Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-10-20

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Ladies and gentlemen" he began,
beaming at them, his face flushed, his
eyes bright, embarrassed, but thor.
oughly satisfied. OF course, Prudence
was the dearest girl in the world, and
he adOred her, and-but this was diff
ferent, this was fatherhood!
Ladies' and gentlemen he said
again in the tender. half laughing
voice that Prudence loved, "let me in
troduce. to you my little daughter,
Fairy Harmer."
"Not-not Fairy" cried Fairy. SEN
Tor, tearfully. "Oh, Jerry, don't be-
lieve 1t. Not Fairy! You are joking"
OF course it is Fairy" he said.
Look out, Connie, do you want to
break part of my daughter of the first
thing? Oh, see. It was just the fan
mel, was it? Well, you must be careful
OF the flannel, for when ladies are the
size of this one. you can't tell which
Is flannel and which is foot Fairy
Harmer! Here, grandpa, what do you
think of this? And Prudence said to
send you right upstairs, and hurry.
All the girls must go to bed immedi-
ately or they'll be sick tomorrow.
Prudence says So"
ooh, that's enough, That's Pru
dence all over! You needn't tell us any
more. Here, Fairy Hammer, let us look
at YOU Hold her down, Jerry. Mercy!
Mercy"
Isn't she beauty?" boosted the
young father proudly.
"A beauty? A beauty! That" Carol
rubbed her slender fingers over her
own velvety cheek. They talk about
the matchless skin of a new born in.
FAINT. Thanks. I'd Just as lief have
my own"
"Oh, she isn't acclimated yet, that's
ALL 90 you think she looks like me?''
mo, Jerry, don't" said Lark. can.
didly. T never considered you dream
/ Of loneliness by any means, but in due
honesty must admit that you don't
look Ike that"
why, it hasn't any hair!" Connie
protested.
"well, give 1t time" urged the
baby's father. BE reasonable, Connie.
What can you expect in fifteen min.
utes."
"But they always have little hair"
she insisted.
mo, indeed they don't, Miss Con.
ME-" he said fatty. For II they al.
ways did, ours would have. Now
don't try to let on there's anything the
matter will. her, for there isn't.-Look
at her nose, If you don't like her hair
What do you think of a. nose like
that now?, Just look at it."
Eyes, we're looking at it," was the
grim reply.
"And-and chin-look at her chin
See here, do you mean to say you are
making fun of Fairy Harmer? Come
on, tootsie, We'll go back upstairs.
They're crazy about US up there"
ooh, see the cunning little footsies,
croweS Connie.
Here. cover EN- up said Jerry
anxiously "You mustn't let their
feet stick out. Prudence says so. It's
considered very-er, bad form. be.
lieve."
Fairy! Honestly. Jerry, is 1t Fairy
When did you decide?"
"Oh, a long time ago." he said,
years ago. guess. You see, we al
ways wanted girl. Prue didn't think
she had enough experience with the
stronger sex yet, and Of course I'm
strong for the ladies. But it seems
that what you want Is what you don't
get. So we decided to call her Fairy
when she came, and then we wanted
boy, and talked boy and got the girl!
| guess 1t always works just that way
if you manage it cleverly. Come now,
Fairy, you needn't wrinkle up that
smudge Of nose at me.-Let go, Con-
ME. it is my daughters bedtime. There
now. there now. was she her daddy's
little girl?"
Flushed and laughing, Jerry broke
away from the admiring. giggling,
nearly fearful girls, and hurried up
stairs with Jerry Junior.
But Fairy stood motionless by the
door. "Prudence's baby" she whis-
pered. Little Fairy Harmer!-
Mmmmmmm!'
The End Of Fairy.
Now that the twins had attained to
the dignity of eighteen years, and
were respectable students at the thor.
oughly respectable Presbyterian col
lege, they had dates very frequently.
And it was along about this time that
Mr.. Starr developed sudden interest
in the evening callers at his home. He
bobbed up unannounced in most unex-
pected places and at most unexpected
hours. He walked about the house
with sharp sly look In his eyes, in
way that could only be described as
Carol said. by downright noisiness."
The girls discussed this new phase of
his character when they were alone,
but decided not to mention 1t to him.
for. fear of hurting his feelings May
be he's got new kind of sermon up
his BRAIN" said Carol Maybe he's
beginning to realize that his clothes
are wearing out again. suggested
Lark. He's too young for second child
hood Connie thought. So they
watched him curiously.
Aunt Grace. too. observed this queer
devotion on the part of the minister,
and finally her cl1riosifv ovorra mo hor