Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-16

ing. But IT is very KIND OF you 10 De
so solicitous about me. Thank you so
much. know we shall be good neigh.
bors, shant we?' AS she spoke, the
little girl came across her own back
yard, and stood smiling at Johnson.
Have you any children?" she added.
al? Oh, I'm. only the man servant
here" explained Johnson. you see,
Mr. Ferguson lives here, and l am in
his employ. I've been his only serv-
ant for years-more thln l can re-
member
ooh. that's it," and the little girl
spoke in such friendly way. Then
has Mr. Ferguson any children?'
Johnson looked surprised. "What?"
he asked, you living in this town and
don't know all about Mr.. Ferguson?
Why, he's never been married. He's
quite an old man and set in his ways.
He wouldn't care for children"
."Oh, so you and Mr.. Ferguson live
alone?" And sympa ny came into
the little girls face Isn't that too
bad? But we'll be good neighbors,
mamma, brother Jimmy and I. and, OF
course, the baby. You see we have
baby three years DID, Some folks say
he's too old to be baby, but mamma
Jimmy and I don't think SO. We
love to think of him as baby still. He
Is very cunning l shall bring him
settled. Just now he's with Aunt
Helen on the other side of town"
Before Johnson could speak he was
so shocked at the thought of children
daring to invade his masters house,
4 voice from the house next door call
ng out: Edith, where are you,
honey? Come, help mother to place
The furniture in Jimmy's ROOM"
cts mamma" explained the golden
haired girl. Then she waited a last
friendly smile to the old serving man
across the fence and ran into the
house.
Several days passed by and each
Johnson bowed to Edith
lcross the fence One morning Edith's
mother came out on the back porch
md Johnson bowed to her. She re.
urned the friendly salutation and ask.
ID about the hotbeds in the garden
which Johnson was preparing. Then
friendly, almost neighborly inter-
curse sprang up between Johnson
nd the folks next door. He made |
immy's acquaintance and had chat
18th him across the back fence. And !
lmmy told him that he-Jimmy was
ow the man Of the family" his
lther having died the year before. 1T
eeps ME hustling," laughed Jimmy,
% help mother with the livelihood.
GU see, we have only small income
ON piece of property father left US,
4 income only half-sufficient to meet
lr expenses. So had to quit school
year before finishing to go to work
Mr.. Browns newspaper office. But
don't mind that, for I am studying
home of nights, and mother-who
'ed to be school teacher-is help
6 me. And mother, you know, has
,veral private classes in history. Is
hich helps to keep the pot boiling" !
Johnson liked the man of the fam ]
Y" fully as much as he liked the {
,olden-haired princess" as he called
dith. He had only chatted across the {
nee with Mrs. Lincoln, Edith and
mother, but thought her the S
vliest woman he had ever met. And {
le baby" he had yet to meet, for the !
tile chap had not been very we'll, so {
icy udU 1clL u1ul Will LIS Auul Cllcu !
II he should be entirely recovered, '
airing to move him into strange '
)use lest he become more i'll. {
One day--just week after the Lin
,lns had moved into their new home s
johnson was securing the kitchen
are when a tap came on the outside {
oor. At the same moment the door I
aiding into the kitchen from the hall
oened and in came Mr.. Ferguson,
s face sour. Johnson had opened the
Inside door and there stood Edith, a
lp In her hand. And just as Mr.. Fer
lson entered the kitchen from one !
oor, she entered from another. Be-
re seeing the master of the place s
dith had smiled gayly and said to 1
,hnson: please, Mr.. Johnson, moth
: wants to know if you will be so
BOD as to lend her cup Of sugar. We s
ave been so busy getting fixed up {
lat we neglected to notice that We I
ere almost out till mother began
FIRING up a cake. And so"-Then it {
as that Edith beheld the stern, sour {
an staring at her questioningly.
Concluded Next Week.)