Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1915-04-08
GETTING MA AWAY
sy sAasAaA coopsReosHmAs.



(Copyrightl
When we fiRafly decided 70 60 70
Chicago 20 live. Nettie said: well,
we must take the canary~and the cot.
fee-urh. and-ma.. Ma Just put her
hand up to her face. eo--a way she has
--and smiled. She said nothing. That
usually means considerable anxiety
for the family. II certainly did this
time.
Pa went FIRST. week or two ahead
thea ma was to 90 to finish settling
and Nettie and I--Nettie Is twenty-five
and, am only nineteen-were to fol.
low two weeks later. The main thing
was 10 get ma OF.
Everything went beautifully an far
as We we're concerned. Nettie left the
Office Nettie works; she's very ciev-
er; just help ma keep house-weli.
as | said. Nettie left the Office for a
whole morning to get ma a through
ticket and check her baggage. and we
both saw her aboard the express for
Chicago.
Truly. We nearly missed the train
even then. because ma had packed her
best bonnet We hunted high and
low for It till nearly train time. Then
Nettie finally coneocted some sort OF
an affair out Of q piece OF Grape that
40 one had packed because We didn't
think it good enough.
Well. think I told you before, We
saw ma OF, Grape bonnet and all.
Then Nettie sent a telegram to pa In
Chicago. saying:
Ma left on the noon train. Meet her
fomerrow. NETTIE.
Nettie and were pretty busy TINT
afternoon and evening. Several people
came in. and there were a dozen and
one things TO be done about the house.
So that night Nettie and l slept the
sleep of the just We thought We knew
where ma was.
Next day Nettie went TO the Office
as usual and ! was busy sorting out
the papers in my desk when saw a
telegraph boy mount our steps and
ring the bell Maybe didn't hurry
them / just snatched the telegram
from that boy and tore It open, This
is what read:
Noon train Is in from New York. Where
IL Ma. PA.
cit was signed pa"
Nettie came along the street Just
here. and rushed to her like maniac
waving the paper at her and shouting
ina high key:
PA wants to know where's ma"
Nettie stared at me In dumb amaze
ment Then light came. and with It
revelation.
Pat. she has stopped OF at Phila-
delphla.. . declared Nettie solemnIy.
1 forgot to>ten you that mas father.
Grandpa Klein. lives in Philadelphia:
and her brother and youngest sister.
Well. when we got ma placed In
Philadelphia. mentally, We felt better.
However Nettie telegraphed back to
ia tsiSG AAa
Ma left. Tuesday. Probsbiy stopped
Philadelphia Where Is mar
NETTIE.
That last sentence she Just put In
for sarcasm, but at the end OF a week
1t had come to be SO we'll known at
the telegraph Office near our home.
that the operator thought that II was
some sort OF signal or code phrase.
She used 10 try different ways OF spell.
ing 1t TO see II II mattered. Once she
had II. Where is .maw?" Another
time. Where's mar Sometimes she
put an exclamation point after t.;
sometimes q question mark. Once she
just had "w's MI" but We knew what
it meant.
Our telegram became such a daily
affair that IL was like the newspaper
or the milk. Every night We had q
telegram for dinner. In the meantime,
where was ma?
or course. we found out afterward
Indeed. while We were fussing In New
York. ma was taking hersease and q
lovely vacation In Philadelphia.
On the arrival OF the New York
Chicago train at Philadelphia. no one
was visible to meet her. So ma went
to tho ticket Office. got her ticket vail.
dated. @ extended. or whatever Il Il
that poslpoBes the trip from one train
10 another. aud then found that she
had forgotten my uncIe's new address
Ma thought u few minutes. and then
went 20 the telegraph Office. and there
II she didn't trace Nettie's telegram
She found the address.
Just as ma started up the street, she
was met by eolored maid. who. recog.
mixing her from a picture that she-the
maid-had busted many times on the
mantei In auilt's sitting room. stopped
and asked her II she was Airs. Gilpat.
rick. Naturally ma said yes. She soop
came 10 the house, and was welcomed
with open arms. II seems the telegram
had nof reached them, through some
delay or other. so they did not know
about meeting the train.
The family would not hear Of mas
leaving that night. and they coaxed
and cajoled her day By day untEi she
had stayed a week.
All this time we had ne word from
her. and Nettie and I were getting
frightfuiiy worried.
FinaIig. II the end of the week-we
had telegraplsed 10 the City OF Friends
tssice-we received q dispatch saying:
Stayed over Philadelphia. Am leaving
tonight for Chscafo. MA
Nettie and | sighed relievediy. We
thought We had ma located. We sen,
word 20 pa that ssme morning.
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