Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-25
CX1.IX

|
story OF Peter Flint.
CXLIX
T DON'T know how many times I have
i pitched into Rosie for writing such a
bum hand. but for once I was really
tickled that she was such a bad ~pen
pusher.
In fact Rosie caused the only bit OF
trouble while I visited home last week
end
Francis Graham and stayed at the
store with dad until he cloesd at 10
o'clock. and then we walked home to.
gether
When we got inside the house. mother
my two sisters CLucy and Ella) and
Mary Gillespie were playing five hun
dred.
My, how sweet and fresh Mary
| looked. / think she was glad to see me
for as soon as ] got In the room she
wiggled her hand at me, and get a call
down from mother for showing her
cards,
You boys be quiet a Bit" said
mother. Peter, there's postal card
for you from Newark on the mantel-
/ piece"
who from?" asked, and the very
| minute | asked wished I hadn't.
\
should take lessons In writing"
| Gee. felt as II fat man had
stepped off my chest
! picked it up, and, knowing Rosie's
handwriting managed to make out that
she wanted me to tell my folks that we
were engaged. It read, "reare. don't
| forget your little sad-eyed Rosie Is
hungry for you. Why don't you tell
your folks about us? We would both
be weller off for it. Rosie
| This was written in her scrawling
handwriting across the picture on the
postal card. so that her handwriting
was made more muddled by the picture
and that was all that saved me from
having to give away the whole game
I believe that Rosie did II on pur-
pose. for | remember telling her once
that mother left postals unread. and
that she had always said that a postal
card was for everybody to read
Mother Is curious to know who your
card is from"
Come. Tess up. suppose it's from
some girl said Mary. though knew
Mary really didn't think so by the way
she said IT,
Somehow ] just couldn't "fess up
"All l could make out" said mother.
as she shuffled the cards. ready to deal
thing in II about your dad
| felt I'd got to say something, or
else have them all wondering, so | said
'Oh, it's from a fellow In the office
who told me to try to get some insur-
ance from dad while | was here How
about it. dad?" added. turning to
! him. at the same time tearing up the
postal card and letting the pieces trickle
through my fingers into the waste-paper
! basket
Dad shook his head sadly. and said
Il would take as much as I could to-
morrow, but. unfortunately. it cannot
be. That Is one of the things l have
to regret"
What's that" I asked.
when I was young and healthy.
put off taking insurance until later.
! Somehow. when I felt well and strong
the thought that l might ever feel sick
never occurred to me. When you were a
young shaver and Lucy and Ella were
mere toddlers who couldn speak. had
my big illness recovered from the
pneumonia. but it affected my heart
badly, and also my general constitution
."As soon as was able to get around
I said to myself that now l must take
Insurance, for went cold at the
thought Of what would have happened
to you dear ones III had gone home
I had friend in the town who had
been after me for years to insure, so
I called him up and arranged to see the
doctor" Dad sighed, '1 couldn't pass
the examination"
As we talked. dad and kind of
drifted into a corner by ourselves.
That's why I'm putting In such Ions
hours at the store. and one reason why
I dared not let you 30 to college.
to take care of mother and the girls
and, Peter, the doctor tells me that
while I may be good for twenty years
I may be called home suddenly, and
" am. why I am going to trust my
boy to take the helm Of my little shop
and act as both father and brother
and son."
Neither Of us spoke a word for some
few minutes, and l noticed there were
tears in his eyes. Suddenly, he said
Come. we mustn't make you miserable
when you are only here for such a
short while. You girls hurry up with
your game. and we boys will join in
for something
We had a good time for a couple of
hours. At midnight, however all games
ceased. for to dad the Sabbath Day
begins at midnight Saturday. We had
glorious time l found myself near
Mary frequently and yet to me the
whole fun Of the time was mixed up
with troubled thoughts over what dad
had told me.