Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-07-17
flesh, neatly covered over with a soft,
fair skin, just like Laura AIMS.

AAIO tlSl lllIle IUOul SIG Calls, OpSueu
the closet door, and lifted Miss May
carefully down from the shelf. Dear
Miss May" said Laura Ann in
hoarse, unnatural voice, I'm that
sick! Really, dear daughter, think if
mamma were here she would put me
to bed and send for the doctor Ugh!
Then I'd have to take nasty old medi
cine and keep very quiet. Oh, how my
head aches and how tired l am! But
your new blue frocl isn't done yet, so
guess I'll finish that. Then I shall lie
down"
So, placing Miss May beside her on
the couch, Laura Ann got her work
basket and took up needle to thread.
But either through carelessness or the
nervousness resulting from her indis-
position the little maid pricked her fin
ger with the needle. ooh, just see the
blood" cried Laura Ann, holding out
her hurt finger and making wry face
from the pain. Then she grabbed bit
of rag and wrapped the wounded mem
Der up, giving EXPLANATIONS of pain
the while.
Miss May had been an interested OBJ
server of the accident, and somehow,
when she saw the blood on her little
mothers" finger, she felt rejoiced
that she had none of the crimson fluid
inside herself, since the letting of it
out could be done by the prick of
needle and was so painful.
Just then Laura AIMS mamma came
into the room, and after kissing her
little daughter she exclaimed: "Why,
dearest, you are burning with fever!
Your face is flushed and your breath
feverish! Do you feel ILL.,"
Then Laura Ann explained that she
felt badly, 'sort Of burned like fire and
her bones ached terribly-ached as
they often did after she had ridden
horseback"
well" said her mamma, very I'M
easy over her little daughters alarm
ing condition, 81 shall put you right to
bed and phone at once for the doctor"
Then Miss May, forgotten by Laura
Ann, lay on the couch and saw Laura
AIMS mamma undress her and put her
to bed, after which the anxious woman
ran down stairs and 'phoned for the
doctor, who came very shortly and sat
down on a chair beside Laura AIMS
bed, held her pulse and looked at his
watch in a wise way. Then he shook
his head gravely and spoke:
Measles, my dear ma'am. Measles!"
Then he raised his eyebrows and
looked at poor little Laura Ann as if to
say: what did you catch these hor-
rid things for?" and Laura Ann began
to cry very loudly.
BE quiet, be quiet" said the doctor
very solemnly, wagging his bald head
a: the little patient in the bed. Then
he took some pills from his hand medi-
cine case and told Laura AIMS nam.
ma to give her one every hour, and.
not satisfied with this punishment, he
flyed up bottle of horrid smelling
stuff which he shook right before
Laura AIMS eyes as he said to her
mother: "And dose of this every
half hour till she breaks out all over"
Then, after telling Laura AIMS
mamma to keep Laura Ann closely
wrapped up and to give her very
light diet, the busting, bald-headed lit
tie doctor took his leave.
All that day Laura Ann cried at
spells, complained of her aching
bones, and burning flesh at spells, and
vainly begged to have some more light
! in the room, for her mamma had
drawn down the window shades, which
excluded the light and made the room
gloomy enough, as Miss May thought.
And thus passed the time for two
weary weeks, in which Miss May lay
unmolested on the couch in dark cor
ner watching everything that trans
pired in the room of her little moth.
err" for although Laura Ann was I'm.
able to sit up after the tenth day, this
fat doctor twas it for meanness } in.
structed Laura AIMS mamma to keep
her in dark room for a little longer
He insisted that this was for the sake
of Laura AIMS eyes, but Miss May
didn't believe him. She thought he
was just wanting to prolong Laura
AIMS imprisonment.
Then came a day when Laura Ann
was pronounced entirely WE'LL and was
allowed to go out. She at once took
Miss May from her long resting spell
on the couch, dressed her in her gay
est silk frock and sailed forth into the
yard, where several of her little play
mates were assembled to greet her.
ooh, had EN- terrible-t-e-r-r-i
b-l-e!" declared Laura Ann in what
Miss May thought to be very boastfu
voice, as she went over the recent at
tack of measles for the entertainment
of her friends.
"And SO did have 'em TERRIBLE!
cried little boy of the company. q
most aided, did. l had 'em on my
insides, did. for they jest WOULDN'T
come out
All the company said ooh, good
ness!" and another little boy, to Miss
Mays disgust, began to tell Of how hi
had had measles and chickenpox ant
stomach ache all inside of week
which brought about other emphati;
EXPLANATIONS of surprise and looks O.
admiration.
And Miss May, sitting there dressed
in silk, with never pain nor an ache
with never tale of woe with which t.
astonish and shock her companions
felt joyously glad that after all she wa:
made of rage, sawdust, kid and bisqut
and topped off with hemp for hair, in
stead Of being composed Of stuff like
Laura Ann was built Of; stuff which
seemed heir to ailments that woult
make even Miss Mays sawdust ruI