The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1909-06-16
The Deserters
BY Marion Porter
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Sam Braley had his aching feet up.
on the railing of the piazza, when
Jerry Todd went by, and 1t may be
that Jerry, for all he looked SO stub
born, saw them and felt sorry. Sim
knew where Jerry was going and his
own face settled into lines that were
meant to be very determined, but
were not much of a success, after all.
II was SO odd to see Jerry pass with
out word-Jerry, who had played
with Sim so years ago in that very
street and who had grown up to be
dearer to him than his own brothers.
1t was odder yet to see that Jerry was
wearing a new coat and to know that
It was the first coat that he had worn
since Sim had started tailoring in the
little shop in the village that was not
fashioned with affectionate care by
his old friend. Sim peered after Jerry
into the summer twilight.
ut don't fit," he sighed, land no
coat that's made in this town will fit
unless | make 1t. Jerry's stout and
no one can give him figure but me-"
Sim rose then and walked into the
house, shaking his head. The thought
Of that ungainly coat troubled him,
and as he moved about, his tight,
harsh shoes reminded him that he
needed Jerry, too, and needed him
badly. Jerry Todd, who had started
life as shoemaker, was not the pros
porous proprietor of one of the two
shoe stores in town, but he had al
ways, himself, with peculiar care, con-
unued to make the soft, flexible shoes
which his friend needed for comfort.
This time when Sim had needed shoes
he could not go to Jerry, and he pat
ronized the other store with very bad
success.
They're the third pair in a fort
night" commented Sim sadly, "and to
think that after SO years Jerry should
be wearing a coat that don't fit and
should be wearing shoes that hurt,
on account of a woman. hope," said
Sim, rather tremulously, 81 hope it's
worth it." He had been sure 1t was
before he saw that coat.
The fact was that Jerry and Sim,
at 60 years of age, had both fallen VIC
Tins to the charms Of the widow Par
sons, who had come to spend a win.
ter with her sister, and showed her.
self not at all averse to accepting the
attentions of both. She had another
lover, too, but neither Jerry nor Sim
minded about him, for he was only
Thomas Green, who was clerk in the
Upper Village, and a person of no note
whatever. Sim loved Mrs. Parsons
he was perfectly sure of that-and yet
on the following day he went about
still thinking of that ill-fitting coat
Toward night some new goods came in
and he hung lovingly over one par
ticular cut of dark smoothly finished
suiting, which he could almost hear
Jerry pronounce was exactly his
choice. He reached numbers of times
for his shears, but he did not take
them up. That night he went to see
the widow and though she looked un-
usually we'll, and though her conver-
and though she made no secret of the
fact that she was pleased TO see him,
he still could not help thinking of that
coat He left early and went home
thinking hard The next day he sat
down himself and cut out a coat, the
measure OF which he did not have to
look at his books 20 find. He sang in
his cracked voice as he worked at it,
lovingly, . anxiously, doing his best,
and that nights sleep was the sweet
est he had known since the widow had
come between him and Jerry.
Three days later the coat was fin
ished, but even then he did not give
1t to his old friend. Twice he tried
to give it to his old friend. Twice
be tried to get up his courage, but
he could not. OF course it meant CIV
ing up the widow to Jerry. and 1t also
meant the humiliation of owning that
his friend, even when he had turned
from him, was dearer than anything
else. So Sim hesitated and longed
and kept on making himself uncom-
Portable for almost a month. Then
one day as he passed Jerrys store he
could not resist looking in. as he had
hsed to look, for sight of Jerry. And
as his eyes travelled wistfully from
window to. window, he suddenly be-
came aware Of pair Of eyes staring