He
no longer looked or felt "green," and he was fast acquiring a business
way that was bound, sooner or later, to be highly beneficial to him.
In these five weeks he had received several letters from friends and
not a few from home, the most important news in all of them being the
announcement of his sister Grace's engagement to Charley Wood, and
baby Madge's first efforts to master her A B C's.
"I wish I could afford to bring them all to New York," had been
Richard's thought. "Or else near enough so that I could go home to
them every night. It would be so pleasant to have them around me.
Perhaps some day I can afford to get a little cottage right near the
city, which would be nicest of all; for I am sure mother would like
to have a garden, even if it was a small one."
His letter for home finished, Richard spent an hour or more in the
preparation of an advertisement which he intended to insert in one of
the army journals on the following week. The advertisement gave his
father's full name, company, regiment and so forth, and asked for the
address of any one who had known him during the war, with promise of
reward for information.
By the above it is easy to see that Richard was now in earnest about
getting his father's pension money. Not only was he satisfied that
they were entitled to it, but just now when his mother and sisters
were struggling in Mossvale to make both ends meet, it was actually
needed.
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