. Danny
snuck the dog up the stairs and into his room. “Now, whatever you do, keep
quiet.” He grabbed some blankets out of the hall closet and made a bed for her
beside his own bed. She seemed content to curl up in its warmth, her big brown
eyes following Danny’s every move. After brushing his teeth, he quietly made
his way back to bed where, for the next half hour, she whined as she tried over
and over to climb up onto the bed with him.
    “All
right, all right. But just for tonight. And keep it down, will ya?”
    He put
the blankets at the foot of his bed and lifted her onto them. She walked in
circles, sniffing here, scratching there. She made one final circle and curled herself
against Danny’s leg. He reached down and scratched her head. “No matter what
Dad says, first thing we do tomorrow is give you a bath,” he whispered. “You stink!”
    She let
out a long sigh and quickly fell asleep. As his eyes grew heavy, Danny couldn’t
help thinking this might not be such a bad Christmas after all.
     

     
    By New Year’s Day, the scrawny little pup had already begun
to put on some much-needed weight. She’d also won the hearts of his mom— and his father. Danny couldn’t have been more shocked when his dad finally agreed
to let him keep her.
    “It’s a big responsibility. First time I find her making a
mess on the floor or tearing up the furniture, she’s gone. Understood?”
    “Yes, sir. I’ll take good care of her. I promise.”
    “See that you do.”
    Then, the strangest thing happened. Dad knelt down on one
knee and gave her a good long rub on the back of her neck. Danny watched, surprised
at the tender display of affection.
    “She’s a fine girl. Reminds me of a dog I had when I was a
kid.” His dad sniffed then stood up as if he’d had enough.
    “You had a dog once?”
    “A beagle. Looked a lot like her. Named him Barney. That dog
went everywhere with me.”
    For the first time, Danny looked at his father with
different eyes. He tried to imagine a younger version of Frank McClain and the
dog named Barney. The image didn’t come easily in his mind, but he liked the
idea of it.
    “What happened to him?”
    “Idiot
neighbor accidentally ran over him. Took me a long time to get over it.” He
leaned back down and patted the pup’s head. “See that you keep her out of the
street. We’ll get the backyard fence all fixed up so she can’t wander off.”
    “Thanks,
Dad. I’ll take real good care of her. You’ll see.”
    His
father stood and headed for the stairs. “What are you going to call her?”
    “Sophie.
I think I’ll call her Sophie.”
     

     
    January 2, 1939
    “Danny?” his mother called up the stairs. “Mail’s here. You
have a letter from Hans and we have a postcard from Joey!”
    Danny flew down the stairs with Sophie at his heels. “Holy
cow, I lost all track of time. Mail man came early today, huh?”
    “Maybe he knew how anxious we were to hear from Joey.” She
handed him the letter from Holland with the familiar
lettering as he followed her down the hall to the kitchen.
    “Whoa—this letter was stamped more than a month ago. I
wondered why I hadn’t heard from him in a while. That’s slow, even for The
Netherlands.”
    “Perhaps the holidays slowed down their mail service. I hope
all is well with Hans and his family,” Mom said. “But first, let’s take a
look.” She flipped the postcard over to look at the picture. “Goodness me—this
is Times Square in New York City ! Although this picture
looks like it was taken in the spring or summer. I’d expect folks to be wrapped
up in coats and hats in the dead of winter, not linen suits and cotton dresses.”
    Danny took a closer look at the picture. “Imagine that. New
York City ! Think he’s rubbing in it?”
    “Your brother? Of course he’s rubbing in it. Now, let’s see
what he has to say.”
     
    Happy New Year from