APRIL, 1946 t i t I U N I O R KING' S BUSINESS
As Peter rang the doer bell ef the Curtis' home. Penny looked lovingly at the gold star on Stan's service flag. She was thinking of her good friend who had given his life for our coun try.
P ETER and Penny thought of Stanley Curtis as their old friend, although, of course, he ship that was old, for Peter and Penny had known him almost as long as they could remember. When he went away to war, they felt as though the world had stopped for them, and they haunted the mailbox for the letters he often found time to write to them. When they walked past the Curtis’ home, they always stopped and looked at Stan’s service flag in the window. Somehow, they felt that it was their very own star that was on it. When weeks went by without any word from Stan, Peter and Penny prayed each night, “Dear God, take care of Stan. Nobody around here knows how he is, or where he is, but You know. Please be good to all the boys, and extra good to Stan.” Mrs. Curtis knew how fond of Peter and Penny her son had always been, and sometimes she asked them to the house. In Stan’s room there were many interesting things, but to Peter the collection of airplane models was the most important. Peter never tired of playing with them, for they made him think of his friend. Some times Stan’s mother would let the children play the records that Stan had made with his recording ma chine. He had a beautiful voice and hearing him sing, even on a record, was the next best thing to having him home, Penny thought. As the weeks went by, and the news of victory finally came, the children were wild with joy. They watched for
How the Song Came Back
wasn’t old at all. It was the friend
HELEN FRAZEE-BOWER
news about every boat that arrived from overseas; they watched as, one by one, the service flags came down from the windows along the street. Peter and Penny longed for the day when Stan’s would come down, too. “Ydu know,” Penny said, -"I’m al most going to miss that star in the window; I’ve looked at it so long.” “Not me,” said Peter. “It can’t come down too soon to suit me. When it comes down, Stan will be home.” By and by, it did come down, and Stan was not home. It came down for a little while only; and when they saw it in the window again, the star was gold. Then Peter and Penny knew that they needn’t watch the shipping news any more, for their good friend was never coming back. Not even the thought of Easter with all its lovely secrets, all the gay and beautiful things in the shops, and the sacred services in the churches could quite warm the lonely place in their hearts. They would miss their friend and, without him, nothing else would ever be quite right. "It isn’t just missing Stan, himself,” Peter confessed, “but it’s missing all the good times at his house, too. His mother never asks us there any more. She doesn’t even notice us.” “She doesn’t notice anybody or any-
thing,” Penny replied. “Poor thing, I guess she can’t help it. You shouldn’t feel sorry for us, Peter. She’s the one to be sorry for.” “I am sorry for her,” said Peter, "but I should think it wouldn’t make it any harder to smile at somebody once in awhile.” “ Peter, Penny!” called Mother, com ing out onto the porch. “I want you to take these things over to Mrs. Cur tis.” She handed Peter a covered bas ket. “It’s just a little Easter gift I’m sending.” Penny hesitated. “But, Mother, I don’t think she wants us to come. She’s never asked us once since—-you know what.” “Her heart is so sorrowful that she doesn’t know what she wants,” re plied Mother. “When people are like that, you have to help them to decide. And, you have to go right on being kind to them. Remember that. Run along now, and do as I’ve said.” But the children were not convinced. As they walked along, they talked about what they should say to Stan’s mother, and they wondered what she would say to them. They wanted to go to her house more than anything
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