Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-04-27

SAS
was very dull indeed, was Mr.. Jeremy
Fisher
Then there was the Stay-at-Home
Lady who lived in the middle of the
street, and had to have the doctor
come and see her once every week.
Nobody knew what was the matter
with the Stay-at-Home Lady. She
didn't seem to have a fever, or the
rheumatism, or the ague, or any spe-
cial sort of disease, and sometimes
you would see her sitting at her win
dow all wrapped up in white shawl
and looking, oh, so sad and cold.
|. Last, there was the little boy who
lived on the Street and didn't seem
to know how to play. You would often
see him in front of his gray front
gate, but never swinging on it. lie
wore gray cap with earlaps, and gray
mittens and gray muffler wound
three times about his neck, and gray
mittens and gray leggings. Perhaps
it was because he was so bundled up
that he never ran and played like
other boys, but it did seem a pity.
One day something happened on the
Street. Away down at one end of It.,
there was little tumble-down house
where no one had lived for ever and
ever SO long. But this day, van STOP
ped in front Of it, and a great many
things were unloaded from it-beds
and red and white patchwork quilts,
rocking chairs that sagged in the
seats and looked as if great many
babies had been rocked to sleep in
them, a shiny tea kettle, little black
cook stove and some tables and dishes
and worn green carpets.
Some folks must have taken the
Palmer house," Mr.. , .emy Fisher
said as he looked or OF his doorway.
II wonder who wants to come to
this street to live" said the Stay at.
Home Lady when she heard the news.
As for the little boy who didn't
know how to play, why he really step
ped away outside of his gray front
gate TO watch the new furniture NOV
ing into the tumble-down brown house
at the end Of the Street.
II wonder who the folks are" Mr..
Jeremy Fisher said wonderingly.
"I'm sure no one very inter 5sting
would ever come to this street to
live" said the Stay-at-Home Lady to
her doctor in very tired-Out sort OF
voice. ,t.
AS for the little boy-he was Just
trying to think of something to say
when the door of the house at the end
of the street burst open and u little
girl darted out: 'sT:s.'5aS =.
She wore little patched frock but
her hair was SO nice and blowy and
curly that she just couldn't seem to
keep on the hood of her red cloak.
She raised her smiling, freckled little
face high and looked with her shining
twinkling eyes down the street.
There was magic in those eyes.
They danced and laughed and beam.
ed, and were mischievous and merry
and funny all at the same time. As
she looked the length of the street
with her laughing eyes, the sun came
out, making the old houses look sud
denly quite pretty. the few yellow
leaves shone and a cheerful sparrow
began, to sing.
The little Notwithstanding
ing up the street, never stopping until
she came to the boy. She unwound his
gray muffler and slipped it over his
shoulders like a pair of horse reins.
You see he was too much surprised
to stop her.
"Get-up, boy!" cried the little Girl.
Observation-Disclosures. Ars
run, boy, run just as fast as you
can. You're the prancing stallion and
I'm the stage coach. Don't you know
how to run, boy?"
The boy looked at her and he saw
her twinkling eyes.
"All right, girl he said. Lets
play" and down the street they dash
ed, never stopping until they came to
Jeremy Fishers shoe store with Mr..
Jeremy himself standing in the door.
way and looking very glum.
What nice shoes. Oh, how mucn
do they COST" asked the little Girl
With The-Laughing-Eyes.
Jeremy Fisher looked at the little
Gle With-The- Laughing-E Eyes, and
then something strange happened. His
dull. cross old face began to squeeze
itself into funny, laughing wrinkles.
A chuckle began forming in Mr.. Jer.
emy's throat which nearly choked
him because it had been 50 long since
it had felt a cbuckle-but it didn't
quite Then the chuckle burst out
and Mr.. Jeremy gurgled and laughed
and doubled himself up until it SEEM
ed as If he would never be able to
stop laughing. ~
Are you sick. sir?' asked the
little Girl-With- The-Laughing-Ey Eyes,
peering up with her laughing eyes in
to Mr. Jeremys.
"N-no-o."
Mr.. Jeremy could hardly stop his
chuckle long enough to answer.
You're such funny little girl that
1t makes me want to laugh just to
look at you.''
/ Then he glanced at her poor little
WORKOUT shoes.
Come in, little girl he said, land
I'll give you pair of play shoes"
When the little Girl-With-The-Laugh
ing-Eyes had been fitted to a pair Of
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