Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-01-02
All on Account of Peter


MAGAZINE wanting 8 series Of child
stories"
jamie said: 20 Eve. but that's mar
| yelouS. They pay so well. don't they?
LOOK what you got for the ones about
Eve said slowly: what sort Of things
do children do, for goodness sake2
Johns says child stories are much the
same as dog stories, the same naive
4 freshness" Then suddenly she got up.
| Good Godl I had 70 buy that bit Of
black sin in order to write dog stories.
Does this mean I've got 70 buy child2"
And so it was that Peter Gordon
came TO Knightsbridge one fine spring
morning ION appreciation" from an or
phanage. Peter Gordon, with the wild
dark hair and the trusting blue eyes;
Peter Gordon, who clutched JAMES
small hand desperately in his. II wasn't
that he was frightened, because after
al he was rising five. an1 a man: but
I all the same, 1t was unnerying a bit
for fellow, all this moving around.
| Eve said, Bring him In, jamie" and
/ they advanced into the room. Peter
turned his unblinking stare upon Eve
and moved closer TO jamie.
7 don't like herr he announced
darby to anyone who cared to listen
Eve laughed: "A good beginning. l
must say" she told jamie, and then
became brisk. Take him into the bath
room, she said, and wash him, throw
all his clothes away or burn them.
He's probably a germ carrier or some
thing. believe there's all sorts Of dis
ease about In those orphanages. Then
dress him In the new things that came
this morning and bring him down TO
tea"
You the Servant?" Peter wanted TO
know, looking up at jamie. Because If
you are, where's your cap n apron2 ?"
jamie swept him out Of the room very
quickly. Eve, she knew, didn't like re-
marks like that.
Over the bath jamie and Peter made
friends. She was taught how to balance
the soap on a nan brush so that il
rushed along like a warship with only
the weenlest push. She was shown the
strange birthmark lust like a real
pistol on an uncomfortable portion OF
PETERS anatomy, and duly admired Il
and agreed how lucky she was to see II
easily, whereas its owner could only
do so with the aid Of a mirror She /
was shown how you could pull the plug
up by winding It round your foot when /
you were lying right on the bottom Of
the bath under water and only holding /
your nose very lightly, really. And she I
was told severely that the afternoon |
was not the proper time for baths.
And, over tea, Peter conceived a Vio-
lent hatred for Eve.
It started with the clothes. Peter had
eyed them with disgust as they Law
shining with superiority, over a chair
made from an endless tube Of chrom-
illm plate and square Of hand blocked
linen. They were white. Small white
serge Knockers, small white wool sweat
er. But that wasn't all. Peter looked
hard at the sweater, frowning-on the
oim1nutive chest Of 1t there was a mon
ograml P. @. intertwined in scarlet
wool
I'm not grill" Peter pointed out
Bss sS Rpd t aie t hae 4 n sr bi
disloyal to Eve.
Pete" she said. gathering him I'D ON
her slight lap. Pete, listen. IT'S not
my fault. honest-it's it's AuntIe
Ewes idea. Pete, be little gentleman
and put 1t on"
Peter put 1t on
MY mother" he told jamie calmly,
used to dress me like this She said
Il was inginyou and If I wasn't ingin-
you, her genTman friend wouldn't let
jamie looked at him with wide. scared
Eyes.
Pete" she said huskily. what on
earth do you mean?"
We'll" he told her, struggling thru
he neck OF the hated sweater and
coming forth the other side a little
pink. little grumpy. Well, had a
mother once; I didn't b1ong to the
lrph mage, not really, didn't you know? (
WAS borned with q mother n father [
anne as you, only mine went away" j
de looked at jamie gravely for mo-
Gient. did yours2" he inquired SYM
,athetically. rs that why you live
jamie smiled a little sadly. Eyes.
Pete" she said softly, that's why"
The tragedy over tea was the choco- I
ate cellar.
Orphanage teas do not provide, as a
ule, chocolate cellars, and Peter was
lacking In the knowledge
Z how to approach them. He licked S
title bit OF chocolate off the end and J
hen bit firmly.
Eve screamed, and her scarIet-tipped
and shot out, slapping Peter firmly on /
ne soiled paw. /
Peter gasped. He regarded her (
through eyes that were blue and dark
nth unshed tears. 1t wasn't his fault l
hat something had gquirted out onto '
hose silly trouser things she was wear
1g; 1t wasn't his fault that there was '
dark brown stain down the front OF 1
be p. q. tntertwined IN scarlet wool. /
The little beast" said Eve shakily, {
crubbing at creamy stain on her lap, /
the dirty little pig !" She regarded
'eter balefully. Straight back you'll t
o" she added, IF you do that again" a
Peter shifted. Silly. he thought, silly a
!. /. stlly-as II he'd be caught twice
t the same thing . III
JAMES particular little Heaven broke |,
c
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