The Washington times., 1921-07-13


IL all started on our last trip West;
involving a ball game, eight kids and
myself. a friend in st. Louis had
loaned me his car and several OF the
ueighborhood kids followed me to the
garage on their way to school. The
barelegged gang soon increased, and
by the time we reached the garage IL
looked like a platoon Of Boy Scouts.
EIGHT LOYAL FRIENDS.
Hello Babe" "Oh, You Home-run
King" and Alta Boy. Babe" seemed
to be the limitations of the noisy and
persistent conversation. but l enjoyed
ii as, much as they did. At the en-
trance / figured / would duck them.
But | figured wrong.
Returning to the ground floor with
the car, ! found my bodyguard had
shrunk considerable, but eight loyal
faces greeted me and climbed all over
the running boards and tenders. The
fact that a school bell was ringing
sust around the corner was about as
disturbing as il they had never heard
OF arithmetic or spelling.
Boys, ! said, you're all going to be
late for school. / might az well have
said II in the Eskimo language. II
you all run right along TO school,
added, I'll take you as my guests to
the game Saturday afternoon. That
was a terrible blunder on my part,
because they seized the inspiration
and said as they were late anyway
they might as well accompany ME
that afternoon. Thirty minutes later
1 was in uniform and the eight tru-
ants were in the bleachers right be-
hind the Yankee bench. But my
trouble had just begun.
After the game they waited to
thank me and add one more request.
That they would be classified by their
teacher the following morning seemed
q certainty, and now they were after
me to nelp them out OF trouble. One
pretty smart lad suggested that
write a note to the principal and sign
his mothers name, but up spoke my
little crippled friend, who wouldn't
stand for any crooked work. Fo S;'7
that he was willing TO take his medi-
cine If necessary, but suggested .u,
II l would write a note and sign my
own name, he knew the principal was
a. baseball fan and she would excuse
the-Tcrowd ''if Babe Ruth said So"
THREATENED WITH ARREST.
had practically forgotten It until
the thrillingi sequel l have just ex-
perienced.
Three ladies awaited me at the play
ers' gate as / strolled i'm today. They
were apparently together in every
thing but frame of mind. One was the
mOIner Of the crippled lad; one was
the principal of the school and the
third was the terrible truant officer.
The first two were there on friendly
missions. TheN Nother had awaited my
return to st. Louis with very serious
intentions. She quoted me the law on
truancy and threatened to arrest me
then and there on a charge of encour-
aging minors to break the laws of the
city. The mother OF the crippled boy
came to thank me for giving the lit.
tie fellow happine ess while the princi.
pal officially notified me that the note
] had signed for the BOYS had been auc.
toned off for $125 and the proceeds de.
voted to summer camp . for poor
children in the district.
This cheerful news surprised the
truant officer as much as II did me,
and as she went away she said with
apology I'm really sorry, Mr.. Ruth.
But I'm glad to find your home runs
have n moral value!"
Copyright, 1921, by Christy Walsh
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