The Washington times., 1923-09-01
A Delightful Narrative of Domestic
Life by a Popular Magazine
Writer.

the fucker acres Tell mo hef
hands. Her great delight was in
her grandchildren, Harrys small
boys.
Philip spent two days with his
brother and sister.in-law. He had
not been under their roof since
his visit when they were bride
and groom. They had often begged
him to come to them, but some
thing had always occurred to
prevent. He was anxious to go,
now, and little proud, too, to be
driving his own car up to his
brothers door.
Hard Luck.
Harry had been married to
Rosemary for five years, and
Philip was aware that they had
q hard time. Misfortune had pur-
sued them, and the neighbors
sometimes shook their heads, de-
claring it seemed as if Joe
Church's bad luck had stuck to
to the place. There had been q
series OF disastrous accidents
brown rot in the apricots had
spoiled Harry's first crop; a
drought the next year had ruined
all the fruit about Vacaville, and
during the subsequent two years
there had been far from sufficient
water. Harry had not harvested
satisfactory crop since he was
married. Besides these setbacks.
the young Baldwins had had a
fire. The cutting shed Joe Church
had built had been burned to the
ground, and with ie the sulphur
ing shed and one of the out.
houses. One year there had been
a hard.fought battle with the
Fruit Packing Company, which
up to that time shipped and
marketed the valleys output. A
Got and Prue Association had
been formed by the growers who
proposed to do this work them
selves. Harry had been one of
it's chief organizers, and when
the plan failed for lack Of sup
port. the Fruit Packing Company
declined to handle Harry's ship
ments, so that he had been
obliged to haul his fruit into
Winters in order to sell it.
The Church property was car
rying a second mortgage now.
Dermot Phelan had accepted
Harry's note, and both his mother
and Philip had lent him money.
1t looked as if Harry would
never get a satisfactory start.
Rosemary had had two children
in the five years, and after the
first baby was born she had
been i'll a long time. For six
teen weeks there had been a
trained nurse in the house.
Philip was reminded OF this
drove up to the door. An agi.
perverseness of fortune as he
tated group was gathered on the
porch. Rosemary was there, dis
traught and crying. the limp
figure of a child in her arms,
while crowding about were d
frightened servant and two of
the ranch hands. Little Sam
the three-year-old-had had a bad
tumble, had struck his head
against the foot-scrapper on the
lowest porch step, and there was
an ugly bleeding cash in his
white forehead. Philips arrival
in his car was timely. Rosemary
without hat or wrap, climbed in
beside him, the baby in his be-
grimed rompers on her lap, a
wet towel held against the bleed.
ing forehead. In ten minutes
Philip had deposited them at tho
Doctors door in Vacaville, and
half an hour later was driving
them home again. a white surgi-
cal bandage about the cropped
head of the small boy, who had
bravely submitted to the two deft
stitches with which the physician
had drawn together the ragged
edges of the dark, clotted wound
1T does seem as though we
have had more than our share
Of trouble" Rosemary said, laugh
ing shakily. but it will all turn
out right, Phil. Harry's an angel.
He never complains and he never
gets discouraged, and never
knew q man to work any harder
He's always SO amiable anC
cheerful, and so considerable Of
me, and sweet with the children
He worships the boys; he's simply
crazy about them. We have
our concentrations. Phil. even i,