American fiction -- 20th century; Short stories, American -- Periodicals
Junior only smiled and glanced at his roommate. Later Blackie told the
others that Smithy was jealous. “His father has nothing but money and
fat.” Junior was always too much for Smithy. But suppose the promised
letter did not follow. It hardly seemed possible. He had received
occasional cables, several telegrams, and that one notable wireless, but
never in all his life a letter from his father.
It came promptly. It was brief and it was dictated, but it was a letter
all the same, and he was much impressed. He had a letter from his
father, like other fellows. It explained that the writer had been called
away to New Mexico by important business, but that he hoped to join his
son during the summer. “It’s time we got acquainted. With much love,
Your Father.”
“Well, we’re going to meet during the summer anyway,” thought Junior,
folding up the letter. And his father had sent his love. To be sure, he
sent it through his secretary. But he sent it all the same.
That evening Junior arranged to be found casually reading a letter when
the gang dropped in.
“What have you got?” asked Smithy.
“Oh, just a letter from my father,” remarked Junior casually. “Wants to
know if I won’t go out to the Canadian Rockies with him next summer.” He
seemed to keep on reading. It was a bulky letter apparently. Junior had
attached three blank sheets of paper at the same size as that on which
the note was written.
“Gee! Your old man writes you long ones,” said Smithy. “What’s it all
about?”
“Oh, he merely wanted to tell me about his conference with the
President.”
“Hot dog! Read it aloud.”
“Sorry, Smithy, but it’s confidential!” Folded in such a way that its
brevity was concealed, Junior carelessly exposed the first sheet bearing
his father’s engraved letterhead. “Confidential” had been written by pen
across the top. Junior had written it.
All this produced the calculated effect for his father, but it was cold
comfort for the son.
Well, he did see his father at last, but it was during the summer
vacation, and the boys would know nothing about it until the fall term
opened. Junior was staying with Aunt Mary in the country, and came in
for the day. Phil was dictating letters and jumped up with a loud
“Hello, there, hello!” And this time he kissed his son, right in front
of his secretary. She was the only one of the three not startled. Phil
and Junior both blushed.
“Mrs. Allison, this is Junior,” said Phil. He seemed to be really glad
to see the boy, and Junior’s heart was thumping. Mrs. Allison said,
“Pleased, to meet you,” but Junior liked her all the same. She looked
kind. And while her employer finished his dictation she glanced at
Junior and smiled. The letter progressed slowly and had to be changed
twice. Mrs. Allison knew why, and smiled again, at her pencil this time.
She understood them both better than they understood each other.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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