Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-03-30

tli0 IllllC lIlOItltl VI AnOllN. II was
quite a long call.
What" the little mother said in.
dignantly. Then: "Oh-well-well,
for Morry's sake-if you think l ought
to, for Morry's sake
my dear, l think you ought to for
Morry's sake"
The little mother of Morry drew a
long breath. Then I will do it," she
sighed.
The next time that Morris came
hurrying into the house to be mended,
the mother was patching the sleeve of
a little dress.
please sew me up-Pm ripping
dreadfully," Morry cried.
"But I'm doing something else now,
! dear: you will have to sew yourself
| up I guess. I'm mending lilly PARIS
dress"
"Mending lilly PARIS dress!" Morry
eyed the little red heap in his mothers
lap in amazement.
Eyes: the sleeve is all worn out. I'm
setting a piece in the little mother
said calmly.
Morris went away slowly. He could
not understand. Mother had never
worked for Mrs. Parr before. She had
never been too busy before to work
for him. He put on another Jacket and
| sat down on the doorsteps to try to
puzzle things out. OF course he felt
; queerish-when your mother mends
other folks instead of you, it makes
you feel queer, Of course.
And it happened the next time, too,
and the next. Once mother was mend
ing Mr.. PARIS stocking! Once it was
! a stocking of Mrs. PARIS!
Your mothers a great woman for
%mending." remarked Aunt Caroline.
THE PARIS are pretty fortunate folks,
! think, to have a neighbor ready to
work for them like that"
Morry did some more puzzling on
the doorsteps. 1t was getting stranger
and stranger. Perhaps the PARIS
were fortunate folks, but-but-how
about other folks-the other folks that
mother wasn't willing to work for?
Little tineles of indignation tingled
down Morry's arms and legs. He sat
up pretty straight and locked directly
ahead of him, out into the hot blur Of
sunshine. But he only saw a little
mother mending Mrs. PARIS stocking.
The climax came me night at bed
time when Morry found that nobody
that is, no mother-had made his bed.
1t was just as he had scurried out of it
that morning!
why" exclaimed Morris. Then he
said il again-"Why!' Aunt Caroline
was in her room across the bit of hall.
She hobbled to his door and looked in.
Whats the matter. dear?"
why my bed isn't made. Aunt Car.
oline!" The tingles of Indignation were
in Morry's voice this time.
Dear, dear! Well, your mother has
been 50 busy. She vas out this morn
ing at the time she usually makes the
beds-perhaps she was over to Mrs.
PARIS making Tilly's bed" Then Aunt
Caroline hobbled back.
Morry's shoes were off so he couldn't
sit down on the front doorsteps, but he
sat down on the edge Of the unmade
bed. He felt almost sick, there was
such a strange feeling somewhere in.
side him-he was not quite sure where.
A light was dawning upon him, per-
haps 1t burned him a little. He had
been doing some very hard puzzling
indeed and nov he had almost got to
the answer. He had almost put two
and two together"
A little later Morry crossed the bit
of hall to Aunt Caroline's and
softly knocked.
as 1t you, dear? Come in" Aunt
Caroline called. 81 was Just going
across to get you to do a little sum-
You needn't" Morry said briefly:
1--WE done it already and got the IN.
swer,"
Then he slipped down stairs and sur
prised the little mother mending his
Jacket, with his stockings in neat rolls
beside her. Morry kissed her-only
kissed her. but there was the promise
of woodpiles sawed and water pals
filed. in the kiss. The little mother OF
Morry was satisfied.
" 4