The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-17
a TALE or ,MTRieug. rms.


TALE or iNTRIcUE, rms.
---
Patriotic Son Dismsysd; Dottug Parents
C~huckIiug.
This Is a tale of intrigue. 1t is full Of
such things as perjury and sorrowing
mothers n farewells and despair.
That sounds like q pretty able bodied
tragedy. However. at present only one
of the characters involved In doing any
thing but c~huckling with elee.
The one h IL not doing any chuck
ling Is the Patriotic Son. He had his
laugh a while g That was when war
was declared. He was in college then:
is years old. As stout as a young oak
and the idol of his Dotins Parents. The
acters In the story. They are ais
pretty well known outside of the story.
The Fond Father, I'm particular, In a
prominent business man whose honor
has never been impeached. He is
pleased hat he can cave his spotless
reputation-as well as q fortune-to his
only son.
When war was declared the Patriotic
o hustled around to a recruiting Of
fee and enlisted in the navy. Then he
wrote to his Doting Parents and told
them what he had done.
. course you will be pleased" he
wrote.
Not a bit Of It! His Doting Parents
were angry, with q seasoning of grief
and fear and tenderness in their anger.
The idea of an 1s-year-old boy-ahl
at hat point the Fond Father took
hope again. The Patriotic Son was I'M
der age. He was not eligible. The Dot
ing Parents hurried of to treat with
their erring one.
but I Will got" he replied to their
entreaties.
But you can't" triumphantly.
And why not?"
Because you're only Is"
But / swore l was 21,' replied the
Patriotic Son brazenly. IF you go and
tell that I'm not you'll prove me guilty
Of perjury"
1t was his check, and the Doting Pa
rents came sadly home. But the Fond
Father was not ready to give up beat
en-. He did much thinking and then he
did all the ~wirepulling he could con-
trive, and finally he mopped his fore
head and took a breath of relief.
Meanwhile the Patriotic Son was sent
over to the Brooklyn navy yard, where
he wore himself n everybody else to
a FRAGILE in his anxiety to be sent out
OF a warship. He fretted and fumed
and came over home for a square meal
ing Parents more things about the war
than they had read even in tho yellow
journals.
Then one day when the Fond Father
was sitting calmly in his office, with
the satisfaction of a deed well done
%brooding over his face, a telegram
was handed to him. He opened it and
with an impressive countenance read the
words:
IAN ordered to Norfolk. Leave to-
morrow. Don't know what ship
The Fond Father smiled a beatiic
smile as he read the last sentence, and
he smoothed the dispatch lovingly and
pinned II up over his desk. When he
went home to dinner he said gayly to
his wife:
well, I had a telegram from the
boy"
"A telegram anxiousIy.
Yes. He a he's ordered to Nor
folk. Goes tomorrow. He says he
doesn't know h ship"
The Doting Parents looked each other
in the eye, then the Fond Mother snug
gled up to the Fond. Father and looked
at him admiringly.
"Oh, you are so clever" h ex-
claimed.
The Fond Father pruned his plumage
a little bit and patted her shoulder.
We'll fatter myself I'm a match for
an 1s-year-old boy, even IL he is my
own son."
A few day later another message ar
rived from the Patriotic Son.. II was a
lette- thi. time. and It had to be ex-
purgated before II could be read to the
Fond Mother. What she heard was
something like this:
e Father: What the-the dickens
do o think they have done? They
have brought me down to this-this in
terestinE place to put me in an ONCE
and make me keep IA large set Of
books"
"Oh. dear" interrupted the Fond
Mother. 1T do hope they won't work
him too hard. He says a large set Of
.svYys-.-n -s---- 49,
word. Mid the Fond Father. 1T
doesn't say a large SET IL looks more
like small Yes. there's an "a and an
M A small set of books"
The Fond Mother rave a sigh Of re-
lief. and the reading was continued.
Il didn't enlist in the navy for the
fun OF sitting on a COMPOUNDED stool
and adding columns Of figures till !
can't tell whether two and two make
four or forty. That's a nice trick for
them to play me. and I'll be-be sorry
In going to stand II. ! wish you
have a pull and get them to use 1t to
pull me out OF this beastly hole"
The Doting Parents chuckled till they
were red in the face over this out
burst.
Urn write in a few days" said the
Fond Father, land tell him that I have
seen my influential friends. and that
believe they will do as I have asked
them. / won't tell him they've already
"If he ever a out that you had
him sent there" exclaimed the Fond
Mother.
well. II he only has to stay there. !
wont care " he does n out who
sent him. He thought M was toe
smart Tor his old father. but he whc
h 10 an excellent saying. and OF
much wisdom Those who know the