Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-08-15
The Bears
thatEscaped

Sue pressed her face against the car
window and peered out into the twi-
light. During the day she had enjoyed
herself for what little girl can help
having a good time on 4 railway trim
Is she is we'll and has = kind mother
who understands little girls a. a CON-
panion? But. a. evening came on. she
began to remember how far away she
was from her old homo and from an
her playmates and she felt very lonely
and homesick.
Her father had been sent to be MN.
enntendenti In new factory in q wes-
tern town, and Sue and her mother
were to spend the summer with him.
But Sue did not want to go. She want
ed to stay at home and have the same
Jolly picnics and play-days that she
had had the summer before.
Even the sight of her fathers eager
race did not make Sue happy as she
stepped from the train. She cast
critical glances at everything, from the
small frame depot to the last twinklinr
yellow street lamp that she could see
In the distance.
The long. bare, two-story building
into which they stepped five minutes
later, and which her father explained
was to be their home for the summer
was worst Of all to Sue It had been
built for a hotel; but, as it was not
just then needed for, that purpose. and
as houses were very scarce, it was d.
vided into apartments and rented to
several families. Sues father had his
ONCE in one of the big rooms down
stairs Mother was delighted with the
big, airy room, and began planning at
once where she would put the pretty
things that she had brought in her
trunk to make it honey" and pleas
ant. But Sue thought it was bare and
like barn.
They were to take breakfast at a ho-
tel near by, but they needed some
things from store which was only
few doors away; so. while Sue took
of her wraps, her father and mother
hurried out on their errand.
Voices sounded from the room across
the hall-childish voices-and present
ly Sue heard'a boy call, "Who let out
my brown bear?"
II didn't" came the prompt answer
in what sounded like a little girls
voice. Then in distressed tone: ooh
oh! Mine Is gone toO-my nice. big
cinnamon bear!"
They were here Just before supper
for fed them said the boy.
At the word bears" Sue shivered
with terror. Bears right in that house.
What should she do? She was terri
fed to stay there alone. and she dared
not run out to warn her father and
mother. They we're gone only few
minutes, but the ,ii- seemed like
hours to Sue; and. when they did
come back, she was so frightened that
it took her long time to make them
understand what she had heard.
Children were running about in the
long hall. so her father oDened the
door and called. whats all this I
hear about lost bears?'
ooh, they're caterpillars that we
caught this afternoon" answered the
boy. "They were so fuzzy and big
that We called them our bears. and we
had. them in two glasses, but they got
out. Well get some more tomorrow
Did your little girl Gomez"
yes, here she is. Come in and tell
her about your BEARS" said Sues
father. Sue was SO glad OF hear that
the bears were Of such harmless sort
that she welcomed with smile the
|bright-faced boy and girl that followed
her father into the room.
Mother wants you to come over to
our rooms for warm supper" said
an older girl appearing at the door
just then. 'You must be tired and
hungry after your long ride"
The new friends were so pleasant
and kind, and the supper so delicious.
that Sue just couldn't keep on telling
cross and unhappy. By bedtime she
had made so many plans for the next
day that there were not going to be
nearly hours enough in 1t to carry
them all out
Were going to catch some more
bears tomorrow she laughed as she
was undressing for bed I'm not
afraid of brown bears or cinnamon
ones either"
"They are very usefuT bears" said
her mother, smiling. "They have
helped to drive OF two enemies that
were troubling my little girl,-home.
sickness and discomfort"
Sue nodded sleepily, too tired to
answer and soon she was sleeping so
soundly that she did not dream Of
bears or anything else.