The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-09-14

llSten.
The girls could scarcely believe
what was told them. but Marines
reputation for honesty was such that /
when she insisted she was not exag- |
gerating the least bit. they were sat
isfied that every word of it was true |
In a place where the most that any
girl could boast was one doll and a
very ordinary one at that, it required
a long stretch of the imagination to
realize the joy OF being the mother
of over three score beauties such as
Marine described.
After she had gone over every de-
tail twice. Marine noticed that one
of her mates were missing.
Where is Bertha?" she asked.
Bertha is sick" chorused a num-
Der of voices.
why isn't she in bed them"
queried Marine "Or is she so sick
that she is in the hospital?"
The hospital" was an apartment
somewhat separated from the rest of
the rooms away from the noise and
confusion, where children who were
very i'll were put.
mo, she isn't in the hospital,
answered one of the girls, Mrs.
Weber had her changed over to the
D. because she said there were fewer
beds and 1t was more quiet there
The dormitories were lettered from
A to E, and D was the smallest of
the lot
I'm going In there to see her."
said Marine.
Before she went, however, she
opened her drawer and took thence
paper sack containing the orange
and apple which she had managed to
slip into the drawer for safe keeping
AS the first bell for supper was
sounding the girls all left at once so
none Of them saw Marine take the
parcel out of the drawer. This Mar
ME thought was well, as had they
known what it contained, they could
not have helped coveting some of it;
and there was scarcely enough in one
apple and one orange to be divided
among SO many.
She felt a slight pang at the
thought of giving up the fruit. but
Marine was generous almost to a
fault and remembered how good an
orange had tasted when she had the
fever and one of the teachers brought
one in to her.
, So swallowing her regrets, she
FASTENED into dormitory D and hand
ed the luscious fruit to Bertha with
the remark:
I'm just real sorry you're sick,
Bertha, but see what I've brought
> you"
There was but one gas jet burn
, ing and that was near Bertha's bed.
BY its rays Marine noticed how pale
were Berthas cheeks and lips and
how transparent her long, delicate
, fingers.
r Bertha, as well as being sickly,
was a cripple. She could manage
when we'll to hobble about a little
/. but a year. before, some one who had
D lost a crippled child, presented the
little unfortunate ones wheeled chair
to the asylum. AS Bertha was the
only cripple in the institution, the
chair was given to her. In it, Bertha
f could wheel herself about the halls
and dormitories by working levers
1 with her hands.
Probably a more appreciative child
q never lived than Bertha Baker Hel
q pale face beamed when Marine came
a into the room and her lips parted in
; a smile as the offering of fruit wa:
extended to her.
a "Oh Marnie," she exclaimed, "buf
t don't give me both. You keep either
= the apple or the orange"
e Marine shook her head and raj
g out of the room, for the second sup
: per bell was ringing and she did no
want to be late in the dining-room
AS she left she called to Bertha
that she would come back to tell he
> about the good time she had had anc
, the lovely things she had seen. Or
> her way down she happened to thinl
= of book she wanted and stoppet
:, in her dormitory to get it.
Every child was seated and grac
g was being said when Marine, fushe,
i from her run down three long flight
e of stairs. reached the dining-room.
y Mrs. Weber. who did not as a ruI
II take her meals with the children Blu
happened to be present on this oc
casion. looked a reproof at the tard
= one and after supper she called Mar