The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1933-03-23
Brick Buys a
Kimono
By KATHLEEN MALLORY
Gby Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNII Service

himOuo. lndt was JUST brlck 3
appellation. 1t was really gorgeous
blue chiffon velvet peignoir. Mr..
Bonner had brought It II was late
at night, and Brick had tiptoed to
the kitchen for a drink of water.
Drinking the water, he had over
heard Mr.. Bonner talking to Mumsy.
He liked Mr.. Bonner. He never for.
got to bring him something. 1t was
always there on the breakfast table
next morning. The most wonderful
things. He was listening: Jerry,
you angel It's too sweet of
you for words, but can't let you.
You're a darling the best
friend woman ever had. But it's
impossible. /. I'll shut my eyes
and pretend forever after that
It's mine, when I'm wearing that
ragged, shabby old thing in there
Bricks breath expelled on a long
breath that was almost a sob. He
peeked through the crack of the
swinging door to the living room.
His mother began folding IL care
fully back into its tissue wrappings.
Don't be absurd, Sylvia" Jer.
some Bonner was speaking, gruffly.
That's my birthday gift to you. 4
shall be away next month, and /
wanted you to have it In time"
please, jerry" Bricks mother
said thickly, "don't. Bring me some
little trinket that's inexpensive"
Sylvia let me take care of
You alwaysl Please, dear. ]
love you So"
snow. Jerryi You know how
things are. I'm going to bring
Brick up, first My first duty Is to
him. And why Jerry, I've q
fine young man to take care Of me-
| want nothing In this world, be.
yond my home. here, and Brick r
Brick had crept of to bed, shiv-
ering. Gosh. She had said he was
enough.
Then he saw IL again. Three
days later. 1t was In shop win
dow, and there was nothing else
there. Only the blue kimono. Some
way. somehow, he must get that
blue kimono for mumsy.
He went In and priced It He
nearly fell over when the lady said
twenty-five dollars. She might as
well have said twenty-five hundred.
Gosh. That was the same price as
the bicycle.
But now the bike was forgotten.
Each night, when he was through
peddling his papers. he went to
stare, fascinated, at the blue kimo-
no. Mumsy's birthday was next
week, too.
Then several things happened.
Mumsy was working In store, part
time, and he was alone one night.
In the closet, looking fol book
stored away he came across the pic
ture. 1t was his father, he knew
that. Mumsy had told him. Her
eyes had looked all scrunchy when
she told him. He never asked her
any more about him. But he knew
he was alive.
Then one day Bricks father
bought a paper from him. Brick
knew him Instantly. The same face.
only the hair was gray now. Elk.
pensive fur coat. Costly clothes.
"a Post. sonny. Keep the change
two dimes
The day before mumsy's birth
day. the man stopped again. It was
cold. Bricks fingers were numb
with cold. He dropped his papers.
and his hat fell of. The man bit
Off an explanation. MY Cod" he
said, 'the same hair event. Then
hoarsely, "Here, Sonny get
yourself something. A bike /.
shoesi" Brick stared at the fifty
dollar bill, as the man jumped into
taxi and drove off. Only that
noon he had seen the mans smiling
face In the tabloids he had sold
along State street. ''Noted actor
celebrates new hit by marrying
leading lady,"
He began to shiver. but not with
cold. Frantically, he searched his
paper bag and found the tabloid !;
the last remaining one. There 1t
was. state Street Theater," Brick
started toward State street He
borrowed an envelope from the
cashier. On 1t, he wrote his own
name. 1t was also his fathers. he
knew that, now, from the tabloids.
Rick Chandler, star of New Moon.
Inside, he tucked the fifty-dollar
bill. II was his defeated hope of
ever owning the blue kimono or
the new bike. But he did not fall
ter, mumsy would want him to.
On the way he saw the sign. "We
buy old bikes" Brick went in. he
came out. minus his dilapidated old
bike, but richer by ten dollars. He'd
get another, some day. Now he'd
get mumsy birthday present. A
blue kimono.
Brick raced to the shop. He
nearly suffocated with Joy. Marked
down to nineteen fiftyl
r. a.