Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-11-17
A Soldiers Cap. !


~ 10 - - ~ "a % - u % 100
The western city where Minnie Til
ford lived with her mother, brother
and sister was full of excitement. It's
boys were going to war. Minnie's
father had been one of the boys in the
old war, aud 15-year-old Minnie, the
oldest of the three children, was
thinking about it while the drums
beat and the flags waved.
"How old was papa when he went,
mammal"
Barely IS, dear"
''Did you know him then?"
''No; [ was baby then. The war
had been over fifteen years when I
first met your father"
Mrs. Tilford had not paused in her
sewing as she answered her daughters
questions. She was sewing to earn
money to pay the rent.
"Were we always poor?" went on
Minnie.
"No, dear. We had plenty while
your father lived"
1t seemed to Minnie that her father
had been dead long while. Eleven
years. Just rs many years as her
younger brother, Allan, was old.
81 can't seem to remember what
plenty is like, mamma" she said at
last And she looked around the
small and faded room.
Mrs. Tilford thought of the poor
advisers she had had, who had
squandered her all in bad invest
ments, and said nothing. She could
remember what plenty was like and
the contrast between her former and
her present circumstances was painful
to her.
when Pm man," said 13-year-
old Bert, I'm going to Washington
and get you a pension. That's the
thing to do. Then you won't have to
sew, 1 guess. l was talking to George
Hooper about it and he said that was
the thing to do. His aunt gets a pen
sion, and she don't have to sew"
Il should like to have pension,
certainly" said Mrs. Tilford.
"Well, I'm going to get you one,"
declared Bert grandly. Then he seized
his hat and rushed out, attached by
noise in the street.
There had never been any talk of
pension in Mrs. Tilford's fiat of two
rooms until now. Aud Minnie turned
curiously to her mother. "Can Bert
do it, mammG?" she asked.
mo, dear, I am afraid he can't. But
there is no need to discourage him.
He isn't man yet, you know" and
she smiled.
But why, mamma? Why can't
he?"
because your fathers papers are
lost" answered Mrs. Tilford, gravely.
81 knew nothing about business when
your father died. His army papers
may have been among his other
papers. do not know. But four or
five years ago l made q search for
them and could not find them. If I
could find them" she paused and
looked dreamily out of the window
while vision of good food and COM
Portable clothing for her children
passed before her.
Gould you get the pension if you
found them?" asked Minnie eagerly.
eyes, | am sure of it"
81 wish l could help morer' ex-
claimed the girl, looking up from the
hastings she was patiently pulling out.
"We are poor"
''You help you are able, answer
ed the mother, fondly, "Mother APP
preciates her big girl who helps sew
and wash dishes and cook and scrub
and wash and iron for us all. 1t is
because You help so much that I have
the good chance / have to earn"
where did you look, mammal"
she asked, presently.
Everywhere, answered Mrs. Til
ford, briefly. Don't think any more
about it, daughter. 1t will only make
you unhappy"
"But must think OF it. mamma.
We need it SO.
The next day there came a letter
and package to Minnie. Her New
York cousin, Willie Applebee, was
going to war. "And as a parting re-
membrance. my dear little cousin. 1"