The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1920-12-09
TOMMYS COAT
BY JACK LAYTON

e. .
WAS G.. 81. embodiment Of yrr,- her
s.,I with sky ..ur ewes anil apple
blossom checks ana ,He sweet smiling
v.un.ur-~ .. tu- >w~.y stood A.
quaint ..r.. l-urc '.t, I'll r.rf. stepped
from a.n. ore '.-..Ifu COME 10
life. THug-G %. r-.-. WAS. after an.
merely rar Of 81 -..H -.E-latr.1 Irish
boy clad iu :u a.. COAX tnr ..r big
VIE COAT tails which t'g"a.l his
meets
And SD your -nwr is Tommy RYAN,"
. the -.r. was saying sand your mother
washes for tar people Iu rDc big house
next door. bur Why i.i you come 10
81" ue i'lmEy
It's the coat" III. boy replied
shuwrfa.naly che boys at school 10
. be- laughing NJ mo I,-grSr mother
. makes me Wear II. l want 70 try some
. day O. earn another. SO l Thought II
. you u.-lt be- after huyin' Grants to
: DO --"
You see" Marilyn said gently,
! "thcrc are not many crrauuS, Tommy,
/ when / have only 10 shop for myself
aud old Tllv who helps for her board.
But ---," she paused thoughtfulIy.
"Wnv." asked "a. HOY "Itg Won be-
after comm ont here In live bv YOUR
self I'm Ills biz Of bnuSrq Haven't
Won got any folks. or husband
mayhe?"
The girI laughed then answered
seriously
"Tm unite alone In the world Tommy
RYAN" she soid "urd WHOM 7 droye
tbrurrb This cnI.ufry and s1,y the 'bIt
Of a house on. day II occurred To me
thar might he able ~ live more
cleorIv and narbops moro nr,GtahIv
hero than I'm tho creot CITY I couId
send my Illustrations from here 10
the unkiud pubIiShers inst as we'll.
So "
$50 here We are" finished Tommy.
swell. it's n nice dolls house of a
place. an me mother saws that once 1t
was the lodge of the great house next
door nm the folks that lived here then
was great folks. It's their son has
come back TO keep the house now
when he isn't in New York or Boosting
or Europe; he has auto cars and horses
and everything. An" added Tommy
hotly, "he give this old coat o mine
TO mother. Things he casts OF an
she makes me wear en-
ITS n shame" Marilyn declared,
gaining thereby TOmmy's loyal friend
ship.
'But you won't always have to wear
old coats" she cOmforted, you'll go
out and earn new ones for yourself"
Marilyn considered.
81 have wanted a garden for some
time" she said, "a flower and vege-
table garden -"
Marilyn did some figuring upon her
fingers.
"Seeds are high" she added regret
fully. "But we will manage some way
Tommy and you are engaged at very
low figure 10 be my gardener. Still
that's beginning. And maybe some
day If "" work well we will raise
crops and Won shall drive into town
TO sell them"
Tommy's face glowed beneath the
freckIes
"You mean IT," he asked. "HonestT
"Honest" agreed Marilyn. And lust
then over tbe high dividing wall an
peared the head Of n man whose body
evidently WAS poised upon n garden
ladder.
"Reg nardon " said the man pleasant-
" "but rs happaned TO be training a
vine nm my side OF the wall I could NOT
help overhearing some of your con-
versation. And II YOU are thinking of
huving garden seed -" he bowed
IN NI,riIvn', direction ",vb, nv beod
Gardener has quantities which we will
no gIod IN giva Won Nva mako M usa
NJ tbam And vhv nurcbose" no wont
on hastily ne NoriIvn's Inns were FORM
ING 9 noIite refusal "wben seeds are
going IN yosto9"
Tho girl smiled
"Whv that IS so" she repIjed. sand
thank Won"
"'The moor LITTLE devil" he said
Iaugbinglv. "to think that Nora makes
him wear nv old coats He must have
had time Mt school"
The garden surrounding the "bit Of
n houSe" flouriShpd and showed great