The Washington herald., 1921-09-25

TUE 10th Of September Is noS q holiday.
L nor Is there any very particular saint
ealendared for that date
Y4 on every September % at prseissp
ten minutes past four in the afternoon, MIA
PGosetti, clad IN her Sunday best, =
gorgeous shawl draping her ample shoulders
comes sedately forth from the front door et
hG husbands little grocerJ store On ferry
street and vaddles up the street
There b always q brood Of little fere-
settis clinging to their mothers shirt. and
tie years when there is not 4 new babe a
arms tucked beneath the. shawl are rather
the exception than otherwise
Tarthsr mp Ferry street is Engine w
and ~ Mrs- Perosetd pilots her brood
past, Matt Hsesan, on every 10Th Of SEP
temb9, u loungins In the doorway sf
Ninsty- -three's house. He watches The hsfss
procsaim 20 past, pulling furiossiJ at as
pips-ths short black pips which vhees<s n
TIE Ridiculous, asthmatie fashion-snd u
yuu happened b notice eoseJ. yoa would
- that Matt Is wrisgiins his sealp-a
tick hs has vhsn he h laboring under sons
powerful anotioa-making his freman's cap
bob about sbsurdly on his gray head-
He watches with narrowed eyes until the
Psrsssttis swing the corner fnto Nash street.
The italian church is just around the corner.
Matt knows well enough whittier the
Perossttis are going. And after they have
disappeared around the corner Of Ninth
street. he pulls Jet harder at his pipe.
making its wheeze more pronounced: and
he wiggies his scalp yet faster; and his eyes
as he looks up the street are suddenly very
dim; and II Juno, the cat at Ninety three,
happens to rub against his legs at that
moment he curses under his breath and aims
q kick at her-something Matt Heeran
would never think Of doing at another time
All this on the 10th of each September
rs regularly as clockworkI
IT WAS on . certain 10th Of September
that Matt Heegan, his one day of in Ave
Just over, was starting back to Ninety.
three's house. On the steps of the little
suburban cottaZe he had managed to pur-
chase BY years of the most rigid saving and
petty economies, Mrs. Heexan clutched his
arm.
Matt" she said, looking at him with
troubled eyes. 'T wish yer'd have a word
with Jimmy. don't like this Kelly feller
he's running round with. He don't do
nothin' but graft livin' Of his folks. He.
Q no-good- Yet Jimmy's with him . vbol.
lot. Why, day before yesterday, Jimmy'a
day on, he never showed his head at homs
here. He was around with that Kelly lad
somewhere the ivelong day and nisht. /
don't like it, Matt. 1t worries me-"
Matt Heegan laughed. He patted hi,
wife's arm.
Don't you fret" he advised her
"Jimmy's old enough now to look ont 70,
himself. Hes outer skirts, year want to re-
member that. 1 don't like this Kelly Teller
myself; but Jimmy's young He'll be wantin'
q bit Of fun now and then. No doubt Kelly
Is showin' him some"
Mary Heegan frowned.
81 don't like it, all the same" said she.
That Kelly boys got an awful hard name
round here. They say he CANDLES and plays
the ponies in the pool-rooms. I wisht YOU d
speak to Jimmy about 1t some time
"Ah don't worry, deary," said Heexan
again. There's no harm in Jimmy. Hes
. man now. He's got to learn his own
lessons and look out for himself. So long %
He kissed her and hurried to the corner
for the car he could hear approaching. He
swung his hand to her as he boarded 1t and
went humping cityward.
Yet Heegan, despite his nonchalance. wa,
q trife perturbed. He remembered Jimmy
had been borrowing money off him lately
Jimmy, whose pay was almost as much a,
his own, and who had no wife to support
no home to pay the final installments on.
TT HAD been the happiest day in Mat
L Heegan's life when Jimmy had chosen tn,
fire department as a career. The happiest
that is, save the day when Jimmy, his pro.
baton period over, had been appointed {
regular hoseman at Mats old company
Ninety three.
In the facile- minded, open hearted Jim
my Matt hoped to see realized all tn,
dreams he had dreamed but futilely. Jimmy
splendid physique, his natural aptitude fol
doing things, could 90 far IL he chose. Jimm,
would never plod along all his life plair
hoseman, as his father had been forced to do
Jimmy would eventually wear the circlet
trumpets on his collar-or maybe some day
the white helmet Of q chief He had it II
him. The boy was smart, there was M
denying that.
Matt hdseted about on the trolley seat
Well, there was no good worrying till yor
had TO. Mary. like all mothers, was prom,
to magnify little things which concerned he
son. Still, he'd watch Jimmy for weel
or so, and if he tried to borrow any NOR
money he'd drop him q quiet tip to be a bi
more careful with his money.
What he was getting ought to be ampl
for a man with just himself to look ou
for. Yes, Jimmy should. be laying by
little something out Of his pay. He'd speal
to him quietly about Ii when there came