Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-04-09
SOWING SEEDS IN DANNY
BY NELLIE T.. McCLUNC
,,r Of "The Next OF Kin" "Three Times and Outn ,te
ELLIE r. McCLUNC

INJURED family. TITS like I was eojn'
cme. Say that again about the valley ~
ana the nurse repeated tenderly that
rromise OF incompatible sweetness:
Yea, though I walk through the
valley Of the shadow of death I will
fear no evil, for Thou art with me.
Ihy rod and Thy staff they comfort
| me.
ITS just like 'ayin' mothers ,and
70 old the little silky one,'' Polly mur- :
Injured sleepily.
| Inc nurse put the poppies beside
foliy's face on the pillow, and draw :.
ing screen around her, went on to the
rext patient. A case of urgent need
detained her at the other end of tho
ward, and II was not until the dawn
vas shining blue in the windows that
she came back on her rounds.
Polly lay just as she had left her.
The crimson petals lay thick upon her
face and hair. The homesickness and
iedness Of weeping had gone forever
IRON her eyes, for they were looking
now, upon the King in His beauty! In
her hand, now cold and waxen. she held
one little tilks poppy, red with edges Of
white. Polly had gone home.
There was whisper among the pop.
Iies that grew behind the cookhouse that
morning as the first CLEAN Of the sun
rane yellow and wan over the fields |;
there was whisper and a shivering
among the poppies as the morning
breezes. cold and chill rippled over
them. and shower Of crystal drops
ringled with the crimson petals that
iluttered to the ground. 1t was not
until Pearl came out and picked hand
ful Of them for her dingy little room
that they held up their heads once more
and waved and nodded, red and han
some.
When Tom Mothcrwell called Mt the
milford rostofiice one day he got the
SURPRISE Of his life.
The Englishman had asked him to
get his mail. and, of course. there was
the Northwest Farmer to get, and there
Eiight be catalogues; but the possibili-
tics of q letter addressed to Mr.. Thomas
Motherwel did not occur to him.
But 1t was there!
a square gray envelope with his own
rame written on it. He had never before
got real letter. Once he had a ma
chinery catalogue sent to him, with a
typewritten letter inside beginning
Dear Sir" but his mother had told
h,m that It was just money they were
after. but what would she say II she
saw this? o..
He did not trust himself to open /.
IN the plain gaze of the people in the
Office.
The girl behind the wicket noticed
his excitement.
"Ye needn't glue yer eye on me-"
Tom thought Indignantly. "Ill not
omen it here for you to, watch me.
They're awful pryin' in this Office.
What do you bet she hasn't opened itT'
He moved aside as others pressed up to
the wicket, feeling that every eye was
upon him,
In corner outside the door Tom
opened his letter and laboriously made
out it's contents. 1t was written neatly
with carefully shaded capitals:
Dear Tom--We are going to
have n party tomorrow night. be-
cause George and Fred are going
back to college next week. We
want you to come and bring your
Englishman. We all hope you will
: come. Ever your friend.
NELLIE SLATER.
Tom read it again with burning
cheeks. A party ut Slater's and him
invited!
He walked down the street feeling
Just the same as when his colt got the
prize ut the "fuir." He felt he was n
marked man--eagerly sought after---in-
vitcd to partics--girls writing to him !!
That's what it was to have the CASH
you bet pa and ma were right-money
talks every time!
When he came in sight OF home his
elation vanished. His father and mother
would not let him go, he knew that very
well. They We're afraid that Nellie
Slater wanted TO marry him. And
Nellie Slater was not eligible for the
position of daughter in law. Nellie
Slater had never patched quilt nor
even made a tie down. She always
used baking powder instead of cream of
tartar and soda, and was known to have
a leaning toward canned goods. Mrs.
Motherwell considered her just the girl
10 spend mans honest earnings and
bring him to speedy ruin. Moreover,
she ided away her time, teaching cats
to jump, and her eighteen years old, if
she was a day!
Tom knew that il he went to the
party it must be by stealth. When he
drove up to the kitchen door his mother
looked up from her ironing and asked
"What kept you, Tom?"
Tom had not been detained at all, but
Mrs. Motherwell always used this form
Of salutation to be sure.
CONTINUED TOMORROW