Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-23

in payment for the cup she had bor-
rowed that morning. She stood tap
ping at the kitchen door. Then she
heard the quick, strong peals of the
electric bell in Mr.. Ferguson's room.
She wondered if poor Johnson had
been taken suddenly 1.-The had COM
planned of headache that morning
and that he was now in bed and ring
ing for her to come to him. She opened
the door and hurriedly placed the
sugar and cake on the table. Then she
ran upstairs to the sound of the wild
Infringing bell. She entered Mr.. Fergu'
sons room, for she was led there by
sounds of the bell. There, rolling about
all doubled up with pain, on his luxdrl-
Gus bed lay "Old Ferguson He did
not see Edith. He heard some one
enter and supposed it to be Johnson.
"Phone at once for DR.. Smith. And
tell him I'm in bad way. Quick-and
ask no questions"
Edith understood, but said not
word. She ran down stairs to the hall,
where she had seen the telephone. She
quickly found DR.. Smith was out on
an urgent call and would not be back
for an hour or so, but would be sent
to Mr.. Ferguson as soon as he did
return to his office.
Edith did not know that Johnson
was down in the kitchen garden be-
hind the stables and hedge. She sup
posed he had gone out on some house
hold errand and would soon be back.
But in the meantime she could not let
the sick man remain alone. She hur-
{ol nj %o1 har.
Mrs. Lincoln, laden with medicines
and hot water bag, ran to Mr.. Fergu'
sons side. Edith. carrying the baby,
whom they could not leave alone, went
along. She remained in the kitchen
within call Of her mother to follow in
which she might give. Baby
was kept in the coy kitchen where
he played to his hearts content. He
was quite well again and was happy
lovely little fellow.
Mrs. Lincoln had difficulty in get
ting her patient to swallow the medi-
cine she had prepared and to use the
hot-water bag over his paining stom-
ach. He showed anger on seeing
woman intruder, but was too Ill to
very long, and at last
took the medicine-a simple remedy
for stomach cramps and indigestion
and placed the hot-water bag over the
seat Of pain. Within a few minutes
Mrs. Lincoln had the satisfaction OF
seeing the sick man easier, so went to
her own home for another remedy
which she knew would be beneficial to
him. ...e..E.....
The result was that Edith was play
ing about in the kitchen with baby"
when down came the master of the
house, having been relieved Of his
sufferings and having started out to
find that good-for-nothing Johnson
He showed sour face at first, but
baby" ran to him and grasped hold
If his dressing gown. saying In his
lisping way: Hello, big man, Baby
Tub co."
And that was the beginning of the
end, the making over Of Old Fergu-
son." and Johnson, coming in half an
hour later, found his master sitting
beside the kitchen window smilingly
the little chap playing on
the floor, Edith was preparing some
hot tea, and her mother had gone
home to tell Jimmy-who had run
home on some errand-all about poor
sick Mr.. Ferguson, who isn't really so
bad since he met Baby"
And from that day there was no
more "Old Ferguson but Uncle
john" as he insisted on the Lincoln
children calling him. And Jimmy was
taken into his office at a good salary,
and the baby" was taken into his
heart, for Baby's name was John, too.
And he was called Little John" to
between him and "Uncle
John" And Johnson was as happy as
he could be, for he had always longed
to see his masters kind, good quail
ties developed, for he knew there was
much good beneath that hard, cold
1t had taken golden-haired
Edith and Uncle John" to find the
tender place in the old mans heart.
THE END.