Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1915-07-02

got there he went to the barn ndpulled ,
the wheelbarrow out. Filling it with
hay, he wheeled it as fast as he could !
to the playground. 1t was with consid
cradle difficulty that he got the sick boy
into it. After fixing the hay so it was
like a cushion for him to lean against he
wheeled him slowly back to the house
Fortunately his father was in the barn
and BERTHE told him what had happened.
Mr. Gordon came out and looked at
Ernest and then said, Hes a pretty
sick boy and guess Wen have to take
him in and put him in bed and send for
DR.. Jones. Go in and tell mother so
she'll get a bed ready" Between them
they We're able to carry the half
unconscious boy in and, undressing him,
they put him in BERTHE 5 bed in the little
room just out of the kitchen. Hadn't
better go and tell his folks what has
happened to Ernest?' asked BERTHE.
"Welll yes, | don t see but you Il have
to, but do wish it was anybody else but
the Masons. - Off went BERTHE on his
wheel to Ernest's home which was
about mile away up the mountain
road. "Well! what do you WANT" was
the gruff response to Berte's knock
for Mrs. Mason recognized that he was
the son of the man with whom her hus-
band had quarreled. 1t was the first
time in years that any Gordon had been
there. Your Ernest" said BERTHE
was taken sick on the playground, and
we had to take him to our house and put
him to bed and send for DR.. Jones. "
For the lands sakesr burst out
Ernest's mother, Ito think of it as hap
pening just now when fathers sick
and I've got him and the baby to look
out for. What shall we do? At your
house did you say? don't believe you
You re trying to play some trick on me. "
81 amt Mrs. Mason, though do wish
it wasn't true. what | told you. But
don't you worry, Wen take good care
of him, and father or | II come up to-
morrow morning and let you know how
he is Good bye' And he raced off.
Mrs Mason, wiping tear from her
eye, said nothing but went back into the
house. "lwon tlet father. know anything
about it, she said to herself, "else he d
worry so, 'twould make him sicker. ="
When BERTHE got home he found that
DR.. Jones had been there and said that
Ernest was not dangerously i'll, but he
must be kept very quiet and in bed for a
day or two, and then he ID be all right
BERTHE slept that night on the floor in
his room, but he only had to get up once
or twice to give Ernest some water
Morning had dawned the last time he
lid it, and BERTHE saw very different
look ON the sick boys face when he
/ handed him the mug than he had before
/ 1t had softened and the whispered
"thank you!' had different meaning
to it. Right after breakfast BERTHE
raced on his wheel up to the Masons
house and found Ernest's mother at the
| door watching for him. "Well, how is
he?" she called out as he came up the
road, and BERTHE gave the doctor re-
port and added that Ernest had had a
quiet night, and though he was still
pretty weak, he wasn't any worse.
Is there any message you want to send
him." mo! nothing but our love and
we hope he'll be able to come home
soon; and say fathers better. 1t does
seem terrible that Ernest should have
been sickened away from home and
carried to" but here she stopped The
thought that her boy was being cared
for by the Gordons of all others was toe
much for her and she could not speak.
Good by, Mrs. Mason, I'll come up agar
this afternoon and let you know how he
is. y When he repeated his mother
message to Ernest, the sick boy put hi:
hand out and When BERTHE laid his in it
the feeble pressure told more thar
words So it went on for several days
BERTHE looked out for him at night anc
as he grew better, he would sit by hi:
bedside and tell him about what haC
happened at school, and how thing:
were going on at his home. Occasionally
he read a short story to him which
Ernest greatly enjoyed. If anybody haC
told BERTHE week before, that all thi.
was going to happen, he wouldn't have
been able to imagine how hard it would
be. But now it wasn't hard at all, He
was beginning to like the patient Ernest
who was continually lamenting the
trouble he was to them. "You mustn't
think so, Ernest" said he one time
after Ernest had said some such thing.
Mother says you are very little trouble
and heard her tell your mother Sc
when she came to see you this after
noon. She's glad and so am !, real gaC
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