Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-14

lIn here without you'll
Hush, my boy, remember sol
dier's son never cries, and even IT
he minds he doesn't show that he minds"
"Yes, daddy" Then as the guard blew the
| whistle: "Good-by, daddy"
"Good-by, my brave little son; be a good,
noble little boy, and daddy will soon be home
again"
''Yes Good-by, daddy and as the train
steamed out of the station Philip waved his
handkerchief and smiled bravely as long as
he could see daddy's head out of the window.
When at last bend in the line hid the
train from view, Philip, turned, and, holding
out his hand to tall, pretty lady, who was
standing by, said:
I'm ready now, Aunt Julia"
| The lady and the little boy left the station,
and hailing a bus, drove to Clarence terrace,
which was to be Philips home for the next
few years, while Colonel Trevor was fighting
| in South Africa.
They walked down Clarence terrace and
stopped at No. H. There was a small girl,
with very curly hair and very short pink
| frocl, waiting for them on the doorstep.
"Hullo, motherl' she said. '1t's all right !;
nothing very much has happened, only Pat
left the bath taps running and the bath over
flowed, but nurse wiped it up, so it's all
right"
"Oh, dear, your dreadful chidren" laughed
Mrs. Sylvester; what win Philip think of
you? Philip, dear, this is Betty"
"Oh, yes. I'd forgotten Philip. Pat Is dy.
/ ing to see you, Philip; he's been so excited
all the afternoon that nurse says it's bless
| ing he didn't do anything worse than leave
| the taps running. Come on upstairs and see
| him."
| Betty led the way upstairs to small bed
ROOM which Philip was to share with Pat.
| As they entered a boy of about nine years OF
age turned round from the window, exclaim-
ing:
"What an age you've beeN Bet; thought
you were never going to stop jawing. Huilo,
Philip, I'm so glad you've come. 1t will be
so jolly to have boy to play with You
see. Peters twelve, and awfuly stuck up be-
cause he goes to school, and he always plays
with other fellows, SO l have to be content
with girls"
"Anyhow, girls are just as good as boys,
aren't they, Philip" retorted Betty hotly. .
'eWell, never mind, come on down to tea,
and Pat led the way into the diningroom.
There were five Sylvester children, Peter,
the eldest, was twelve, Nora was eleven, Pat
was nine, Betty eight and Dolly five
For the next five or six months Philip was
quite happy. He often longed for his father,
hut he would whisper to himself: "A soldiers
son never SHOWS thdt hS hhAAAs' '
had died when he was only three, and since
then he and his father had been everything to
each other and until now had never been
parted.
Philip had been very astonished on his ar
rival to find that the children possessed no
soldiers, SO one afternoon, after she had been
out shopping, Nora returned home with a
large parcel, which proved to be beautiful
box of soldiers. From that day Nora, Pat,
Philip and Betty were never tired OF playing
soldiers.
Colonel Trevor wrote regularly to his little
son, and Philip read his letters, which con-
tained vivid descriptions of the battles in
which he had fought, aloud to the other three
children. who listened with bated breath, and
strove their hardest to copy the brave ac-
counts in their games.
One morning Mr.. Sylvester was reading the
newspaper at breakfast when he suddenly gave
little startled exclamation and left the room,
bidding his wife follow him into his study.
ssHullo" exclaimed Peter. Whats up
with father~
How should I knows' replied Nora 'I
daresay mother will tell us if anything hap
just then the door opened and Mr.. Sylvester
Philip. he said, Aunt Julia wants you in
Philip left the room, and in answer to Aunt
Julia's "Come in' he entered the study
Mrs. Sylvester was seated near the FIRE.