The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-03-02
MIA srps0 Hc

would - very strange u have :
father snd mother. he Was SUR
he could never have loved elthei
q them As much IS Re loved n.
grandmother. Z would have eeef
too bad. h decided. for her 10
70 have had him al to herself.
After dinner Mrs. Livingstone
retired for = nap. and the MAJOR
sat IN the front porch smoking.
"cmon. PARIS, lets 70 down
IN the hack WHERE is shady
They sat on the grass, some
what stunned with feed. but max
ing the effort at conversation
which seemed always somewha,
difficult on Sunday visits.
7 hate Sundays. don't you :"
Drake threw a stick al a tai
mullen stalk
Why ="
Gee. they won't let m. d.
nothing on Sunday Drake
seemed surprised that PARIS
shouldn't know this.
Why not :"
Cause It's Sunday. Does your
grandma let you play on sun
day.
of course she does"
Gee They won't let me do
one thing OF course slip off,
but they don't know 1t. It's a
sin-they say il is. anyhow. I
don't see how IL can hurt any
thing just to play
Me, neither. I'm glad my
grandmother lets me play
well. Aunt NAMES gone to
sleep. Uncle Rhodes'n be asleep
pretty soon. Then We can slip
off
Won't they get after you ,"
They won't know anything
about it"
We'll, I guess il isn't any harm
just going somewhere
Course faint. Gee. Paris.
you're funny"
How >"
You always talk so proper"
Paris hlushed. Its the only
WAY I can talk. Drake. You know
l have TO think when speak
English. and I guess It just goes
kind of slow"
Gosh. that's so. You do talk
some other language don't you ?"
German and French"
It's funny for an American boy
to be talking any other kind of
talk but American.
Paris scraped at the ground
with his heel "Does-does IL
sound sissy, Drake. the way l
talk ."
'N-no-it don't sound sissy ex-
aetly. Il just sounds like you're
trying to be awful proper kinder
like you're putin on"
We'll amt"
Now. that's more like it-when
you say amt
But amt ain't-isnt really
right"
81 don't care. Sounds better"
PARIS laughed. nut IT was =
halfhearted laugh. He wanted
Drake TO like him.
Drake jumped up. Lets 60"
All right. Where -
Lets go down to the depot.
I guess well find some of those
lower-end-oftown kids and we
can do something. They're tough,
too Drake added admiringly.
They walked on the shady side
of the street and hurried from
time to time through occasional
stretches Of sun where trees were
missing.
81 guess this is the hottest day
! ever saw Drake stopped and
wiped his face on his sleeve. A
deep flush made his freckles stand
out larger and darker than ever.
I'd like 10 go swimming" Par
ris sounded almost wistful.
Sod I, but the closest swim
min hole Is Hay down the creek.
Too far. ] guess ! tell you let $
go down TO the Elroys ieehouse.
We can play in there an its cool
as everything. Gus Elroys got a
trspeze, and ryin' rings an
parllel bars fixed up like a reg
ular gymnasium.
All right, come on then Let's
go fast
They crossed to Walnut street
and hurried toward the south end
Of town.
There was no one at the depot.
or near it Kings Row had no
Sunday trains The boxears stood
huge ana solid-looking. as though
nothing could ever move them
Everything lay baking in the pitt
less sun.
Drake seemed more At nome In
these surroundings He made
knowing remarks mentioning
easily and carelessly the names
Of engineers and firemen. brake