Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-24
Dietrow's Flag
lucy Meacham Thruston.)

attic steps, much like a small dog Wor-
rying at big bone.
what is it?" In his careful English.
Give it to me. Go on, bring IT UP
whew!"
The attic was open. window and door.
Sona's furniture stood about; the big
table, the two straight chairs, the big
green vase, the two brass candlesticks
which Soma had brought over In her
emigrant bundle-everything from the
big front room downstairs
1.-THE cot, you help with that Diet
rowr'
Sure, but why you bring them
here?"
Il will not have them see my things,
all those people who come
Soma spoke as carefully as her son
Dietrow would have 1t so-but she was
slower, searching for words.
1907" Dietrow's teeth shone.
And tomorrow they come, hundreds;
he"-crooking thumb dramatically
downward toward the first floor-a
prosperous bank was there: second
floor and attic alone were Sona's and
Dietrow's-"he say tho people come, ne
know not how many. I leave the place
clean. I leave nothing in it. They have
it ALL" proudly.
Dietrow laughed again. He was glad
to laugh; he had come home with steps
which dragged for most Of the way
But he had started out of the factory
on a run-he wanted to tell his mother.
The whole thing was settled, Dietrow
was going home, back across the ocean,
to fight He worked in q factory for
making seals and corks, and the MEM
bers Of the firm, when it was hard to
get cork on account Of the great war
and when it was hard to ship cotton
across the seas. had chartered a ship.
They had loaded 1t with cotton and
were going to send it across to Spain.
1t would come back filled with cork.
And Dietrow was going to work his
rest Of the Journey would be easy.
All the money he had been saving up
and putting in the bank downstairs
would be left for Soma to live on while
he was away. When he came back. he
would bring more, lots more. And he
would have been soldier Soma would
be proud. Was he not going to fight for
their land, the land Soma loved? So,
along the busy streets, and so he
thought as he hurried across the bridge
binding old town and neW-new once,
old. too, now the new miles away, and
all these streets. with their broad old
houses, bound together by the bridges,
given uD to foreigners. Here, where he
knew the children upon the street and
the keepers Of the little shops and
where 'Dietrow himself-good learner,
good worker, good saver. and growing
to be man-was one Of the netghbor-
hood pridss. here his steps began to
drag. He opened the door on the side
street. back Of the bank, and started
slowly up the stair And then he saw
his mother ahead of him. Dietrow fell
to work. Soma was too busy to talk and
he was thankful that she was.
He did gasp when she got out the
scrubbins pals.
II go over it once more, all" she VOW
ed stubbornly. and he set to work with
her as he had done when he was lit
tie boy. Lately Soma had taken such
own sewing from the coat factory when
Dietrow began to make good money"
the money man could make in this
land
Dietrow had not been tired when he
started on the long walk from the fac
tory. but he was tired now. BY time the
last step and board had been polished
off. he was too tired to talk. He would
wait till tomorrow and he thought long
ingly Of the harbor ship which made up
square or two away and wished he
was sitting there, dangling his feet over
the water which Tapped up against the
old wharf. He had intended setting out
for it as soon as he had had his talk
with Soma. 1t was->a quiet place, come
night or late afternoon and ne had
thought out most Of the things he was
going to do or wanted to do there; but
not tonight; the best thing now was
something to eat and then to bed.
The attic was hot Heat haze hung
it the stars winked through, far and
faint. The south wind blew all the
whistles Of the incoming boats
through the narrow window.
you sleep not. my SOM" murmured
Sonia from her corner.
NO."
Soma said nothing about her own.
sleeplessness. She was up with the first
streak Of dawn.
II make breakfast; get 1t over" and
she hurried into her own clothes-her
best-and hung Dietrows good coat
upon the cot.
The smell Of Sona's coffee wakened
him. He drank 1t standing beside the
stove. Nothing was left in the two
rooms but that, and that was polished
to the last degree. And he held his
thick slice Of bread in his hand and
speared hot sausages frr\ the pan.
Home. said Soma; softly, the bread
it is not white. We have the meat
once a week-upon the Sunday at mid
day" -..',.
"Humph!" Dietrow stretched his
arms lazily above his head. Today he
took holiday on account of the festivity
about his house.
Soon the people would be coming.
Soma had already brushed the last
crumb out Of sight. Sona's black dress
shone, her black hair shone. her eyes,
her wrinkled parchment skin. Dietrow
lowered above her. big and broad and
white skinned his thick black hair like
a brush upon his head. as they stood
together at the head OF the stair when
the banker ran up, big bunch Of flow
ers In his hand. ..-. e. ...1
. For the lady-who pull away the
cloth-and show the ia b. tablet. It looks
nice and clean. People come soon
they come already" o~ H.
Children were gathering in the street.
idle wagons pulled up across the way
street cars changed their bells for pas
sageway: the broad, two story and
attic house. set flush on the street, was
public property today. The door at the
foot Of the stair stood open. The first
of the people who were to help make
the festival came hurrying in. There
was the man who was going to make
tho aneoch thero was fht 1ady who