Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-01-29
Epening Story
THE GREATER NEED.
BY Vincent G. Perry.

Helen Paterson collected her books
7 and packed them neatly into her club
bag. She wasn't coming back to the
little village school that had grown so
familiar to her and become part of her
life, and the thought of leaving it and
the pupils who had won place in her
heart, panied her. 1t was not be-
cause of ineficiency that she had not
been re-engaged for another term, for
the pupils had advanced with re-
markable strides under her tutorage,
but because she was woman and DR..
Arnold didn't approve of woman
teacher for so large school, and on
the school board Dr. Arnold's word
was law.
The doctor remembered when he
was boy and what a time they led
the schoolmasters. That was when
the spare the rod and spoil the
child" rule was rigidly enforced. A
woman teacher wouldn't have had any
control over the school in those days
and he couldn't see how things could
possibly be different now. He was
the only doctor in the village and was
kept so busy he hadn't an opportunity
| to visit the school and see how
Helen's plan of love and sympathy
for each pupil worked out. True, his
little motherless daughter, Annette,
spoke in glowing terms of Miss Pater-
son. but then she was only very
small child and couldn't have any real
conception of how the school was dis
ciplined. He had met the teacher
once or twice and remembered her
cJi Of GIRL that
looked as if she would faint If her pu-
pills became unruly.
Before she caught the train home,
Helen had call to make. One OF her
favorite pupils had been i'll for some
time and rumor had it that the child
had diphtheria. For the safety OF the
other pupils she had not visited him
before but there was no harm IN call
ing now, she thought. The little lad,
Ned Hockins, bright little wisp, was
dying. and she was just in time
After it was all over and the doctor
was leaving he offered to drive Helen
to the station. She felt a little bit
terness toward him. knowing he was
RESPONSIBLE for the change in her
school, but she noticed that he looked
worried and upset Perhaps the i'm
pregnable Doctor Arnold was human
after all, she thought. Something was
troubling him-his conscience over his
treatment Of her, perhaps. She would
give him chance to right himself,
at any rate, so she accepted his offer.
81 am afraid my own little girl is
coming down with the same thing"
he remarked in worried tone after
al fhn cad
thew had lust left. "She is in bed
now If she has diphtheria it will go
hard with her. Just at the holiday
season am afraid I won't be able TO
get a nurse from the city and none OF
the villagers will touch a contagious
case. Little Ned would have recoV-
cred if he had had proper nursing.
1--WE have time to stop off and see
her now" Helen said. / WOULDN'T
leave knowing Annette was/in dan
ger"
Little Annette was in grave danger.
Helen saw that at once. Il am gong
to stay right here" she told the doc.
tor. az would never forgive myself
if | went home and left Annette with
out some capable hand to care for her.
I know she will be better with me
than with anyone else; she knows me
so well and we are such great
friends"
The doctor was too grateful to
make even a pretense Of refusal. 1t
was big sacrifice for Helen to give
I'D her Christmas holiday but she
hardly thought Of that. Despite her
careful nursing and the doctors skill
little Annette's case became critical.
"To save her l should be with her
all my time. but with so much sick
ness in the village and not another
doctor within twenty miles, cant
conscientiously devote all my time 10
Annette, even though she Is my own,
the doctor said to Helen, after a par
ticularly trying night
Helen was beginning to see the rea!
side of the doctors character. He
was still in his early thirties but his
responsibilities in the village had aged
him before his time. His true self
was reflected in his love for his child
and his devotion to duty.
81 think l can help you" she said.
"My brother is a graduate doctor and
has Just finished his hospital train
ing. He will be able to handle your
practice while you put all your time on
this case. l will wire him to come
right down tonight and l know he
will do it
You're an angel" was all the doc
tor could say as he grasped her
hand.
AS Helen promised. her brother ar
rived and Doctor Arnold was pleased
with his appearance and knowledge
of his work. He worked over his
child for days until the crisis was