Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-22

80 many things. Oh. did so hope Mr.. smith
He is here. dear. Hes in his room He
luSt came in. III call him comforted Miss
Maggie taking off Miss Floras Veil and hat
and ana Smoothins back her hair. But you
fIora. What is It, dear"
Yes. YES. know hut I'm not crvirs-r
mean | wont any more And I'll tell vol,
Jus' as soon ae YOU ge, Mr. Smith I,'s only
mar re bo"n--so silly | suppose. Please
sci M. Smith"
">Il right. dear"
Miss Maggie, S,II with tho disturbed
trown between her eyebrows summoned Mr.
smith Then together they sat down to hear
Miss Flora story
'I' all started. OF course from from that
day brought tho letter here--from that man
in Boston win seven children. YOU know"
Yes. remember" encouraged Miss
Maggie
We'll. + did quite 10, Of things after
mat was SO glad and happy to discover |
could do things for folks
1T seemed Toto take away the wicked
ness Of my having so much YOU know; and
SO ! CAV" food and money, oh. lots OF places
here in town--evervwherc most. tha. | could
find that anybody needed IT."
Yes. ! know W. heard of tho many
kind things ,on did dear" Mss Maggie had
tho air Of one trying 10 soothc a erieved
child
Rut they didn' turn ou' to he kind all
of en-. qua vered Miss Flora "SomH or en-
Ven wrong. | don't know why. tried 70
do en- all right 80
"of course You did :"
II know; bur T amt those cam" to talk
about. It's the others---thc letters"
"Letters?
Yes. I got enr--iots of em--af,er tn"
first one-the one YOU saw First I got one.
then another and another, TIL lately i've been
getting 'em every day most, and some days
Two or three At time.
And they all wanted money. / suppose
observed Mr.. Smith. for their sick wives
and children suppose
oh. not for children always-though it
them a good deal. But II was for diher-
cnt things-and such lot of them never
knew there could be many kinds of such
things. tnd was real pleased at trst--;hat
| could help. YOU know. in so many places,
Then YOU always sent 1.-THE money
asked Mr.. Smith.
oh, yes Why ! Just had to. the way
they wrote; and | wanted to, too TheN
wrote lovely letters. and real interesting ones
too one, man wanted warm coat Tor ms
little girl. and he told me all about what mar"
times they'd had. Another wanted brace
for his poor little crippled boy, and he tod
me things Why. | never posed folks cohIu
have such awful things and live one woman
Just wanted to borrow $50 while shc was so
sick She didn't ask me to give II 10 her,
She wasn't a beggar. Don't you suppose "a
send her that money" of course Noulu
And there was a poor blind man--he wanted
money TO buy & Bible in raised letters, anu
of course wouldn't refuse tnat sum.
didn't beg, they Just wanted to sell tnihsS,
bourbt a diamond ring 10 help put boy
through school. and a ruby pin OF = man
who needed the money FOR Dreau iol us MS
children. And there was-oh' there "'S 'o'S
Of 'em--too many 10 tell .
And AL from Boston, P'e
INJURED Mr.. Smith, .. oe
oh. no-why. yes. they were, too mos, Oh
EN- when you come to think OF IT, But no"
did YOU know -
oh I--guessed 1t. but go oh' ~"
haven't finished. Mia
no, | haven't finished" mosned Miss
Flora almoS, crying again Ana no" co,'eS
the worst of it. AS I said. a. hrst iIheu
i,-an these letters-and | Was SO G'ad 10
holm But they're coming so fast now
never saw such lot Of EN-. Ana never
saw such lot of things as they want -
pensions and mortgages, and pianos. ana
educations and wedding dresses and clothes
IN he buried in. and-there were so many
and-and so queer, some of EN-. that | began
TO be afraid maybe they weren't quite hohes'
all of 'em and of course | cant send to
such a lot there are now, anyway anu
| was getting so worried
Besides | got another one OF those awtui
proposals from those dreadfui men that want
TO marry AS If | didn't hno" 'hat was
for NV money, Then today, this morning
ii got the worst OF all From her bag
she took an envelope and drew out small
pcture of several children. cut apparently
tron1 LOOK al tndi ,Iu
YOU ever see that before?" she demanded.
Miss Maggie scrutinized the picture
why, Moves it's the one you brought
us a month ago. isn't ii"
Miss Flora eyes flashed angrily.
Indeed it amt. The one | showed YOU
before is in my bureau drawer at home But
| got it out this morning. when this one
came. and compared them and they're Just
exactly alike-eXacuS
hap
money I suppose frowned Miss Maggie
NO he didn't II amt the same man.
This mans name is Haley, and that one
was Fay. But Mr. Haley says this is
n,cture of his children, and he says that the
little girl in the corner ia Katy. and shes
deaf and dumb but MIR. Fay sa id her name
was Rosie and that she was lame. And all
the others-their names ain the same.
either but there amt any of EN- blind.
And of course, I know now 'hst-.that one
of those men is lying to me. why, they cut
them out of the same newspaper, they've
got the same resdihg on the back And i
I don't know what to believe now And there
are all those letters at home that | haven't
answered vet: and they keep comng-why,
| lust dread the postman turn down
our street. And one man-he wrote twice.
| didn't like his first letter and didn't answer
il and now he SAYS il don't send him the
money he'll tell every body everywhere what
a stingy-tigh ght-wad 7 am. And another man
said he'd come and take It II I didn't send
it: and YOU know how afraid Of burglars
am. Oh what shall do she begged
piteously.
Mr. Smith said sharp word behind his
teeth.
DO" he cried then wrathfully. First,
don't YOU worry another bit. Miss Flora.
Second. Just hand those letters over to me
every one Of them. I'll attend TO EN-"
ITO you?' gaspet Miss Flora "But-how
can you"'
on III he your secretary Most rich
neople have to have secretaries, YOU know
But how'll you know how TO answer my
Iettersn" dema nded Miss Flora dubiously.
Have you ever beeu-s secretary"
"N-no, not exactly a secretary. But--rve
had some experience with similar letters"
observed MIR. Smith dryly.
Miss Flora drew long sigh