Evening star., 1941-12-31


Henry mcLemo.e the % m ttoS
like dice. soaked the mossy oearos
of the oaks and elms and turned
the clay highway into quagnlle'
As the car stopped along We asKeu
ourselves Just why We we're soihs
ont to the Kellys. Was it because
we hoped to get something new on
the man whose sinking OF tne
battleship Haruna had mace MN
Americas No. l hero OF Worlo
WarII? No, hundreds Of reporters
had made Colin Kelly's 26 years on
this earth an open book. was IL
because We wanted TO pay trlouoe
TO the handsome airman. NO, We
had done that a thousand times IN
our heart. Of course since the story
of his gallantry first was told.
We still didn't know exactly why
We had come when Mrs. Kelly. 81.
q sweet woman who looks ike 80
MANY of our mothers do, answered
o,1r knock and, without giving US
time TO explain who we were or
that we had tried to telephone tne
house from town, said. Mercy como
m IN ont of the rain" She showed
us into an old-faShioned living
room. The light from pine fre
shone OIL a big piano in corner
family pictures on the walls oio
and mellow chairs and sofas, ana
rugs gently worn by years OF gentle-
folks walking.
Wife Answers Flood Of Letters
We told Collins mother who We
were.
"Ill call Marion" she said. she
Is awfully busy, poor girl, answering
the hundreds Of letters that have
come in It's hard task out tho
letters were so lovely, she felt she
inst must answer them all.
There was a clatter at the living
room door.
Ruby, Ruby, Boggie, Woosie.
/ Piggie, Wiggie."
That's Corkey." COINS motner
said. Where in the world did he
ever learn that?"
The door opened and IN came
corkey, 10 months Of baby boy IN a
sweater suit and with fuzzy Panda
doll in his arms.
Goat, goat, goat" he said. Goat,
goat, goat"
His mother came in behind him.
THAT was the Christmas present
he liked best Of all" she said. "A
goat. A plain billy goat. Before I
left Hawaii in November his father
told me to be sure TO get the baby
a goat and a wagon for Christmas.
He had taught the baby to say
goat before We left. II 1t weren't
raining he would be out in the yard
looking for his billy"
Son Uses Dads Old Chair.
The baby plopped down in a tiny
rocking chair, the cane seat OF
which was worn, and the varnish
on which was blistered from many
years near the fireplace.
That was his fathers chair" his
mother said. Watch him, or he'll
tip over"
His grandmother smiled at him.
HE wouldn't be his fathers son II
he didn't" she said. How many
times did I pick up Colin from that
same chair"
We talked about the Colin that
was gone.
IT was cleaning out some draw.
ers just today and found letter he
had written me last August" his
mother said Usually I didn't keep
them, but sent them on to his aunts
and uncles to read. I'm glad I hap.
pened to keep this one, though, be-
cause in 1t he told me and his
father that he felt bomber could
sink a battleship and that what
the Navy needed was more heavy
planes"
Remember, Mother his young
and pretty widow said, remember
how Colin always told us that II
he died while flying for us to re-
member that that was the way he
wanted to die?"
Yes, dear, I do. He loved the
air. When he was q little boy he
dreamed of flying around the world.
all by himself. When some ono
else did it, he was hurt and dis
appointed. He was such . sweet
boy. wasn't he, Marion?"
Eyes. Mother, the sweetest"
Collins mother looked at me and
! smiled.
"If there ever was q boy who
was ready to face his God, 1t was
Colin"
Went to Church Every Sunday.
She nodded toward her daughter.
in-law.
"Those two always went TO church
on Sunday morning don't have to
worry about my boys hereafter. He
was ready to die"
The baby clambered out of his
chair and tugged at a sword on the
wall 1t was his grandfathers, and
rested on an ancient musket that
Kelly had carried in the Revolu-
ton.
That was a lovely thing the
President did, when he wrote to the
President Of 1856, asking him to
give the baby an appointment to
West Point" Marion Kelly said.
"And he took the time and trou-
BILE to write me letter, too. And
after all, Mother, there are other
mothers and other wives who have
suffered Just as much as We have"
That's true, darling"
As we drove away we knew why
we had gone to the Kellys.
Deep there in the woods Of Flor.