Roy Blakeley in the Haunted CampFitzhugh, Percy Keese
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Roy Blakeley in the Haunted Camp
Fitzhugh, Percy Keese
Boy Scouts of America -- Juvenile fiction
One showed the very sweet face of a woman, and as the boys looked at
this they were conscious of having seen that face somewhere before. Two
others showed country scenes, including a house. They were the kind of
scenes that amateur photographers love to take; scenes with a homely
familiarity about them--a woman sitting in a rocking chair on a porch, a
dog skilfully caught by the camera in the moment of his resting his paws
upon a fence, a back door with a churn standing near. Commonplace
things, the last subjects that an artist would choose, but scenes that
have a way of reaching the heart and recalling fond memories.
But out of the professionally taken photo there looked straight at the
boys eyes, oh, how familiar, how friendly, how companionable. And upon
the mouth hovered that little smile that they knew, oh, so well. It
seemed, yes it seemed that if Roy were to start jollying Pee-wee then
and there, that smile would broaden. It was the picture of Blythey,
their friend. It seemed to say, "Let's start the camp-fire."
The handwriting of the letter was small and shaky. The missive read:
_Dear Unknown Friend:_--
The letter you sent me came to me. It was brought to me by the
postmaster. In the big town not so far from here there are boys
in brown suits and they call them scouts. A neighbor of mine
says you must be one of those because they are all over the
country.
It is so kind how you thought to send the letter. I would like
to know where you got it. It made me very sad to read it because
it was written to me by my son Joe, who was killed in the war.
He was killed near Reims. I wish I could know all about it but
nobody can find out for me.
He went from Camp Merritt in April 1918 and Mr. Hicks who is
postmaster here has a big map on the wall in his store and he
says that Bridgeboro (which is written near your name on the
envelope) is near Camp Merritt, so perhaps you found the letter.
I guess so for it is so old and looks as if it had been in the
weather, but it is very, very dear to me. So, my dear young
friend, who are so kind, you can say to yourself that you made
me see my boy once more just the same as if he came back. I
think that will make you happy. It made me sad but it made me
happy too. It seems as if I have a letter from both of you and I
will never see you but you are both with me in my trouble and
loneliness.
I would like you to come here sometime and see the home where my
boy grew up but I have much trouble and fear that soon I must go
to the Home in Barnardsville, there to end my days. But these
pictures taken by my boy will show you his home that I must now
lose and his dog now twelve years old; poor dog, I do not know
where he will go when I go to the Home.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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