The Real Dope | Page 8

the kid or leaving him with the Swede nurse all the while.
Between you and I Al what I am scared of most is that Florrie's mind
will be effected if anything happens to me and without knowing what
she was doing she would probably take the first man that asked her and
believe me she is not the kind that would have to wait around on no st.
corner to catch somebody's eye but they would follow her around and
nag at her till she married them and I would feel like he--ll over it
because Florrie is the kind of a girl that has got to be handled right and
not only that but what would become of little Al with some horse Dr.
for a father in law and probably this bird would treat him like a dog and
beat him up either that or make a sissy out of him.
Well Al old pal I know you will do like I ask and go and see her and
maybe you better go alone but if you do take Bertha along I guess it
would be better and not let Bertha say nothing to her because Florrie is
the kind that flare up easy and specially when they think they are a little
better then somebody. But if you could just drop her a hint and say that
she should ought to be proud to be a widow to a husband that died for
Uncle Sam and she ought to live for my memory and for little Al and
try and make him as much like I as possible I believe it would make her
think and any way I want you to do it for me old pal.
Well good by old pal and I wished I could leave some thing to you and
Bertha and believe me I would if I had ever known this was comeing
off this way though of course I figured right along that I wouldn't last
long in France because what chance has a corporal got? But I figured I
would make some arrangements for a little present for you and Bertha
as soon as I got to France but of course it looks now like I wouldn't
never get there and all the money I have got is tied up so its to late to

think of that and all as I can say is good luck to you and Bertha and
everybody in Bedford and I hope they will be proud of me and
remember I done my best and I often say what more can a man do then
that?
Well Al I will say good by again and good luck and now have got to
quit and go to chow.
Your pal to the last, JACK KEEFE.
* * * * *
On the Ship Board, Jan. 24.
FRIEND AL: Well this has been some day and wait till you hear about
it and hear what come off and some of the birds on this ship took me
for a sucker and tried to make a rummy out of me but I was wise to
their game and I guess the shoe is on the other foot this time.
Well it was early this A. M. and I couldn't sleep and I was up on deck
and along come one of them French officers that's been on board all the
way over. Well I thought I would try myself out on him like Lee said
he done so I give him a salute and I said to him "Schones tag nicht
wahr." Like you would say its a beautiful day only I thought I was
saying it in French but wait till you hear about it Al.
Well Al they ain't nobody in the world fast enough to of caught what he
said back to me and I won't never know what he said but I won't never
forget how he looked at me and when I took one look at him I seen we
wasn't going to get along very good so I turned around and started up
the deck. Well he must of flagged the first man he seen and sent him
after me and it was a 2d. lieut. and he come running up to me and
stopped me and asked me what was my name and what Co. and etc.
and at first I was going to stall and then I thought I better not so I told
him who I was and he left me go.
Well I didn't know then what was comeing off so I just layed low and I
didn't have to wait around long and all of a sudden a bird from the

Colonel's staff found me in the