The Washington times., 1938-06-06


downstairs and found Joe in the
kitchen fixing himself some break
fast.
IT didn't hear you get to bed
last night, joe" the old man said
, 81 didn't go to bed, Pop" Joe
answered.
His father knew better than
to try to get Joe to tell him why
Anyhow, he had a job for Joe
and his mind was on that.
Il want you to go to Hartford
Joe, and while you're there gel
me some fertilizer and other
stuff" He told Joe what else
he wanted, and gave him some
money to pay for it. The sight
of money in his hand, together
with his fathers order, gave Joe
an idea.
This was quite a lot of money
And it was his, he'd earned it
and the old man had never paid
him a nickel. He had some other
money he'd earned, he'd put ii
all together, and after he got to
Hartford he'd just keep on going
That would teach that Estelle
Shed know better than to pull a
trick like that on a man again.
STOPS THE CAR
"Okay, Pop" Joe said, and he
walked out to the car. started it
and rolled out the driveway onto
the State road. He drove up the
road a couple of miles, and then
stopped the car. Joe couldn't
have told you why he stopped, not
right off, anyhow.
There was a field beside the
road, one of those flat bottom
land fields you see in New Eng
land wherever there is a river
and in the middle of the field
stood a feather buster elm.
Feeling kind of funny, Joe
walked over to the tree, and when
he got there his eyes, felt a LITTLE
hot. He looked at the trunk
where two hearts were crudely
carved into the bark. Inside one
heart were the initials -. K,
and inside the other, &c. S."
Huh" Joe said a little def
antly to the world at large. Huh
1 certify must have been crazy
when I did that" But he felt
badly, too, as he remembered the
brisk afternoon during the pre-
ceding fall when, with EStelle's
shining eyes looking on happily,
he had carved the hearts and
initials.
It was some temptation to stop
at her house on the way and ask
her did she want to drive the
twenty.odd miles to Hartford and
back, and maybe see another
movie while they were there.
But Joe didn't even hesitate
when he passed by. He hoped
Estelle was watching, and coulo
see him.
"SHETL BE SORRY"
She'll guess I'm going away
somewhere" he said to himself
She'll be sorry"
But Estelle wasn't watching, and
didn't see him.
Joe arrived safely in Hartford
and turned the nose OF his cal
down toward the river and the
grain and feed stores, more out o.
habit than anything else. He had
parked before he remembered that
he wasn't going to buy the pow
dered sheep bone his father
wanted, after all.
He was going away-far away
somewhere. He took his bank
book out of his pocket, and con
suited it. The final entry said
$495.00. Joe had been saving for
seven years. With the $55 his
father had given him, it made a
lot of money, enough, Joe figured,
to go around the world, and maybe
buy an interest in pearl fishing
boat in the South Seas, something
he had always wanted to do.
FARE JUST $495
Joe found the bank without
much trouble, and drew his money.
When the teller asked him what
he needed all that money for, Joe
frowned Importantly and didn't
answer. He didn't notice the man
who had watched him draw the
money, and who followed him to
the street, until the man tapped
him on the shoulder.
"Padden me, my young frien',"
the man said, "but was you look
ing for employment"
Joe took good look at the man,
and was impressed by his smooth
manner and handsome clothes.
But Joe didn't want a job.
NO" Joe answered, I'm not.
I'm going to the South Seas"
"Ah, my young frien', the South
Seas. How well I remember them.
envy you your good fortune
and it just happens that am the
agent for the largest steamship
line which runs there. The fare, ~
the man eyed Joe intently, "the
fare is exactly s495."
Gosh" Joe said. THAT much?
Why I'd have hardly any money
left when I got there"
You have some more money!"
The man seemed very happy.
well, that's fine. I like an am
bilious young man like yourself
How much more have you got?'
"Fifty-five dollars" Joe an
swered, but I'm afraid that
wouldn't be enough to buy in a
pearl fishing schooner"
The man appeared to think very
deeply. For a moment he seemed