The Western news., 1903-04-22
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In the Other Window.
Ten days is long time to be sick.
You can keep pretty patient the first
six Of 'em, but the last six''-Roberta
stopped and reckoned. Were there
two skies in ten? She shook her head.
It Is not always easy to reckon when
you are sick.
"The last f1-er-four of 'em you have
perfect right to be cross" she went
on. So she was cross.
I'm just the mis'ablest little girl
there is" she scolded, aloud. There
can't be anybody in the world as sick
an'-an' unfortunit as l am, SO therel
Did l want to be sick at this house7
Didn't want to be sick at home,
where there's room enough-mercyl
did l want to be sick anywhere? Did
l do anything to be sick? No, didn't"
She almost laughed at herself then
not quite. But perhaps it was that
which made her look up just that min.
ute and see the Strange Little Girl az
the other window. They had put up
the curtain at last. For days Roberta
had been wondering what was behind
that curtain, but she had not onca
thought 1t might be little girl-and a
sick one, too!''
The two windows were quite near to-
gether, just across a tiny. narrow back
yard. She could see the Strange Little
Girl very plainly. indeed.
She's thinner an whittier than am
an she's got more pillows behind her."
thought Roberta. II wonder If that's
as straight as she can sit up?"
Suddenly the Strange Little Girl
nodded shy little nod. OF course
Roberta nodded back. If they could
only have opened the windows, they
would have been acquainted In few
minutes. But of course sick folks
II know what!' Roberta exclaimed,
interrupting her own thoughts. IT
that little girl knows how, we can talk
deaf-an'-dumb. I'm going to try and
seey'
She hitched up little nearer the
window and held up her fingers in
plain view. Then she made them spell
out words slowly.
How do you do?' they spelled.
The Strange Little Girl knew how.
Her fingers began to spell:
How do you do?"
After that, as Roberta said, they regi
ularly talked.
i've got the measles. What have
you got?' Roberta said.
Hip disease"
The Strange Little Girl said very
short things, as if her weak little fin.
gers got tired very soon.
II don't know what that is, but the
measles are awful" am afraid Ro-
berta's fingers said "orful." Ever had
them?"
mo, never"
Then you ought to be thankful.
don't have my curtain up for days.
sometimes"
Weeks l don't
Roberta gasped little.
lone day ached"
II always do
Mercy! Roberta thought hard.
1--WE had the mis'ablest time
why. l haven't"
II didn't have thing to do
"Why didn't you sing? do
1t was long sentence for the weak
little fingers, and they sank wearily
into the Strange Little Girls lap But
the Strange Little Girl WAS smiling.
Roberta tried again. This would
surprise her.
I've been sick ten days"
'Ten years. spelled the tired little
thin. white fingers. And then some
one came and drew down the curtain
at the other window. There was Just
time to nod and spell "GoOd-by"
Ten years. Ten years! Roberta sank
back on her pillows and shut her eyes.
She was trying to think how it would
feel to be sick ten years-to ache al
ways-and sing.
"Oh, | can't. | can't make b'lieye
it!' she cried, softly. An thought
was the unfOrtunitest one in the
world. Oh. that poor, that brave little
girl in the other Window
Then there were new, soft, sweet
sounds In Roberta's window. Roberta
was singing.-Youth's Companion.
A Good Puzzle.
Draw three straight lines across this