The San Francisco call., 1910-06-05

spencer jim WASH nome, but his
IA year old sister. Bertha, was, and
the bright, pretty. little girl quickly
noticed how grave Frank looked.
What makes you so serious?' she
asked. sympatheticaIly.
Am /? Perhaps it's because I'VE been
thinking about plan for Memorial day
and l wanted to know what Jim
thought of it. N.Y. how fine your
school garden is!' exclaimed Frank,
changing the subject. He could see the
tiny flowerbed through the window.
1--WE been real successful. but guess
It's only because our soil is so rich"
answered Bertha, modestly
It's the best school garden of alIi'
cried Frank admiringly. "and I'll tell
you something you don't know tool
wouldn't say this to some girls. but Won
never get stuck on yourself. / over
heard Mr.. Nelson tell old Hackett that
your garden looked like a prize win
ner!'
did he really say that?" She asked.
while her face flushed happily Mr. Nell
son was one OF the board OF trustees
who governed the affairs of the acad-
emy. And as for the school garden. this
was new and interesting way or
teaching the pupils more about nature
III.
On certain day seeds were distrib-
uted to all the girls and to the smaller
boys Some were vegetable seeds, 9TH
ers floral. They were to be planted in
tiny box gardens. No limit was placed
on the size OF the box. except that it
must be small enough to be loaded into
farm wagon the school would send
to cart it to the academy.
June l was to be the great day when
the board of trustees inspected the gar
dens and awarded the prizes. So you
can now understand how happy Franks
news made Bertha. Unfortunately.
some jealousy broke out among the va
rious contestants on account of the
keen rivalry among them. The girls
showed 1t particularly and now Bertha
suddenly understood why Clara Will
kins and others had been so mean to
her lately right after seeing her gar
den. This realization took away part
Of her happiness.
Finally Jim came in. Frank didn't
say anything at first, but pointed at the
portrait hanging over the parIor man
tel. 1t showed tall fine looking man
dressed in the uniform of union naval
officer of the civil war. Below the pic
ture hung a faded photograph. from
which the painting was evidently a
copy.
''Jim," said Frank. still eying the
portrait. my granduncle and your
side by side on the Mississippi. I've a
plan to honor them both on Memorial
day In way that has never been done
here before; 1t is a new memorial cere-
mony I've read about that applies to
sailors who have lost their lives in ac-
tion on the water-and--didn't come
back" concluded Frank solemnly.
Then Frank explained his plan to
Jim. who instantly agreed to help him
carry out the idea. Frank became so
absorbed in it's details that he forgot
he had another listener. Bertha never
left the room, but heard every word
and when Frank departed she went
over to the portrait of her grandfather
and looked at it for a long time while
she pondered over the story the picture
told.
Two months after he sat for the pho
tograph Captain Spencer was ordered
to run his gunboat past strong confed-
crate batteries on the lower Mississippi
one dark night. The enemy tried to re-
pulse the attempt by sending huge
flaming FIRE RATS against the union
fleet. All the union vessels cleared
them safely except Captain Spencer's
ship.
The captain found 1t necessary to go
upon the vessels unprotected upper
deck in order to better direct its course.
He was accompanied by his first of
ficer. Lieutenant Frank Williams
Drank was named after him). The
two men made perfect target In the
glare OF the burning raft and finally,
after calmly standing exposed to a hail
of bullets from the rebel sharpshoot-
ers on the river bank both We're hit
simultaneously and fell-not on the
deck but overheard TO their last rest
ing place-the waters OF the Mississippi
river. Yet not before they had saved
their ship
The beach at Williams cove was
lined with Franks schoolmates late
on Memorial day afternoon. Williams
cove is a stretch OF sandy beach mark
ing part of the river boundary OF the
Williams farm. More than one grown
up had joined the little crowd. and
there were even several faded uniforms
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