Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-31
CHAPTER "
The Blue Letter

stDACK up your troubles in your old kit bag
And smile, smile, smile"
So sang Peggy, bravely facing the army
of Blue Tmps.
Good =" shouted Sir Ready Smiler. That's
the song that will help us whip EN-
Great - shouted the Giant, Joining in the
chorus with rearing "Smile. smile smile"
The Blue 1mps seemed startled. They
scowled blaclllY and retreated toward the
house Then they burst into doleful chant:
pain and sorrow reign in France so far
away,
So weep, weep, weep
Louder sang Peggy and louder sang the
Giant: Smile, smile sme,' until they
drowned out the doleful Weep, weep, Weep
of the Blue Jmps
"Dance a way through them" ordered Sir
Ready Smiler. Peggy burst into jolly
dance that just fit the words Of the song
So did the Giant. only his dance was big ard
bold and vigorous to fit his lusty singing.
Back fell the Blue Imps before this song
and dance attack, opening path through
which Peggy and the Giant advanced. And
behind Peggy and the Giant came the dash
Ing Rosy Pops with swords flashing in and
out-and every time they flashed out, there
came a sharp "pop'' as a Blue Imp exploded.
Into the house iammed the rema ming Blue
Tnrps. slamming the door in the face of
Peggy and the Giant. Looking thr ugh the
window Peggy saw the house was Just filled
with Imps And in their midst fast in
their fetters, was poor Mrs. Dalton, pale,
sad and worn-looting.
One hand of Mrs Dalton. free, With
this she writing a letter. Into her Ink
bottle the Blue Imps We're crowding thou
sands and thousands of eggs and Peggy
could see that these eggs were running out
of Mrs ,Daton's pen upon the papor--so
many of them that they could not be counted,
.'She is writing to her soldier sons-and
sending them enough Blue Imps to destroy
.rit ,,f .IE1n 1h
the Giant. We've got to break in He
threw h' weight against the door but the
Blue Imps held 1t fast.
weep, weep, weep" rose the Imp chorus,
and the tears of poor Mrs. Dalton blotted
the sheet before her.
Sing sng" ordered Sir Ready Smiler.
Peggy seized flag that stood in a corner
of the porch and waved IT on high she
hurst into the beautiful anthem:
"Oh. say can you see. by the dawns early
light.
What so proudly we hailed at the twlght's
last cleaning"
The Giant i'ined in thunderously as he
threw his weight AGAINST the door. and burst
1T in over the heads of Peggy and the
Clients flew the Rosy Peps. and "pop pop
pop' went the exploding Blue Imps as "
they were kernels in corn pepper The
stirring sorg and the sharp attack utterly
demoralized the Inns
From the "Star Spangled Banner" Peggy
switched to over There and then she and
the Giant gave n funny jolly fighting dance.
The louder they sang and the harder they
danced the faster the Rosy Peps thrust and
iahhed with Their swords,
The Blue Imps fled wildly, some hiding in
the chimney some creeping into closet 5,
some crouchng under chairs and tables some
bouncing out of the door and flying far
! away Soon the room was clear of them,
and the Rosy Peps turned their swords to
cutting Mrs, I'alton free
"You came just in time" she sighed feebiy
.I'm pretty near dead with the blues"
eyes ana you'd have your brave soldier
sons the same way If YOU sent that weepy
letter" declared the Giant. picking 1t up
and beginning to read It, That letter would
do more harm to the American lads over
| there in the trenches than a whole regiment
| of Huns"
"can my letters harm my boys?" cried
| Mrs Dalton anxously. why one I sent
two weeks ago that they ought to be receiv-
| ing about now is far worse than this"
''Then we've got 70 get It back" declared
cir Ready Smler. ''Write another and we'll
| try. to stop the bad one before It can poison
| them"