Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1913-01-03
THEIR new DAUGHTER
By EDNA G. BACHELOR.

scoloed the peppery little old doctor
as ne stormed up and down the dis
ordered breakfast room.
His white locks grew'more and more
belligerently erect as he excitedly rar
: his fingers through his usually orderly
hair; his cheeks were flushed BY his
wrath and his piercing blue-gray eyes
new storm signals Of anger.
Never heard the beat of 1t in my
life!-never! the young cub!" he
growled. Here I've worked and slav
ed, and shaved and worked to give him
chance and a good time, and this
is my thanks. Not even a by-your
leave! Bless me, it's-it's madden
ing!' and the old doctor blew his nose
with a loud and valiant sound, which
yet somehow or other ended with q
curious pathetic little squeak that
suggested a very great anger merged
into a very decided hurt.
"Of course, Maria, you quite agree
with him, know" he trumpeted
harshly in a vain endeavor to subdue
the tremor in his voice, but must
say | had a better opinion Of your
JUDGMENT than to call that mannish
Elliott creature with her cigarette puff
fings, a sweet little thing and" here
the gruff voice took on an even harsh.
er tone, that Eric should dare to say
he was bringing you a new daughter
to help fill Nelsie's place-our little
white, golden haired Nelsie!"
But, my dear, | am sure you are
mistaken. Indeed, l know you are
judging her wrongly"
Wrong nothing" snapped the doc.
tor testify. Il hope / have enough
solid horse sense to put two and two
together when l see them. I've never
seen the creature myself and hope
to goodness | never do, but Duncan
was telling me only yesterday that she
can bet and tipple and smoke to equal
any of those young fools who hang
around her. Ugly tempered, too, says
she leads her cousin who lives with
them dogs life"
Now, father, just knew you were
jumping at conclusions" spoke up the
gentle little Dresden lady in such a
spirited and reproachful voice that the
doctors mouth opened in sheer amaze.
ment.
"Oh, Of course know nothing. alb
solutely nothing; but this | do know,
even If am in my dotage, that that
mannish creature with her loud voice
and her sports isn't quite the ideal
daughter of my dreams" The old man
turned abruptly and left the room.
Late that afternoon he made his way
slowly and YEARLY towards the sun
baked, tenement-choked district called
In town parlance ''the poor's acre." and
for almost the first time in his sixty
hale years he felt the WEAKNESS of life
and its utter and abject misery as it
is vouchsafed to some. For years this
peppery little doctor, whose bark was
so much worse than his bite, had
worked among these poor of a great
city.
For a time he had sought help in his
self-assume ask from his little Dres-
den lady wife, but she had grieved so
IN her gentle way over their, to her,
sordid and awful sufferings, that he
had comforted her as he might have
done child, and had left, her in peace
at home.
From that day he had never men.
toned his poor in her presence, and as
if to make up for her deficiencies. he
had thrown himself into his work with
redoubled energy. But somehow of
late years he had felt more and more
keenly the need of woman's love and
guidance among them, and many a
time a half unconscious signing wish
had crept through his troubled mind.
IF only Nelsie had lived to be a COM
rade and a help"
With stopped shoulders and tagging
steps he mounted the dark stairs of
the first tenement house, and a shrink.
ing dread Of his visit and of what he
must see filled him. He could picture
the scene quite wildly, he assured
himself, and he sighed impatiently at
his own impotence.
THE baby will be crying, Tommy
and Sue will be little bit dirtier than
usual, and a good deal crosser. while
Jimmy, poor wee lad, will be tiny bit
quieter and just as thoughtful as ever.
If only their mother could have some
one to take care of her, figuratively
and literally, she'd stand a chance of
getting better, and if she doesn't-may
God help them all If only Nelsie had
lived" sighed Nelsies father as he re.
luctantly opened the door, and then
suddenly his sharp gray eyes filmed,
for the suns rays showed him a Mel
sie-like golden head bent over a sleep
ing baby by the uncurtained window,
while around and about peace and or
der reigned.
We'll, bless my SOUL" quoth the
doctor in husky whisper, and he laid
his hand very tenderly upon little
crippled Timmy's head, whose usually
pale face was crimson with the sup
pressed excitement of his present won.
derful happiness. Its Miss Delight.
doc" he whispered shrilly, "and she's
goin' to take keer on us till mammy's