Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-26

middle of the big bed. his brick top shin
ing against the pillow and the freckles
on his nose like red paint spots on q
whitewashed wall He knew me, ana
the first thing he said was. Hello. An.
drew Jackson. That was the name u
always called him.
Agnes Page was there. sitting by the
bed, holding the little feller's hand. She
looked mighty hollow-eyed and pale. she
shook Dr. Jordan's hand and thanked
him for coming. She shook mine; too'
and L noticed how her hand trembled.
The Duncan doctor was there. ready to
begin his carving Dried-up young squirt,
with whiskers as scattering as corn
stalks in the Ozone garden.
"Er-Dr. Jordan" says he. "awfuify
sorry you've been put to all this trouble.
Entirely without my sanction. l assure
YOU A most simple case OF appendicitis.
l should have operated Immediately
whether you arrived or not"
Jordan went across to the bed. he
looked the boy over. careful as could be.
humping him. and listening and asking
questions about where he felt the worst.
and all that After a while he looked
at Duncan. and says he:
as yet
tor pompous. But, of course. that's
quite usual-often the regular thing Ell
yes"
Jordan nodded Then he asked few
more questions; when the youngster was
took sick, and how 1t begun. and the like
of that. Finally he says to Redny:
What have you been eating lately?"
Jaw, 1 don't know. sir. Miss Agnes
give me some jelly and some mush and
cream and
yes, / know. But those are what
you've had inside the house. What have
you eaten outside? 1 noticed an orchard
back of the farm here. There were some
very pretty late apples on the trees How
do they taste?"
He fidgeted with the edge of the bed
spread.
Il amt ct only a few of EN-" he says.
1.-The ones on the ground was wormy,
So"
Miss Agnes broke in here. HE couldn't
have eaten those apples. DOCTOR" she
says. I've expressly forbidden the chill
dren to touch Them
Eyes. of course" says Jordan. But
I've had the advantage of being boy
once myself. The apples on the ground
were wormy. you say. How were those
on the trees?. And how many did you
eat-well, say night before last?'
''Only Six" says Redny, beginning to
snuffie. Il knocked 'em down with a
rock They was"
II see," Jordan smiled. quiet. and stood
up. Doctor" he says to Duncan, II
wouldn't operate yet awhile. He seems
to be much easier now. 1 think it will be
safe to watt
Duncan bristles up and waved his hand
pompous. He was going to speak. guess
but all at once the sense of what Jordan
meant seemed to work down through his
skull. He looked at me. 1 was beginning
to grin. Then he looked at Agnes and
Margaret; they looked queer, and Miss
Talford's mouth was twitching at the
corners: He turned as red as smallpox
flag.
"I-I-why, didn't you tell me about
| those apples. boy?' he asks, sharp.
You never asked me-" snuff1es Redny
"All you asked me was what I had fol
supper. and l told you
Green apples. hey?' says I. more to
myself than anybody else. "Humph
Well. they never operated for them wher
was a boy"
went down to the kitchen pretty soon
after that. Eureka was there, and she
stomping down a little later and went out
and slammed the door.
"Humph"' snaps Eureka. bobbing her
head the way she always done; "he ain't
going to get the chance to try his tricks
on that boy. Pesky thing! Why don't
cut up and saw and be happy, and no.
body'd be killed except them that was
dead already
BY and by Agnes came to the door and
called to me.
Mr.. Pratt" she says, when her and
me was in the hall together, "how can ]
thank you for what you've done for me
and for that poor little child?"
You can't" I says, short. Because
amt done nothing. It's Mr.. Hartley
that"
Il know DR.. Jordan has told me some
Please tell me the rest. How is he? 1:
his arm badly hurt? Is he suffering
Do you think there's any danger?"
Here was my chance. And just spread
myself, too. now / tell you. I spun the
whole yarn. from the time the Dora
Bassett pulled out of Horsefoot Bar cove
to when Hartley was loaded into the
Old Home depot wagon.
Hes brick. that's what he is" say!
/. finally. and he always was one. AND
there's one thing more I'm going to tell
now that I've got my hand in. Miss Page
That's about that business with Wash,
Sparrow. Mr.. Hartley want no more t.
be blamed for that than "a"
She stopped me. please don't" sht
says. II know; Eureka told me- And
Mr.. Pratt" she adds. and her face lit III
like there was glory inside it; I'm MOI
me. But will you tell him that, - soof
as 1 can leave Dennis. I'm coming K
Wellmouth to ask his pardon myself, ant
to thank him? Tell him that, please
Eureka and me drove back to Well
mouth together. If that old buggy hat
been trimmed up to match the feelings OF
the two inside it 'twould have been the
gayest turnout that ever come down the
pike road. No circus cart would have
been in it.
But poor Van!