Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-01-09

respective homes. We'll send out
word to the boys that We'll have the
fight tomorrow tho invading army
will advance upon us" said Bert.
you see, we've got to do our fighting
on Saturday afternoon. It's too late
to have ii in the evening after school,
Eyes, and We'll have to send our
challenge to the Smithfelds tonight"
cried Sandy "I'll go see Hank Smith
after supper. "He's the captain of
the Smithfelds and he'll notify his
regiment to be in readiness by tomor-
row afternoon
So
In a room of poor tenement sat
an old woman, closely wrapped in a
shawl that was almost threadbare.
Her palor and emaciation bespoke
long lines sand sufferings. Her sur
rounding were pitiful to behold. Pow
erty-want-were depicted every
where. AS the old woman sat beside
the little rusty stove. in which glow
ed a few bits Of soft coal, she kept
turning her eyes in the direction of a
nickel clock on the rough wooden
table in the corner.
A tap came at the door and in re-
spouse to the old woman's invitation
to ''come in" the door opened and a
slim, pale girl entered
ooh. it's you. Maria" said the old
woman, smiling kindly. FRANKIE
hasn't got back yet, and Pm very un
easy about him. What if But a
lump in her throat choked her utter
ance.
swell just come in to say that
mas better and we can get on with
out the doctor. I'm sorry-or that IS
pas sorry. now that we sent poor
frankie for him. A doctor can't do
much good-except to take all the
money ones got. If frankie gets here
before the doctor comes will you ask
him to take this and go down to the
drug store and phone to the doctor
not to come. Well be thousand times
obliged to you, Mrs. Adams
well. Maria, you'd better let the
doctor come, since you've sent for
him." said the old lady. Besides.
can't allow Frankie to go out in this
had him telephone at the start for the
doctor. 1t was too bad to send frankie
so far through the cold-and just to
save the cents. frankie is all I've
got in the world-my dear dead
daughters son and I must be con
siderate of him. He's good boy;
earns enough to keep starvation and
freezing from his old granny. But"
All right, Mrs. Adams" said the
girl. hastily. Then she withdrew, clos
ing the door behind her
So the old woman sat alons watch
ing the clock and counting the min
ntes. Halt an hour passed, then she
hear the doctors arrival in the rooms
OF her neighbors down the hall. She
hastily hobbled there to inquire of
him if he had seen her grandson. The
doctor merely shook his head without
so much as looking at the anxious
grandmother who questioned him.
"No, have not seen the bow he
said. Gle left word with my Office al
tendant for me to come here directly.
suppose he departed at once.
"And he left home an hour ago,
said the old grandmother I've
watched the clock. fear this storm
-" She hobbled out again and down
the hall to her own room. Its only a
ten minutes walk to the Doctors
she murnlured. "And I told him 10
stop at the butchers coming back
fast. But he could have gone to the
doctors, stopped at the butchers and
reached home all inside Of forty min
utes. Well, I'll have to wait and
matt"
And out in the night wandered
frankie. He had started from the doc
tors house, turning down side
street where he thought he might find
a better refuge from the storm for q
few blocks. He meant to turn into
another street that would lead him di.
rectly to the butchers shop. but walk
ing so rapidly. head down, against the
flying snow and sleet. he passed the
corner where he had intended to make
the turn. At the next corner he invol-
unfairly turned, going on and on, hard.
ly lifting his face from his coat ex-
cept to glance sideways towards any
lighted window he might chance to
pass, looking for the familiar window
OF the butcher shop.
After going on for some time and
failing to arrive at the place intended,
frankie stopped short and looked
around him. Surely he must have
turned in the wrong direction! The
street he was now In was strange to
him. There was nothing to do but to
retrace his steps. SO he turned quick
ly about and went back over the way
he had just come. But OH and on he
walked and suddenly he found him
self on the outskirts of the town. And
the wind was blowing so fiercely that
it almost lifted him from his feet. And
his coat was SO thin that the cold
pierced to his very marrow. He be.
gan to feel numb, to fear that he could
no longer drag himself further with
out resting.
Just then an object doomed up in
his way. He had lost the pavement in
the heavy snow and was wandering
about aimlessly, in vain trying to get
his bearings The object proved 70
be Fort Burton, and frankie stumbled
against the onter wall Then he came
close to the little door that led Into