Show I An D T q PDn f A f5 r rxmm T JN < Q z5g a044dC 1111 EUQa tJGl r0 UV said Jack nt the breakfast table Ive I got I I D to have a now pair Of I shoos before Memorial day All the fellows are getting Patent leather oxfords and I 1 find m > shoes getting rather disreputable worn 2 dear through on the soles OadeI5e bore known and respected as the honor able Judge Allalislal l down his morning paper and looked at Jack over Ills glasses See here young man go ahead and gel your patent l leathers If you need I thelll bill get the ones you have on fixed uII I know where theres n lit tie cObbling Shop down on Spencer streetIts kept by two brothersold soldiers both of em crippled by the war and theyre trying to mnko an honest living Tell the old fellows to Put on some good strong half soles and straighten up the heels If they need straightening Katherine passed her father the toast Daddy she said coaxingly may I take the new auto on Memorial day You know you and mamma are talking of going to Undo Roberts to spend the day and If joud only let me take It Id bo so careful Ho folded his newspaper consulted his watch anxiously and rose Well he said Ive got to be going or Ill miss that car Yes Katherine I guess you may take tho auto if you think you can be careful Broken bones are expensive as well as mighty painful And you Jack remember what I told you about those shoes Jack cornered Katherine as she was going upstairs to dress for school Say sis he said digging his fists Into his pockets would you mind ta king my shoes down to those old duffers duf-fers on jour way to school You generally gen-erally go that way to call for Phyllis I dont you Katherine took the bundle under her nrm along with her high school books and went down Spencer street She went Into the little shop and sat down to wait She had knocked loudly hut no one had responded and she had made bold to enter As she sat there waiting voices from tho little kitchen beyond reached her Evidently the two old men were having a late breakfast and evidently also they were somewhat hard of hearing for they kept on talking Katherine did not really mean to listen but a sentence caught and held her attention I dont care so much for myself Jerry an old voice was saying but I laws you haint ever missed gain to Decoration day And I hate to havo you miss this onees sir I do Jerry If work wasnt so slack now mebby we could afford to hire old man Daw sons horse an buggy to go with but theres the grocery bill jet to pay an the medicine for your rhoumatlz an the repairs on my wooden leg and our pensions not due yet for quite a spell and Hero Jerry broke In Now you haint no call to worry none about me Silas ho said not a mite I guess i I know I how wl1lln you be to go with L out things so as to give me a hectic pleasure jou always was that way an I appreciate It But dont you go to worryln I guess mebby we can hear the band play clear here an I + th 7r 4 J P Q I I t They Hobbled Into the Little Shop wo can ketch a glimpse of the I mebby out can put An we awavln flags a ever If Johnnie I sames flag our own porch door will mill It up on the next onr wooden leg iheumatlz an your My fixed leaves us sor beln away gcttlnfixed dont It tor helpless Katherine remembered Jubthero Just loudly The two herself and coughed STXn their heavy teacups I nld men set down crutch I 0In Silas caught up his haste In and they hobbled and Jerry his cane little shop Into the opened the bundle Hero Katherine she said are m balf soling and str Igh lon they need right heels and n tiny patch lag at the fix them today you here And ran please smiled at her old brothers The two said today well fix em Why yes take one an me tho can SlIns Jerry can como au get other nn the boy om thIs noon her qulto lear could not q Katherine old men who the genIal self away rom bravo and cheer put up so apparentlY against adversity ful a struggle are both old you MY father saYS soldiers sho began You must try togo to-go to the exorcises up lu the cemetery on Memorial tiny They say theyre to be exceptionally fine this year Gen Thomas Wyatt Is going to deliver tho oration and Old Jerry almost bounded to his feet in his excitement I want to know ho cried I want to know Why my land o liberty Silas an me fit under him lu the war Old Tom Wyatt An heros Silas an me old an crippled an cant go to seo him and hear him Katherine her young taco aglow with sudden resolve rose Impuslvcly I Well she said you shall go somo I way Ill see that theres somo way provided so you can both rldo up to the cemetery and see and hear your old general I As she hurried on to school sho thought Isnt that Just like mot All Impulse and not a bit of reason Just because thoso two poor old men touched my sympathies Now how c 0 iiS5 S5 S5LL n e yy b I rr 0 v W y Gave Them the Ride of Their Lives are you going to get them up to that cemetery Id like to know limo a livery rig Pocket money for May all gone Borrow from Daddy Never Take them In the automobile Instead of the girls WellInever Katherine stopped on tho sidewalk and laughed aloud What would the girls say And the boys And Jack The girls eyes sparkled I will she said and I know of another who will fill the empty seat Old Mrs Davis who hasnt been to a Memorial day celebration for years and she a soldiers widow still wearing an old rusty crape veil In his memory Poor old dear And I know not one of them has ever had an auto ride or ever expects ex-pects to And after the exercises perhaps Ill take them a spin down tho river road I will I will The poor old souls Ill make em have one royal afternoon or die In the attempt That afternoon was a dream of delight de-light to the three old people and the years fell from them like a garment FO wonderful a thing is joy to those whom joy seldom visits The color came In Widow Davis wrinkled cheeks and her old eyes beamed with I pride as she looked across the rows of graves to Henrys where the little flag fluttered and the great bouquet of white syringas and plumy lilacs lay u u like a benediction The band played Its sweetest and softest and the two old brothers never knew that quiet tears were running down their faces as they listened The generals speech was strong and true and brave and tender and when It was over Silas and Jerry could not refrain from hobbling up to greet their old commander When at last It was all over and tho people began to descend the long hill Katherine turned her automobile In I the direction of the river road Sho drove slowly so that her guests might enjoy the exquisite view and on and on they went miles out Into tho beautiful beau-tiful free open country But on the way home Katherine gave them tho ride of their lives and laughed to seo the widows old faco flushed llko a girls and her gray hair floating on the wind while the old crepe veil blew out straight behind Into the delighted faces of the two old men who were thoroughly thor-oughly enjoying the swift pace It was all very wonderful and beautiful and surely there was a good deal In life after all they thought That night the general was the guest of honor at Judge Adams at dinner Tho judge and bin wife had at tho eleventh hour given up their proposed visit and were glad and proud to entertain en-tertain so famous a guest Tho general looked across at Katherine Kath-erine My dear young lady ho began be-gan In his stately old fashtoned way d 1 than I can ex It does me good inoro express press In mere wordsto discover that youth Is not all Mvollty and flippancy in this generation When I saw you today giving pleasure and satisfaction to thoso whoso lives are poor and lowly when I heard afterward of tho delightful outing you gave them on tho beautiful river roallwhyII The general stopped and tried to think of tho proper word then smiled at Katherine which was a great deal better than finding It They told me all about itSilas and Jerry he said when I called to see them on my way here and If over a happier or prouder pair of brothers existed I have never mt thorn |