Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-02-20
HOME,

engine. You saw It coming far down the
track, enlarging before your eyes, looming
nearer, blowing its hot breath against your
face. You heard the creak Of its brakes,
and then suddenly 1t was standing quite
still before you, yours to command. You
got on, you and a hundred jostling, joyous
schoolmates Of yours, and all In minute
It ceased to be mere train and became,
by some miraculous process, vacation, ex-
emplifed in shining glass and singing steel.
Peewee Pendleton-so called because he
was the littlest boy at the academy-was
familiar with this strange railroad phenom-
enon. He had lived through two years Of
periodic holidays, and always, when his
small, stubby legs clambered up the steps
Of the coach, he experienced the same ex-
quisite ecstasy.
Today was no exception. He mounted
In haste, impelled from the rear by push
ing throng his suitcase humping against
the blue serge knee Of his very best suit,
his heart hammering wildly. Vacation!
Home!
Once up and in, he chose the nearest
empty seat and pumped himself upon its
green plush, quite breathless. His eyes,
round brown holes in a round pink face,
took in a scene Of such confusion as only
a hundred excited boarding-school boys
know how to create-a hundred figures
swarming up and down the aisle, into seats
and out Of them again bags humping into
place on overhead racks; scufaing, argu-
ment, laughter, badinage.
There were a few unfottunates who had
been too "broke'' to buy tickets. These.
entirely cheerful, and quite oblivious to
the stares of alien passengers, were crawl.
ing on hands and knees beneath the dusty
security Of seats turned back to back, and
calling to the occupants to conceal them,
with overcoats heaped over them smother
ingly, against the conductors inspection.
Peewee extracted a bit of white paste
board from a remote pocket and placed it
carefully on the windowsilf at his elbow,
feeling rather superior. One Eddie Ed
wards, a junior department student like
himself, sat down beside him, planting
brightly polished shoes upon his suitcase.
Gosh - Eddie sighed happily.
YEAH" said Peewee, who knew exactly
the emotions this fervent monosyllable was
intended to express. rs great isn't it?'
"Great?' Eddie echoed. well, l should
say it's great! Two whole weeks-no Latin,
no algebra, no dement's. no study hall
gosh ="
THE train began moving, and both boys
- turned their entire attention to the
changing landscape beyond the windows.
They watched silently until the distant
tower of the academy's main building had
been sighted and safely passed. Then they
leaned back again in renewed contentment.
and fell to crunching chocolate bars. pro-
duced after intensive search from the midst
of an amazing debris in Eddie's overcoat
pocket.
What you goin' to do, this vacation ?"
inquired the donor thickly after moment.
"Oh, everything" replied Peewee
A vague answer, but it suffced for
Eddie, who was anxious to tell what he him
self would do. He told it forthwith, amid
bites. He would see all the shows. He
would be taken to q prize fight, maybe.
He would sleep all morning, and 60 to the
movies every afternoon, and eat chicken
and cream puffs in limitless quantity. His
Your folks going to meet you at the
train?" he demanded of Peewee
WELL no-not both of 'em. One or the
other will, l s'pose, but not both Of EN-"
Peewee's face, as he made this answer,
was flushed by wave of unnatural red that
crept up to his temples and around his ears.
He could feel it, and it annoyed him. Ed
dies question annoyed him. The whole
business annoyed him. Somehow it always
made him secretly ashamed, as if it was
his fault that his father and mother would
not be there together to meet him-would
not in fact, ever be anywhere together
again.
Something had come between his father
and mother that had thrust them apart,
made them as strangers. Peewee didn't
know what this something was, except that
its other name was divorce, and that it
filled him. whenever he thought of it. with
a vague melancholy and a sense Of helpless
ness. 1t was like having two friends-two
OF the dearest, nearest friends in all the
worldwide liked you awfully. both of them,
but who couldn't be induced to like each
other. You were always trying to think
you couldn't.
Eddie, unsuspecting, was chattering, on.
''Well, mine'll both be there. I'll tell the
world-with bells on! They'll come running
up to me, and mother'n kiss me and ask
me why / haven't got on my rubbers, or
something else silly like that and dadn
slap me on the back and call me old man.
Then we'll 90 somewhere and have the big
gest dinner you ever saw, and then We'll
20 home, and then WE'LL"
His voice ran along, but Peewee ceased
to listen. He had absorbed the picture Of
Eddie's parents, together, meeting him at
the station; and with this as a sort Of
glowing background, his mind took up its
perpetual wrestling with its own paramount
problem.
What was the matter, anyhow? Why
were things as they were with him? His
mother was the sweetest and most beautiful
woman In all the world, and his father the
wisest and finest and cleverest man. They
were twice az nice as Eddie's mother and