Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-02

DCdT huic'
know you will be dead sore at mo,
but ! could not do nothing else and per.
haps some day you will understand why
done II. Anyway / have given Billy his
chance. lie has got just as good show
as any boy Of growing up and being "A good
man, and he won't ever need to know
that there are such things as thieves and
prisons Hen learn to think of Mrs. Smith
as mother and he won't ever know that his
real mother was in the stir. lie will think
of his aunt Nan, as little red headed girl
who loved him and brought him toys, and
he won't never have bitterness or wicked
ness come into his life through US. lie Is
going away.
l will tell you all about it, so you can
get the worst Of your madness or before
you come out, cause | know when you read
this you will want TO kill me, and perhaps
you will, but ! don't care, I have done the
only thing / knew to do for Billy
After Mrs. Smiths baby died she would
MT look at Billy for a long time. Then
she got to holding him and rocking him to
sleep at night, and after a while she could
MT let him out Of her sight | was awful
glad cause ! thought perhaps she would
be always glad to have him. and then
one day ! heard them talk about going
to Australia. Mrs Smith didn't like the
house since Paul was gone. She stops and
listens as II she expects to hear him round
the corner, and she don't want 10 go in
his room and she acts queer. Mr.. Smith
thinks IL she got away where everything
was different, she would forget sooner, or
u she didn't forget she wouldn't remem-
ber with so much pain.
His brother wrote from Australia and
asked them TO come there a long time ago.
He Is In the sheep business and doing very
we'll They talked II over and talked 1t
over, and now they have. decided to go.
II most killed me, cause this is the only
home | ever knew, and / didn't know what
would become Of Billy l felt | couldn't
take him back to the ROOM ] said to Mrs,
| Smith one day that II kinda kicked my feet
| from under me to think of Billy losing his
| home and the mother and things he has
| had for two years. She looked at me a
| long time and then she said, Man, Billy
| don't need to lose his home" l said,
| 'sWhat do you mean?' IL will take him
| with me-" she said. II took my breath
| away for n mint TO think OF losing Billy,
as he is all / got, and | guess she saw
| IL in my face cause she said quickly
| you can come, too" l did not say moth
| was my chance, / would get away from the
| old crowd, get away from all the things
| | hate and yet seemed kinda drawed 10.
/ could leave this life that may be will
take me down and down, and Billy and ]
| could commence over again In a new
country. Then / thought OF you, Kate. and
how you are coming out soon, and If botf
| Billy and me was gone, you would have
nothing 10 hold 10, and I know you, and
l know you would go straight 10 Hell
There would be no half way place for you
you would keep on sliding. And, Kate,
couldn't leave you. Billy can get on with.
out me, he won't never know no difference
but you would be all alone, and it's hard
enough TO try 10 be decent when once
you've been in the stlr--even with friends e
help you. and when you come out Kate,
am going to be waiting for you at the gate
and you are going 10 make a fight and win
out and live decent
thought OF all this when I sat there
looking az Mrs. Smith and then / said
mo, can't 60, but you can take Billy
She salq, Mamie, won't take babJ