The National tribune., 1883-01-04
OUR YOUNG FOLKS.
Two Dollars a Visit, or How the
Doctor Was Paid.
by katherine Il. HcDotoell.I

! ior spool OF No 40 III Mammals drawer, and
! opening her brown eyes wider and wider as
she read the heading Of an old bill of Dr. Cogs-
wells.
1.-TWO dollars a visit" she repeated. "Oh,
! why doesn't Donnie get well? And where is
| ali the money to come froIn?" she asked her
! self, sadly. We will get very poor" cOntin-
ued Dot shaking her little brown head slowly
! over the bill. After thinking awhile, she
! slipped the paper in her pocket and went
! downstairs.
Mamma and sister Margie were sewing.
| Dot went quietly to Mrs. Ledyard and wbis-
! pered;
Wen feel very poor afterward, wont wo,
/ Mammal"
Mamma smiled A sad smile. Dot thought,
as she replied: You're better at guessing than
we supposed Now, why don't you take your
| trimming, little daughter and 20 into the
| library? There's "a nice fire on the hearth,
and you can work away like d bee. Weli
need 1t soon, you know" added Mamma, for
Dot was rather inclined to dream when She
was alone.
"We,l need it soon," repeated Dot, as she
climbed up in the big library chair "We'u
need it soon. Oh, Thy didn't they tell me?
Why did they leave me 70 find ii out for my
self? | might have worked yards and yards
by this time, and sold them for ever so much,
but l supposed it was just to give me some
thing to do, and I've sometimes not done more
than one sCallop in a whole afternoon" CON
fessed Dot, as she made her little ivory needle
Fly in and cut Of her work, as if anyone could
ever make up for the time wasted.
"And to think l never one thought that
Mamma and Sister Naygie were making those
things to sell, nor how much twas costing to
have the doctor coming every day, and some
times twice a day. Poor Donnie! Perhaps hos
worse than they tell me- Perhaps" and there
was a great lump in her throat hes going To
die, and they are leaving NE to find that out"
| Two great tears rolled slowly down the pretty,
| round checks. But why, then, do they keep
a-teIlin' me he's better?o The tears had
dropped on the crochet trimming, and two
more were following in their train.
Tom went into the barn to clean his gun.
Dot saw him.
"TH ask him." she decided, as she put her
work hurriedly in a little silk handkerchief
and started with it for the barn. "He wont
tease me when he knows how badly feel.
1t was very sad little face that peered In at
the barn-door
"Haloo!" was Toms greeting. "Been
crying?'",
"Yes" admitted Dot, in voice that could
leave no doubt of it in any ones mind.
Whats up?" continued Tom, as he rubbed
away at his gun. Want any heip?"
Oh, yes, Tom; that's just what Ive como
for. Wont you talk real sobW with me?"
Mary smile from me, said Tom. Then,
glancing sidelong at the little face in the door
way, he added, Come in and state your case.
Here's scat on the hay" as he lifted her
gently upon pile he had just brought down
for the horses. "There are you coId?"
"Not bit" said Dot, smiling thankfully.
"I have brought my cloak"
''All right, then; so ahead" said Tom, cheer
fully
"Well, you know, Tom," began Dot, in her
sweet, timid voice; there's a secret in there"
pointing toward the house, and l never found
it out till this morning"
$50 you found it out, did you2 Well, told
'em you would"
81 wouldn't, but for the bill"
"You wouldn't what?" asked Tom, who
was rubbing away again.
I'll tell you about that afterwsrd. When I
went into the sitting-room, Mamma and Margie
were sewing"
THAT certainly didn't surprise you" laughed
! Tom
90 Tom how can you make fun of it allp
Mamma looked Just ready to cry, and-oh, oh,
oh, what can we ever do about i'll" as she
threw herself face downward on the hay, and
sobbed as though her little heart would break,
while Tom stood by in speechless astonish-
ment wondering why the words Two dollars
a visit seemed mingled with her sObs.
" Does she know, after all?" he asked him
self g mustn't forget my promise to Mother,
but | must give the child some comfort" he
thought, as he went over toward the little blue
cloak on the hay.
Come, Dot said he, tenderly. "Don't cry.
You haven't told me yet what the matter is.
Now We'll sit right up here, while you tell
Tom all about it,"
After while, Dot managed TO say:
" Doesn't Dr. Cogswell charge people who are
i'll two dollars every time he goes to see them?"
Something like that believe" answered
Tom, wOndcringly.
"Its exactly that" said Dot, feeling for the
bill 80 Iom we must owe him hundreds Of
dollars!"
There was queer look in TOMS eyes.
" l suppose we do" he said.
"But have we got tho money TO pay him2"
questioned Dot the brown eyes swimming
again.
NO don't believe we have"
"Then what are we going to dor" saiI Dot
with another sob.
"There, Dot" said Tom, soothingly Don't
be SO foolish as to cry. It's all coming out
right. l can't tell you now just how, but take
my word for IL.
tom" called Mrs. Ledyard, they're all
waiting for you"
"The boys have come, Dot" said Tom, Civ
ing her a hasty kiss. Now, remember not to
worry, It's coming out all right"
Dot sat long time on the hay.
"Tom always thinks every things going to
come out all right" she said, determined to be
miserable. He does not know anything
about money. Margie says so, and | know my
self he doesn't, cause | once owed him five
cents for weeks and, when | went TO pay him,
he'd forgotten all about it, and said must have
dreamed it. He's gone. OFF now to sleiGh-ridc
and doesn't care how Yard we're all workin',"
and the little needle few faster than ever. Il
just know he thinks DR.. COgsWell isn't going
to charge; but ne is, for here's one bill, and
he's probably got another all ready.
" He could Just rs well not charge" she went
on, for Edith Olcott told me he was ever'n'
ever$o ricb and that he's got house in the
city even pTettier than this. But how could
one be?" she wondered. " How could any
room be loveier than the one Mrs. Crane took
Edith and me- into the other day the little
ono with the window looking on the lake,
and the little bed with curtains and every
thing blue carpet and all DR.. C0gswell calls
it his little sisters room and she's coming in
the spring"
The little fingers never did better work than
that day, for Mamma wouldn't have told mo
they needed it if they didn't" Dot kept assur-
ing herself. "Tom Just wanted to comfort me.
He doesn't know how hard they're workin'
and cryin.'"
That night Dot added to her prayer the
words, o God, please don't let it be more than
we can pay"
"Let what?" asked Mamma, as she tucked
her in bed.
1.-The doctors bill" whispered Dot her arms
very tight about Mrs. Ledyard's neck
Mrs. Ledyard smiled She thought Dot was
half asleep, SO she tiptoed quietly downstairs
TO the library, and there found Tom telling
Margie about Dots trouble.