year-old boy had spent the summer on the Island, and his parents were now anxious to have him back in Boston. Mary and Gertie were asked to take him with them on their return trip, and they agreed to take the boy. On the morning of their departure, they met the youth for the first time at the Bear River Station. Before they had time to find out anything about the child, other than his name, and where the parents would pick him up, the train left the station leaving them as guardians of a cute little boy, dressed in a dark suit and wearing a small top hat. They had to spend the night in Charlottetown, and that’s where the fun began. The child didn’t want to stay with strangers and cried all night long. The next morning, they boarded the train and were on their way. When the reached St. John, they had to pass through customs. They had no identification papers for the child, so the officers refused to give them permission to escort him over the border. There was some suspicion that they might be kidnapping him. While trying to convince the officers of their dilemma, the child wandered off, and that added to the confusion. Luckily, they spotted the little top hat some distance away and were able to grab him. Finally, after some persuasion, the men consented and gave them permission to continue their journey. When they arrived in Boston, the child’s mother showed up, hugged the child, and left with him in her arms, without taking time to express her

i ‘ gratitude for his safe return. It was one time that Mary and Gertie were

happy to say good—bye to a little boy.

One day, their son, Joe, was on his way to school when Lawrence Sweeney stopped to offer him a ride. As they arrived at the school, Joe thought that he wasn’t going to stop and he jumped off, landing on the hard ground. He remained unconscious until late that night, but later recovered from the ordeal.

On June 1, 1943, a beautiful warm day, Joseph was in the back field harrowing the land. He was working with horses, one of which

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