Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-11
LIVING UP TO
BILLY
BY ELIZABETH COOPER
Dear Rates

Dear Kate.
a place where Jim would never dare look
for him. I was in an awful FIX Every
time / turned around II seemed I saw some
one from Jim. and got so scared | couldn't
do my work, because every time l come
home, l thought perhaps they might have
copped him. Did you ever know Tom Cas-
sldy, young cop at our station? His
father was captain there for years and
years and years, great big good-lookng
lrishman. Well, young Tom is the one
that took my part before the captain, when
the captain tried to give me the third de-
gree. lie walks down to the corner with
me every once In a while, and he likes Billy
The other day he walked home with me
and Billy, and I was all in, as | just had
a rotten note from Jim. lie was 80 kinda
nice, / started a crying in the street, and
he said you poor little thing. let me go
up with you and tell me all about it,"
First l thought It might be a plant, then
l thought | didn't care, for l had to talk
TO somebody who had some sense and 1t
would not be peaChng. on jim for
really didn't know where he was So he
came up to the room, and l made some
coffee to give me time TO get my feelings
collected so / could talk, and he sat down
and played with Billy. Then l told him all
about it, how l didn't know where Jim was,
hut that he kept a touching me all the time,
till | didn't have a cent left and now he
was threatening to take the kid. He was
awful nice, and patted my hand with his
great big hand. and said, you poor little
red head, II has sure made you peaked
looking. Your eyes are bigger than your
face. What you going to do" That's
just it," l said, 81 don't know what to do.
I've got to work, ] can't set around and
watch Billy all the time. I just don't know
what to do. If | could only set him away
somewhere where they couldn't find him,
I'd tell the whole bunch to go to He'll"
Say, kid he said, II got an idea.
Why don't you send him up TO my mothers?
We got a swell little house up at 225th
street, lots of room, n big yard where he
could play, and ma would be tiCkled to
death to have him. She is dlppy on kids
and since me and Jack growed up, she says
her hands have been empty" ! nearly
tainted thinking Of Billy in the home Of
a cop, cause that is the last place on earth
they would think of looking for him. and
then ] got suspicious again. You know
Kate, / have got an awful bad suspicious
disposition. / am looking everywhere for
a plant, but ] studied II all over, and !
couldn't see none i'm this, and | was so
tickled that l couldn't say even thank
you" Tom said to me, Now, you put his
little duds in a bundle and when I go off
and we will go up on the subway.
Then | got a thinking after he went
away that some Of Jims friends might be
watching the house, so I went down to
Cassidys beat, and told him | would meet
him at the Grand Central, where there
wouldn't be so much danger Of us being
piped off
Talk about a grand little home. Kate
Tom Cassidy has sure got it, and his
mother is the incest little Irish woman
that ever lived And Irish You could
cut her brogue with a knife. But she just
laughs all the time, and her face breaks
up in the funniest little wrinkles that make
you laugh with her. she came to the
door herself, wipng her hands on her
kitchen apron, and when she saw Tom
and me and Billy she looked at us funny
for a mint and then she said, Say Tom.
ye amt been married all these years and
just now bringing your family to your
old mother" Tom laughed and said. mo
such luck, mother, bun I've adopted fam
lily. | think the house is lonely without
kids" She took Billy and me 80 to little
bedroom, and she helped take Of his hat
and coat, talking all the time, Billy talking
back not a bit scared OF her Then we
went down to the kitchen to finish getting
supper Another son came in named Jack.
who is studying farming and he is crazy
about It. Tom introduced him to me by
saying This is John Cassidy farmer,
greatest onion expert in the world" The
kid who is about nineteen, said, "Ah, cut
it out. Tom" and Toms mother said, Now
don't plague the bye" Then we sat down
and had the dandest dinner. We ate in
the kitchen, and then had to go to work.
Billy was all right, didn't seem to feel a
bit bad about me going Jack had him in
the back yard building something with
little pieces Of wood Tom went to the
station with me, but ! wouldn't let him
go no farther, cause | did not want to be
seen too much with him. | told him
wouldn't come and see Billy, cause l might
be followed. | tell you, | went home feel
ing better than when I went up there,
cause Jim can do his worst now, he can't
get Billy.
got your letter, Kate. 1t was an awful
nice letter. You seem all different and II
makes me happy way inside.
Yours,
NAN.