Thursday March 20, 2025

Dandy's Discovery, Scene 4

Welcome, I’m Mary Louisa Locke, the author of the USA Today best-selling Victorian San Francisco Mystery series and the Caelestis Science Fiction series. In this daily newsletter, I reflect on my life as an indie author trying to age gracefully. Occasionally, I will also publish some of my shorter fiction in this newsletter to read for free.

Daily Diary, Day 1660:

Brief check-in: Hooray for first day of Spring, and our spring-like weather. Yesterday and today there was more sun, more wind, and more lovely walks. Usual number of scheduled and unscheduled phone calls (and a zoom meeting today), and more progress on the short story.

Today, you are getting the fourth scene in Dandy’s Discovery, the sixth short story in my Victorian San Francisco mystery series, but if you would like to first read the short posts I did on why I wrote this short story, and historical tidbits on both dogs and cats as pets in the Victorian era, click HERE, or HERE.

Dandy’s Discovery
by M. Louisa Locke
Copyright 2020

Scene 4:

After they finished their tea, Emmaline took the tray down to the kitchen, and when she returned, she reported that Kathleen and Tilly were bringing the carpets and curtains back up to the Steins’ rooms. She then opened up one of her schoolbooks and started on her lessons for the next day.

Annie began reading this morning’s San Francisco Chronicle and the weekly California Farmer’s Journal, hoping at least to get through the business news before Abigail woke up. However, before long, she heard the gurgling sounds her daughter started to make as she came awake. She took Abigail upstairs to change her diaper, but she brought her back down to the parlor because it was still too hot on the second floor.

When she got back, she was surprised to see that Ian and Jamie were there, talking animatedly with Emmaline. Normally, they wouldn’t be home for at least another hour.

“Mrs. Dawson, here’s your Bulletin!” Ian said merrily when he saw her, putting the newspaper down on the table. “News was top-notch today, so we were able to sell all our papers in record time.”

Jamie was kneeling to let his black and white terrier, Dandy, lick his face, which was the dog’s usual greeting for his master. He added, “There was an earthquake in Hollister yesterday, a couple of buildings collapsed, and President Garfield’s taken a turn for the worse. There’s talk about moving him to the Jersey Shore. That’s enough, Dandy. Be a good boy and sit.”

Dandy, who Jamie frequently reminded everyone was a special breed called a Boston Terrier, was small and compact. His short, shiny black fur and the white markings around his neck, on his chest, and around his front paws, made him look like a gentleman dressed for a night on the town. Hence the name Dandy. He had a black button nose and squashed-in muzzle, short, erect ears, and a minuscule, crooked tail that twirled around when he was excited, as he was now.

Abigail cooed and pointed at the terrier, which surprised Annie, since her daughter usually didn’t notice the dog. However, Dr. Brown said that Abigail’s eyesight would be getting better, so she would be able to see further distances.

Annie said, “Yes, dear. That’s Dandy. He’s a doggie. Just like your doggie that you sleep with. I bet he would be glad to lick your face, too, but I think that wouldn’t be such a good idea.”

“Mrs. Dawson,” Ian said, “Emmie’s just told us that you agree that there might be a rat in the house.”

“I said we needed to look into the possibility. I suppose it could also just be mice. However, in case it is a rat, maybe I should look into hiring a rat catcher, now that we don’t have Queenie to rid us of vermin.”

Jamie piped up, “I bet Dandy could find and catch a rat. I’ve seen pictures of those two dogs, Bummer and Lazarus, famous ratters back in the day. Always thought that Bummer looked a little like Dandy.”

Ian chimed in. “Jamie’s right. You’d think with that tiny, short nose of his, he’d not be able to smell a thing, but I’ve seen him discover the littlest bit of cheese left in my jacket. Last month, I dropped a ham sandwich in Jefferson Park. It was all wrapped up in paper, and I looked everywhere for it. Then Jamie had the idea of letting him sniff the ham from his sandwich and told him to fetch. Darned if…excuse me, ma’am…I meant I was very surprised when he put that little nose down, ran around the park, and within five minutes had found the sandwich.”

Jamie chuckled and added, “Of course he also ripped the paper off and had half the sandwich down his throat before we got to him. But Ian’s right. I expect if we take him to the ivy on the side of the house, and if Tilly’s correct about that being where the rat’s getting in, Dandy would be able to track him.”

Annie thought it was significant that neither boy mentioned how Dandy’s tracking ability had probably saved Ian’s life last winter. Nor had Jamie alluded to the role that the small dog’s sense of smell had played in solving a crime. Much better for them to extoll his ability to find ham and cheese sandwiches.

But Annie remembered the dog’s heroic abilities, and she was more than willing to give him a try in these circumstances. The thought of a rat having the run of the house, maybe even finding Abigail in her crib, was simply too awful to contemplate. She wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink tonight until the vermin was found and exterminated.

To be continued…

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