Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-19
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
"PAUL'S ADVENTURE"
BY Hattie J.. Mohr


IL disgusted with the rules for the aft
ernoon. They were. "Not to dare go
out of the yard, or get all mussed up
But he did go out of the yard, and
he also got terribly mussed. and some
one was provoked about it at the time.
For the first five minutes, which is a
long time. considering his age, Paul
followed instructions.
Then looking up TO locate the source
of loud humming noise. he spied an
airplane crcling above the arsenal. two
blocks down the boulevard. In less
time than 1t takes to tell it Paul was
violating a very old rule, Never go
Oh the boulevard" new one, Don't
so out OF the yard and. if running
in the tar and gravel as fast as his
short legs would carry him would muss
him up, he was in a fair way to violate
third.
lie had covered one block when the
noise became so loud that he looked
up. The plane that before had seemed
so small as it circIed high in the air was
now headed directly at him and was q
roaring, snorting monster.
With good sense, far in excess of his
years he dropped down and rolled over
the dirty tarred road TO the grassy side.
while the plane. passing over him.
landed, with many bumps, fifty feet be-
yond.
The aviator, who moment before had
been fighting for his life in a crazy ma
chine that, without any warning, had
gone out of control. quickly unstrapped
himself and ran back. lie was white as
the wings of his gas bird as he picked
up q crying baby.
A terribly frightened Young woman,
who little later forced her way through
the crowd, found a greasy lieutenant of
aviation hugging a mussy boy, while in
a trembling voice he repeated. THANK
goodness" Hardly able to speak with
excitement. he said. addressing her, 81
am sure he isn't hurt but ] don't want
to ever go through the like again"
Let us hope not she answered as
! she took the chief cause Of his nervous
ness in her arms.
/ The crowd had by this time grown so
large, being augmented by number of
soldiers from the arsenal, that she
started to go.
! have the little chaps address? I'd like
to send him something"
oh" she answered. we live in the
little red bungalow on the left. Paul
can tell you MS own name.
What is it, Paul." asked the man.
Paul" answered Paul, and then he
was hurried away TO be scrubbed
dressed again and scolded, for III YOU
had stayed in your own yard II wouldn
have happened
Paul's defense was II guess he didn't
know how to run 1t very well, anyway
During the following week Paul con-
tinually entertained any one that would
listened with tales of what he expected
he
even heard on one occasion to conftdt
to his woolly canine playfellow, lno, that
maybe we'll get one of those big Things
SO we can go way up as high as the
sky" ,,o,,, ,,sor,,,
Government hospital telling Paul that
the birdman had had another accident
II said that If he wanted the present
very soon either his papa or mamma
would have TO bring him there because
"a chap can't walk with broken leg
The following Sunday tall man,
strikingly pretty woman ana taikatiV'
boy. who tightly clutched a BOUQUET O.
flowers so big that he had difficulty II
handling it, called on the injured lieu
tenant Of course, among other things
the accident was discussed, at whict
time Paul assured them that he WASH
sea red at all. well, was scared, sait
the officer, and looking at the lady. :"
. guess your mother was scared. Th'
man laughed and the woman blushed al
, . Paul blurted out, Il guess my lnotHe
| amt scared yet, because she don't~knov
about it, cause she's away her own self.
II think" said Pauls father as h
! looked from the man to the woman ant
chnckled at their embarrassment, "tha
t. is time that you folks were properI,
Introduced. Lieutenant H meet m.
, sister, Miss C. She Is Paufs ACTIN
mother lust now. His own mamma vii
soon. we hope, be home from a stay Il
I the country where she has been con
vaIesclng after terrible Illness
The first journey of any length tina
the flying man made after he received
: his crutches was over to PauTs home
} But il wasn't the last one. During tn
, months that followed he made many, an
each time he brought Paul something
t until the little chap had accumulated
n wonderful collection of toys that range
ali the way from a duck that quacked I
a miniature airplane.
., His parents predicted that the lieu
i tenant would spoil him. Later event
Z proved that they were mistaken. Blu
-. let Paul tell this part of the story Il
I his own words. as he told 1t TO hi
1 mother in the kitchen. "The lieutenan
lis took a box out of his pocket, an
i / thought It was sumpen for me, bu
1 he gived 1t to Aunt Mamie. and sh
only a ring. But / guess she liked i
G for she said. How beautiful, dear an
>. then / coined out" After pause h
continued. But then he ought to Civ
her something cause she took him lots u
n jam out of the cellar when his leg wa
broke"
TomOrrow's Complete Novelette,
G Crossed Wires.