Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-24
PATSY KILDARE
BY JUDD MORTIMER LEWIS
The ReLqH Race
WE SLEPT kind of late at June's thi

AI
w morning. for draggy foot had been
hollering her head off all night till
along toward daylight. when the doctor
began to give her water to drink. Then
she went to sleep and we did also and
slept too dingbusted long. After woke
up | ate breakfast as quick as l could
and then Rowdy and | rambled to Jim's.
He and Maggie were waiting for us with
the buggy and we saw the boys starting
out in an auto which was going to race
with them. | was glad then that l am
not Il boy, for the boys were all dressed
in their underclothes and they looked
very shivery and skinny and leggy Jim
drove down the road toward the starting
point, which was a long distance away,
and we nearly missed getting there by
starting time.
The first boy to run was Straddle
Jenkins and he there all re ldy TO run.
said to him, Davis School must win.
Straddle" He did not pay any atten-
ton to me, his mind being entirely on
the race and on the man who was tell
ing him all about how to breathe and
how to run and how fast TO go. \ lot
Of kids from our school were tround him
cheering him and he just kept one foot
out and watched the road in front of
him and did not answer the man or any
body. Then all of sudden a man said,
Ready! and shot off a pistol which
made me jump. Away went Strtddle
like the wind. and everybody cheered.
Then I thought would run IA little way
with him TO give him good luck, so Row.
dy and | did and we caught up with
him pretty soon and ran along by his
side
said to him. "Straddle. you are doing
great running. | don't believe there is
any hoy in any school who can run rs
fast as YOU" He did not answer, so /
looked up in his face, and he did not
even look at me, he just looked ahead
of him. In almost no time we reached
the other boy who was to take the flag
and run with 1t and he did. Rowdy md
I ran along with that boy and ! said to
him. you cannot run as fast as Strad
die Jenkins. SO you might as well give
up and be done with it, Davis is bound
TO win. You could net run fast enough
to run over a mud turkle and you know
it. You are beginning TO breathe hard
now" Then I gave our school yell, but
he just kept going and did not even
look at me.
Pretty soCn here came the auto with
Stradd'e In 1t and 1t honked and | looked
around and the man motioned for Row
dy and me to get out of the road and
in the ditch by the side OF the road. So
we tme to the next boy and he grabbed
the flag and went away from there like
rabbit that was shot at and missed
and the other boy climbed into the
auto. Rowdy and 1 ran with the boy
with the flag and | said to him, "You are
some runner. aren't you? You are run
ming so fast that If YOU were running
around block you could almost tag
yourself. If nobody else In the world
could run you would be the fastest run
ner there, but Davis has got you skinned
to death. so you might as well give up.
I know a wooden logger who could beat
you with one leg tied behind him"
Then we got to the fourth boy and
he took the flag and went away with II
IS If he thought he was running. Rowdv
and l ran with him and with the next
boy and the next. The last boy and
Rowdy and ran into the ball park and
the kids from all the schools were there
and they hollered their faces off. The
man climbed out of the auto and said
to me, Little girl, VIII 1t is your name
and the name of your school," I said
II am Patsy Kildare and I'm Irish and
Davis is my school" The man said
will the Davis girls give their school
yell for Patsy Kildare? She ran all the
way and be,lt all the runners and did
II easy" Nobody gave the yell but
saw some Of the girls talking together
and then 1mogene stood up and staid
Patsy Kildare goes to our school, but
she Is not one of US and we won't yell
for her. This is not a girls race"
Everybody hissed and a big man with
red face climbed over the front of the
stand and took off his coat and yelled
"f emit lick bunch of fool girls, but
maybe some of your fathers are present
II they are / am ready to lick any two
Of them" Then policeman put his
hand on the mans shoulder and said
Come on cut of this Pat: you are all
right, but you ire cumming the game"
So the man picked up his coat and gave
me a half dollar and climbed back into
the stand. The people cheered and
Straddle was shown them as the winner
and the Davis girls gave the school veil
and / gave 1t with them, for l am a good
sport. Then Jim and Maggie came for
me and Rowdy and so we went home.
Jim asked me II was too tired and I
wasn't, for run all the time when am
with nobody but Rowdy Jim said I
was the most remarkable little girl he
ever knew. but could have told him
that before.
Tonight Rowdy and kneeled and l
prayed, Dear mother and God, thank
you for helping Straddle win the race
He and Rowdy and | showed them what
Davis can do l am sorry l could not
hit you with mud yesterday. Amen"
THE Return Of Imogene." the next Patsy
days Evening Publlc Iedcer " NN'"