Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1920-07-22


'Now then, Dreams get a hustle
On you with those copies, and put the
long stop on that high powered car
driven by the Duke of Killicrankie.
Even in these days of help shortage
we want efficiency just the same"
Miss Johnson's razor-like voice struck
On Ann Flowers ear like ice.
Z litter of amusement went around
the office at the head clerks intend
ed witticism, and many eyes were
turned for a moment to the gloomy
corner where the girl had sat for two
years, the target for all the teasing
of the department. Somehow Or 9TH
er it had leaked out that Ann Flower
INDUCED in day dreams, hence the
nickname, Dreams" and the mercl-
less sarcasm that was her lot.
Dreams'-I mean Miss Flower,
the boss wants you in his office"
Again Miss Johnsons voice smote
AIMS ear like ice, and all eyes
flashed to her corner.
"The boss?" repeated Ann stupidity.
eyes, the boss and don't keep him
waiting" snapped Miss Johnson.
Ann Flower stumbled to her feet.
All eyes seemed to burn into her back
as she passed up the room. She
knew she had not done her work we'll
during the last week, but they did
not know what it was to sit up at
night and finally have to see a golden
haired baby die! Perhaps they did
not know what it meant to leave the
distracted mother sewing for living
to keep two other little tOwheads
from hunger. Ann had not been sat
isfied with the doctor, and that morn
ing had herself telephoned for anoth-
err physician, not the kind that usual
ly calls at apartment houses on the
East side of the city, but there was
something so insistent, so softly ap-
pealing and piteous in the girls
voice over the wire that Doctor Sun
derland had promised to come.
"Good morning, Miss Flower" the
BOSS" voice came to the girls
senses through waves of pain.
'This is Doctor Sunderland :"
ooh, the children are not worse?"
Ann interrupted the "bOss'" introduce
ton in a frightened voice.
mo, the Riddles are going to pull
through in fine shape, thanks to your
foresight, Miss Flower"
The 'boss'' cleared his throat.
Doctor Sunderland has told me, Miss
Flower, that you have been sitting up
at night with a sick baby for over
week, until it died; you have also
been helping out, the mother with two
other children all this winter with
your salary; you could just as well
have left her and gone to more COM
Portable quarters"
"But 1 couldn't; she was good to
to get boarder who liked children
and 1 did. Pm sorry if my
work suffered here but
couldn't leave her when the baby got
ill-and died." Ann Flowers purple
blue eyes grew big and piteous.
Honey" the voice Of the "boss'
was just as soft as any Of her south
ern ''mammies," and he came to her
side and patted her On the shoulder,
'T did not know that I had such
real, live girl in my employ! l guess
nv character reading expert is worth
what I pay him after all, if he gets
some like you, bless your heart! But
Doctor Sunderland wants to have
talk with you; you've come from
home where there is a pretty SICK
bunch, and he's afraid that you may
be in for a dose. We don't want it
spread around the office, and whatever
the damage is, remember, / foot the
bills
Poor little dreams" head seethed
in whirl Of aches and surprises aft
or the "boss" left her in DR.. Sunder-
lands care.
IT was a dream of wonderful peace,
to find oneself in a cool, gray ana
white hospital room, with a pretty
red-haired nurse ready to do ones
bidding. But there were days when
DR.. Sunderland's "dear" with a smile
Of shy welcome, and nights when he
would come and shake his head ana
turn hastily from the pretty, fever
flushed face and wonder why we have
to find the best in our scheme Of life,
to lose it again. There were days,
too when Miss Johnson and the de-
partment could not bear to see the
patch of sunlight shine on the dust
covered typewriter cover in the
gloomy corner, without a catch IN
their threats when they remembered
how they had leased dear, patient lit
tie Dreams"
But days came when DR.. Sunder-
lands "dear" won the day.
81 take my vacation next week
and I am going SOUTH" he announced
in his most professional manner one
day.
Tho shadOyS pOt tangled I'D in Ann