Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-12-22
Jinn's

By Beth Bradford Glcbrist

HWV he five o'clock trolley from Putney dropped
J u Va boy at the Fairport station just three
minutes after the train he had planned to
q take pulled out. This bit OF hardness left
NJ unwelcome hour on the bows hands. He
took turn through the waiting room and
tried to look quite at his while he wondered
whether he would have the i'll luck to run across
anybody who knew him. In one corner bronzed
a collie dog to beg for cracker. The boy strolled
and looked
That's fine dog" he remarked "Yoursi"
mo, he belongs to the station / reckon, else
strayed i'll. He is rather beauty, isn't he?" And
the brown-faced boy ondled the collies head. GO
Ing {ar?' he asked
That's jolly. SO an, l.. Been down for the
maybe?"
The first boy shook his head. Then great de-
said Il live in the next town. New Yorks
only the end OF the land journey; take the steamer
there; I'm going to Panama" He tried to bring
out the last sentence casually.
The brown-faced boy stopped playing with the
collie. Panama. say that is joly How are
so 2u xHH$ "'@''' just 0' '"' '' "0'N
MY cousins got position down there, he's
engineer, you know. And he's invited ME to go
"My, but that's great! say, you're quite an
adventurer aren't you? Id like to hear about it
i you care to talk you know My names Gordon
I'm Jim Bradstreet; There's nothing much to
tell. | meet Jacl-that's my cousin-n New York
and we sail tomorrow. It's hot in here Come out
on the PLATFORM, won't you'
Gordon shook his head. Got to keep eye
the buds over there Checked all yours' Or do
you travel Light:
~, jim Rradstest eff a'she d I'm I'M not taking muen
approve of my going" he blurtcd out HE wrote
no to Jacks letter inviting me to visit him down
there and he d3esnt knGw emitting about this e,
see, he said, ,you-you running away
fingers. How'd it come about he asked.
oh, we argued it back and forth Father threw
that in three months this would have gone the way
Of all the rest Couldn't this different. He
wouldn't hear OF my leaving school-even for Pam
anna Said when | was eighteen might decide for
myself China or Patagonia and he wouldn't
oppose me- though he wants me to go to college.
Sad Panama would keep. got wrathy. I've edu..
besides want to see the canal in the making
Father thinks don't know what I want but I'm
anyhow-he hasn't got to live it,,
Hes got, to sec you live it, said Gordon So
berry, But how, about your cousin3 Will he take
"Oh I'll have to explain things to Jack, but he's
got sense he'll understand my reasons and he'll
be able to stow me away somewhere guess.
What to hinder your father telegraphing your
cousin right off tonight when he misses you"
He won't miss He won't know anything
about it until he gets my letter after the steamer
sails Father and don't see much of each other.
off all night at some fellows He's too deep in his
books-hc cares more for them than he does for
me- Jim spoke quite simply, without bitterness,
Gordon studied him atentively for a minute. as
your father James II, Bradstreet. the writer" he
asked
Jim nodded
"Oh, ! say" demonstrated the other boy. "My
father likes his things" he added "He says they're
great"
There was little silence. Philip Gordon was
trying to imagine himself and his father in like
situation: He will miss you" he said
He'll have his book, the new one. Oh no. he
won't really mind"
~ y don't believe it," fatty declared the other boy
fathers always do; Why. mine Do you know
your father very well?" he asked abruptly.
Jim Bradstreet stopped fumbling with the bills
and change in his pocket-his allowance had oppor-
tunely fallen due the day before, an ample monthly
Know h;n S,reH WI at inc qu o.so r
Then he shut his mouth. When he stopped to think
about it there was not boy in Putney with whom