Show I i I I 4 Mrs Kimball and Mrs Worthing Worthing- Worthington I ton dressed soberly and wearing i their best black gloves walked I along the stony country road back I toward Sophia Hardys Hardy's farm to pay i j their visit of condolence I How do you reckon shell she'll be Bearing up Mrs Kimball asked I Mrs Worthington Both ladies wore their most solemn funereal I i i A mighty severe blow Mrs Worthington said Mighty severe To lose your only son the mainstay i of your declining years And such sucha I a dreadful death too too too-to to go down with a ship Mercy The first of our boys from Hand HandI I County to go too Mrs Kimball said mournfully I r i I wouldn't blame r. r J J Sophia Hardy for feeling Deling right bitI bit bit- I ter L L 4 J They They stood on i J Ii the simple stone doorstep with r downcast eyes ees l getting themselves themSelves themselves them them- I selves into the proper commiserative mood Come in The voice was brisk and cordiaL They looked up in surprise Sophia herself had come to the door As they followed her into the parlor they exchanged glances with eyebrows eyebrows eyebrows eye eye- brows lifted Sophia was not even evenin evenin evenin in mourning The parlor shades were not even drawn Its nice of you to come Sophia said Do sit down We came Mrs Kimball said almost reprovingly to tell teU you that our hearts are bleeding for you in your great grea t loss We know how lonely you must be out here Mrs Worthington said With nothing to take your mind off off oil She sniffed and reached in her purse for a hand hand- I kerchief Oh I keep busy Sophia said Ive just finished applying for the Government insurance on Toms Tom's life The visiting ladles could not resist resist resist re re- re- re a shocked glance at one another an an- other I want to get it right away Sophia Sophia Sophia So So- phia said So I can put it into War Bonds My boy hasn't finished fighting fighting fighting fight fight- ing yet not by a long shot The ladies were so occupied with feeling horrified so titillated by this callous behaviour in a bereaved mother that mother that neither of them noticed noticed noticed no no- Sophia's hands Under the folds of her clean print dress against the seat scat of her chair they were tightly clenched Story from an actual report Inthe in inthe inthe the files of the Treasury Depart Depart- ment meat Carry Carryon on for Cor mothers like Sophia Day Buy War Bonds Donds till It hurts hurls U. U S. S Treasury |