Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-05-01

-FOUR Oh INC 5udilest, most 1l-uaturcu
looking apples in the lot. The gen.
tleman to whom he applied for the
next purchase was fine looking man,
and turned upon Ned pair Of eyes
as bright as his own. Something
about the boy seemed to please him,
for he gave him a very pleasant smile,
but looked doubtfully at the fruit
Ned saw it all, but he saw Jimmy's
white face too, and could not carry
these four apples back to him. "Aint
used to asking odds of folks,' he
thought to himself, "but guess |
must this time" SO with rising color,
but steady eyes, he began: !
"Canf say them's honest, fair apples,
sir, but they'll help little feller to get
some supper what don't get much to
sup on most days."
Indeed r said the gentleman with
an amused air. "You don't look like
such q little fellow"
How Ned's eyes did fash as he re-
torted: sH
"You'll see him under the wood.pile
if You look out o. the winder," and
was about to move off for another Gus
toner, when the gentleman handed
him ten cents, and asked him ct what
place they were stopping. Ned an
swered quite graciously, but added
that they wouldn't stop long and was
therefore much surprised when the
gentleman rose out Of his seat and re-
quested him to show him to . hotel.-
The two left. the car, and Ned said,
ain one minute, sir" and bounded of
to Jimmy, who sat shivering where
his friend had left him, although look
ing q little lost "a
"Here, Bub; did as good as | could
by you. Go down to the creek to-
tomorrow afternoon, and wait for me
nigh the Beech.tree," and Ned dropped
the money into the basket, and the
basket at Jimmy's feet, and hurried
back.
"Oh! how good You be I" cried jim
my. "Do 60 halves!"
But the big straw hat was dodging
over the platform, and little Jimmy
rolled his money up In . piece Of pa
per, and taking his basket, turned his
face homeward.
How the baby crowed that night
over his cup of new milk! How the
older children munched their bread,
and nodded and smiled at Jimmy -
He could not eat much now that ne
got it, but crept to his miserable bed
and laid his white face down ON the
hard pillew, and grew very still. In
the morning he was too weak to get
up, and toward noon, Sis, on hearing
the story of Ned, promised to go out
and find him, and, perhaps, bring him
there. So soon as their scanty meal
was over she started out. After long
and patient search she met tall, hand
some gentleman, who noticed her
troubled face, and askcd what the mat
ter was. When he heard her story, he
told her where she would find Ned, and
when she gave that brown little fellow
Jimmy's message he turned quickly
away from the wreck of q velOcipede
that he was trying to tinker up, and
hastened up the street, and along the
track, and across . dry strip of pasture
land to Jimmy's humble home. He
went into an inner room, where he
found the little white face waiting for
him. With q rough grace he put back
the yellow hair from It's forehead, whis-
pering as he did so, "You amt going,
be YOU?
sGoing where 2"
.sTo lie down ON the hill over there.
Oh /! no, l don't mean that. Only you
look SO white.'
81 guess ] be; I'm so tired, and l
wanted to tell you how glad you made
-o
"Well, can't stop to hear, but you
can't tell what sight O. good you've
done me Already. You jest hauled the
cork right OFF this bottled-up heart OF
mine, and I'll be as good as you want
me to one of these days. I'll come
back, too, and bring you loads ofmon-
ey. Why, you can't guess what's ahead
for mew he continued eagerly; the
''the gentleman that bought the last Of
your apples Jest come from New York
where he'd been to 'dopt . boy, and
didn't after all !; but when he seen me
he made right up to himself that If /
hadn't no special Jections he'd try me
so I'm of tomorrow, all made over,
inside and out. And look here" he
added in a lower tone, "I'm to call him
father. Don't remember as l ever had
one before and when he put his hands
on my shoulders-so-and called me
his boy was afraid I'd cave right in ;
but looked hard at his boots, and said
l guessed I'd try"
The sick child smiled feebly, but
brightly, into Ned's happy face; and
Ned, in all the bright years that fol-
lowed, never forgot the look that fol-
lowed him to the door that day. For
hours Jimmy lay very quiet neither
stirring nor speaking, but soon after
sunset he threw up his hands and cried
out in q joyous tone, "Father, Pm a
coming! It's me it's JIMMY" And
when, at the sound of his voice, his
sister stepped to his side, his poor lit
tie form was beyond the reach Of pain,
for it was ready to be laid to rest on
the hill.