other two turned quickly at the sound which Jonathan had made, and one of them yelled, “Hey, there, kid!” But Jonathan was running like a deer. He heard the car going up the alley so he took another short cut he knew and soon was on another street. He was more frightened than he had ever been in his life. Then sud denly he remembered what his mother had said to him so many times, “If you belong to Jesus, you can pray any time, anywhere, about anything!” Well, he had given his heart to the Lord, and he was His, so very quickly Jona than asked Him to help. Looking back, he saw neither the car nor the two boys who had remained on the lot. But, rounding the next comer, he saw a beautiful sight: a police car with two officers in it, slowly cruising along. They saw him r u n n i n g and called out, “Something wrong, Son ?” Breath less, his cap awry, his cheeks fiery-red, Jonathan came up to the car and managed to get out a few words: “He answered my prayer! You came! They took Mr. Nel son’s car!” “Hey, calm down, who, what, where?” asked one of the men as the other opened the back door of the car and motioned to Jona than to climb in. At any other time the thrill of sitting in a police car would have overcome Jonathan, but Mr. Nel son’s car had to be found. He told the officers what he had seen and in which direction the car went. After calling their station, the officers put on the siren and sped down the street. But there was no blue car in sight. They drove back to the vacant lot but there was no sign of the other two boys. So they pounded on Mr. Nelson’s door until they aroused him. He came to the door, looking very sleepy and saying he had worked all night and what was the racket all about. When the policemen in loud tones explained what had happened, Mr. Nelson patted Jonathan on the head, and called him “a good, alert boy.” “I hope you get those hoodlums soon,” he THE KING'S BUSINESS
S p e c ia l C h i ld ren 9s F ea tu re
J o n a th a n ’s BISDAY by Betty Bruechert O N A COOL, sunshiny October morning, eight-year-old Jona than kissed his mother good
of his house. Sometimes he had cookies or apples for Jonathan and Billy. The only thing was that Mr. Nelson was very deaf and you really had to shout to make him understand you. This mo rn i ng Jonathan didn’t see him any where; maybe he had the flu too. As Jonathan walked around the comer of Mr. Nelson’s house, a sight met his eyes which stopped him in his tracks. As Mr. Nelson had no garage, he always parked his car back of the house. There, surrounding the old blue Buick in which Jonathan had ridden many times, were four big boys in black leather jackets and tight jeans. Their hair needed cutting and they w e r e smoking cigarettes. Right away Jonathan knew what they were: “hoods” his older brother called fellows like that. Jonathan knew too what they were planning to do: to steal Mr. Nelson’s car, for they were work ing on the doors which Mr. Nel son had locked so carefully. Jona than’s knees began to shake. He stepped back of a big maple so he could not be seen. What should he do ? There was no use ringing Mr. Nelson’s doorbell. You would have to break down the door to make him hear. “I’ll run for the police!” Jona than said to himself. Turning hastily, he banged his lunch pail against the tree. Two of the boys were in Mr. Nelson’s car and al ready had the motor running. The
bye and, swinging his lunch pail as he walked along, started off for school. The only one of the five children s t i ll a t t e n d i n g the grades, he was a bright, happy- go-lucky little fellow, with twin kling blue eyes and a merry smile. This morning there was a warm feeling in his heart because of his mother’s quick little prayer with him at the door before she rushed him into his jacket and cap. Once he asked his friend Billy, “Does your Mom ever pray with you?” “Naw,” answered Billy, “But she does yell at me.” Jonathan stopped in front of Billy’s house and gave their spe cial whistle. But Billy wasn’t on the porch and he didn’t answer. Instead, an upstairs window was raised and Billy’s mother called down, “Jonathan, he can’t go to school today. He has the flu.” Jonathan waved to her and went on alone. It was seven long blocks to the school if you didn’t take the short cuts. As it was no fun to make it last when you were all by yourself, Jonathan decided to cut across Mr. Nelson’s backyard. An old gentleman who was a friend to all the boys and girls in the neighborhood, Mr. Nelson lived all alone in the big green house three blocks f r om J o n a t h a n ’s home. Mr. Nelson wouldn’t care if Jonathan cut across the lot back 22
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