Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-21
Daily Short Story
a Gift FOR Remembrance
BY STELLA RYAN

Tx SWAIN SupS' 70 "a
= had a very swank apartment
house. Half the young married.
who lived there couldn't afford it
Young John Ossip couldn't afforc
ii. Sometimes he slipped up or
the rent, but his wife's determine
ton kept him there.
Most people saw only Nadia
prettineSs. She had hair and eyes
The color Of champagne and she
was all CLINT and laughter. she
seemed 10 have plenty OF leisure
10 drive her car around or 10 play
bridge.
But the big box the eXpresSTan
delivered so regularly held the as
sorted parts of junk jewelry on
which she worked secretly, like a
fury. for hours every day, putting
IL all together eNpcrtly for a large
distributing house.
Her little son, Jackie, cot ter
ribly in her way. lie was about
3. frail, with bits Of tow hair
sticking up every which way. He
had blue ewes and looked AZ you a
long time before he smiled.
Miss Nettie Shaw. who lived
across the court. was crazy about
Jackie. One cold January after
noon from the window of her
apartment she had watched him
trudging along behind his mother.
When he came 20 the curb he
fell into a big CLASSY hollow of ice.
After a while Nadia turned and
watched him trying to get out,
slipping and sliding around like a
little dark bug in his baggy play
suit. She didn't go back TO help
him.
When he began to cry Miss Shaw
flung up her window and asked
Nadia if she didn't think she ought
10 90 and pick him up. Nadia said
sharply:
"But he's not a baby, He has
tn learn"
What did Miss Shaw know
even If she had taught school for
30 wears? She was an old maid
and angular as a map OF Cape Cod
and her eyes were the color of
gray agate kitchenware.
She had retired from school and
people said she had lots OF money,
inherited. but Nadia hated med
ding old maids.
JACKIE BADLY HURT
But after that Miss Shaw
couldn't help watching the way
Nadia treated Jackie. The steps
up to the terrace of the apartment
were too high for Jackie but Nadia
made him climb all Ia of themI
without help.
Once in the spring when he got
70 the top he grabbed unsteadilyI
at his mothers Stacks. She had
her arms filled with bundles and
kicked at him with her knee to
let 60.
But he chung and then shel
kicked hard and sent him sprawl
ing on the concrete path. He had
a red scrape across his cheek for
q week.
"She's cruel TO that child"
Miss Shaw told herself, but she
didn't know what TO do about II.
No one else seemed to see il,
certainly not the husband Every
one admired Nadia.
In June, Nadia began driving
her car with the hood folded back.
War or no war, she got off TO a.
jackrabbit start even when she
had Jackie on the slippery leather
seat beside her. Twice he almost
went out on his head. Miss Shaw
spoke about il 10 Nadia who said
Jackie after all was a boy and
had to start being a little self
reliant.
Then one morning in July,
Jackie climbed UP and stood on
that slippery leather seat while his
mother put some packages in the
rear compartment. There he stood
in a couple of square inches of
green play suit. His tow hair stood
up and all his ribs stuck out and
his sharp little shoulder blades
were like wings.
Miss Shaw. at her window,
thought. IF Nadia makes quick
start with Jackie standing" and
she almost ran trying TO get down
there to the street fast enough.
But she wasn't in time. She met
Nadia rushing up the steps carry
ing Jackie who had deep cash in
his chin.
"When started the car"
Nadia said, ''he struck the open
edge Of the glove box"
They took him into the office of
a doctor there in the building who
examined him and said nothing
much had happened although he