When Mrs. Forester saw the car lights in the driveway, she opened the door. Trevor explained the whole evening to Mrs. Forester.
“Phoebe really made the day for my grandparents.”
“Mrs. Campbell called me about a meeting we are having about church affairs. She said that you should be home before too long. As the club was about to close, when she and her son-in-law were leaving, according others, you all had a jolly old time. She told me, ‘Helen, do not be surprised if they do not show up for a while. There were three families there besides Trevor, Joanne and Phoebe. They may take off to a restaurant for a midnight lunch’. “
Trevor said to Mrs. Forrester, “I do hope that you do not think that we were taking advantage of Phoebe’s company.”
“Trevor, I doubt that very much. She has that Irish streak in her with a lilt.”
Phoebe horned in to put everyone at ease. “Anything I did, I do with love and appreciation and voluntarily. These people took me all over and it didn’t cost me a cent. I think that we all enjoyed ourselves. Joanne, am I right?”
“You certainly are, Phoebe. We are sorry that you couldn’t stay a little longer.”
Mrs. Forster then told Phoebe that she phoned all over the city and nobody had that muslin and cotton combination that she wanted for the Christmas pageant. The only place that had it was Isaac’s Emporium on West Dundas. “They told me that they were having problems with pickets. I didn’t ask why.”
Phoebe said that she hated to go home without it.
Trevor and Joanne were about to leave when Trevor said, “Mr. Pelky told me that he was going to send in a sealed pouch that collection that they took up for your church by courier to Mrs. Forester’s address here. Is that alright with you, Mrs. Forester?”
“I suppose it is. I do not know where else you could send it. Phoebe, you and I will see that it gets to the church renovation committee.”
Trevor said, “By the way, Phoebe, when are you going home?”
Phoebe looked at Mrs. Forester. “Didn’t we plan on doing a little shopping tomorrow?”
“I thought so, Phoebe.”
“Well Trevor, it will be my last day in Toronto. The following day I will be heading home.”
“Well Mrs. Forester and Phoebe, we were going to suggest that Joanne and I drive you down home.”
Mrs. Forester said, “Trevor, that is a very generous suggestion. It is not really my place to say yes or no but I can tell you that I will see her safely on the train and Dell and Nancy will be there to meet her.”
Trevor said, “I understand that there is a nice lot of money in that pouch. That’s not the real reason that we would like to take you home. Of course there is the security of the pouch. Joanne and I would be delighted to see you home but we do not want to force our company on you.”
Phoebe felt sad at hearing that statement from them.
Mrs. Forrester said, “Trevor, you might have something there. Phoebe, what have you to say?”
“Is there anyway that I could contribute?”
Joanne I said, “Yes, Phoebe, there is something that you can contribute; your assuring smile and your daunting personality. Like Mr. Pelkey said, unplanned, unrehearsed, impromptu.”
“Okay, Trevor and Joanne, I will be delighted to accept your courteous offer. Say ten o’clock Friday morning.”
Then Trevor said, “Joanne has an envelope for you in her purse. It is from Mr. Pelkey personally to you.”
Phoebe was dumbstruck as she accepted the envelope.
Trevor said, “Joanne, we better be on her way and let Mrs. Forster and Phoebe get to bed.”
After the goodnights, Phoebe said, “I wonder what this envelope is all about.”
Mrs. Forrester said, “Phoebe, it’s after one o’clock. Don’t you think that we should be heading for bed?”
Helen could see that Phoebe was full of anticipation. Helen said, “Let curiosity get the best of us. Open it up. And I have another one for you. Mr. Gilson left this one and said it was from the churchwardens.”
Phoebe said, “You open it up, Aunt Helen.”
Helen was as curious as Phoebe. The Inside was a check for fifty dollars and a note of appreciation for the added eloquence that she contributed to their memorial service with her professional singing. ‘We feel that your voice in our service recording will have a tremendous incentive on their sales. May God bless you. Ashcroft United Church.’
“Aunt Helen, I’m flabbergasted. All that money for four familiar hymns!”
“That’s the way the cookie crumbles up here in the bright lights, Phoebe. Now let’s open the one from Mr. Pelkey.”
Phoebe handed the letter to aunt Helen and said. “You have the honours.”
Helen cautiously opened the letter and inside it was a fairly long letter besides a check for one hundred dollars.
Phoebe said,. “Aunt Helen, what’s will I do with all this money? I never handled so much money in my life.”
“Never mind that for now, Phoebe. Let’s read the letter and be off to bed.”
‘Dear Miss Croiner, this is the best that I could do for you. Not being a member of any entertainers or associations or union, you entertained voluntarily, sponsored by a club member, a Mrs. Isobel Campbell. Therefore there was in no contract or obligation on the part of the club. I thank you with all my heart. The whole club was certainly enjoyed your talent. If you should go professionally, we would be pleased to talk contract with you.’ Signed Edward Pelky, club entertainment manager.
Helen said. “Phoebe, you could make a name for yourself up here if you had a mind to follow it up. Let’s go to sleep on it for now.”
Helen was feeling inwardly very proud of herself that she was so intimately close and involved with such a talented and wonderful girl as Phoebe. Phoebe did a toss and turn during the night.
At breakfast Helen said. “This is the only day that we can go shopping. Now Phoebe, what had you in mind?”
“Well, I would like to bring Earl and Esther a real good set of skates. I can’t shop for mamma and dad but I will try and convince them to accept some cash. I know that will be a task. Dad will put me through the mill to convince him how all of a sudden I have cash to give away. Well, Aunt Helen, will we give up on the material for the pageant?”
“I would like to see you get it but I do not feel like getting mixed up with pickets.”
“Well, what do you think if we go down and have a peek? We don’t have to get involved.”
“Well, okay. We will not take any chances.”
Phoebe was very interested in the streetcar ride going to Bloor West, transferring to the big double hitch to go south on Yonge Street. Phoebe and Helen got onto the trailer. The conductor was an elderly man with a big moustache, his eyes all over the tram, keeping an eye on all the passengers, watching out for the younger passengers, making sure they were under the height line plainly marked on the upper right in front of him. Phoebe could see the odd taller kid bend lower to beat the rap. The conductor got out of his seat and put a small shovel of coal into his compact stove close by. Then it was transfer again and onto the west bound Dundas car.
They walked a short distance from the streetcar stop. They could see a police car parked by the curb. A little way further, just by the store door, there were maybe five picketers between a police car and the store door and about six or eight would-be shoppers. Helen and Phoebe hesitated for a few minutes.
Helen said, “I suppose there would be no harm in asking those people what was the fuss all about.
They told Helen and Phoebe that the store was selling dolls made in the far east, manufactured under slave labor and the picketers were some organization committed to fair practices and labor.
Helen said, “Then what is the problem? To protect you from pickets?”
One soft-spoken lady said. “The police don’t get involved until the picketers physically stop you from entering the store.”
Phoebe said, “I would like to hear the picketers’ side of the story.”
As Phoebe left to contact the picketers, Helen said, “Young lady, you be careful.” And to the would-be shoppers, “That girl will stop at nothing.”
When the policeman saw Phoebe contact the picketers, one of them got out of the car on the sidewalk just in case. One of the picketers stepped in front of her.
Phoebe asked, “What’s all this interaction about that people can’t shop?”
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