Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-02
"A DAUGHTER of TWO WORLDS
- a storD Of Neo life .
By LEROY SCOTT
Aptho. OF No. Washington Square," "Mdry man ETC.

| buddies. When he learned was e
pc sent back, he asked me to carry O
letter to you. He said he wouldn',
send it by mail; was afraid Of the cen
sors; said I was his chance to get il
past the censors."
The sergeant loosened a button of his
tunic, pulled forth an envelope which
he handed to Uncle deorge, and bowed
himself out. Uncle George drew ar
easy chair up before the coal fire which
glowcd in the crate and examined thu
envelope 1t was soiled and greasy by
being long carried close to the human
body; Georges name and the address
on Central Park West were printed
Curiously Uncle George tore open thu
There was neither address, nor sigma
ture, but Uncle George experienced one
of the moments of greatest amazemen'
of all his life.
The cramped, unaccustomed hand
/ writing was unmistakably that OF BlacI
Jerry.
The letter read:
Don't tell any one about me.
I'm writing this letter because L
want to ask you to stand by Jennie
and see she gets n square deal.
seen at last that me and my bad
name were too much of a handicap
for any kid to carry and have a fair
chance in the running. I'd tried the
other thing, and / seen there was
nothing to it. | seen that the only
way for Jennie to have fair chance
was for me to pass out of her life
forever. You know-pass out so
she'd think | was finished and every
body else would think / was finished,
and so | couldn't ever drag her down
again.
No use telling you what I did
first-but | made freighter that was
just shipping for Rio, and they put
me down below shoveling coal. From
Rio | came to Bordeaux. / dyed my
hair, joined up with the Foreign
Legion, and for eleven months off
and on | been out there in the
trenches. I been in this hospital two
months with n shrapnel wound, but
I'm just about o. X. BY the time
you get this, I'll be back there in the
trenches again. No use trying to
locate me, for IN wearing another
name.
It's safe bet that / never come
out of that jam alive. But if | do.
mebbe I'll come back from that hell
there at the front with a name that
won't hurt Jennie such a lot-and if
that happens, then i may show up
again. A few guys over here are
doing things what makes people for
get what they done before. But it's
a long shot. and don't you place any
bet on that.
I'm writing this letter to ask you
to stand by Jennie.
Don't YOU tell her, or any one
else.
You burn this letter.
Uncle George, sunk down on his
chair, gazcd at the letter for a long
space. Then. breathing deeply. as one
coming out of a dazing dream, he gazed
hesitantly, wonderingly, at the pair
standing at the window with the baby.
Presently they turned, and seeing that
he apparently had finished his letter,
they crossed to his side.
''iou look strange. Uncle George" !"
Jennie said anXiously. What's the
matterT'
Nothing. my dear. Nothing at all. :"
Any news in the letter that soldier
brought?"
His eyes slipped down to the letter
which he had nalf -crumpled on their
approach. and they rested upon the two
last sentences. Don't tell her. You
burn this letter. He wavercd: there
was an instant of dizzy indecison.
Then. his instructive loyalty to friend
and that friends wishes dominated him.
Nothing in the letter at all, my
dear he said calmly. Almost with
an air of indifference he tore the letter
up and leaning forward dropped the
fragments into the fire. They leaped
into flames, and the next instant the
letter from Black Jerry was merely a
few leaves of black ash
Jennie slipped dowr upon the arm of
Uncle Georges chair, Harry's arm
about her shoulders. 'Then If there's
nothing important in your letter. Uncle
George. she cried happily, holding out
her baby, Just take look at some
thing that is mportant-Jerry Dom
man,
Uncle George looked down at the
pink face for a moment-looked beyond
it. Then he answered in low. hushed
voice--rather solemnly-almost rev.
"Yes-I think Jerry is really a great
man."
And Jennie. radiant at the praise.
held her baby closely to her and joy
ously kissed him again.
(THE END