Show I- I J gnes the th d i I By Maud I Walker u r I In making malting the short cut to scho school l C of mornings Agnes was nag obliged to P pass PS S through h tho tenement quarter quartet of tho big bustling town In which she sho lived A As this particular section of or tho the i was not pleasant In a aspect Agnes Abnes never went that wa way unless tho weather was severe or she was In lu danger of being tardy tard- Then she sho took tho the short cut c The signs of r filth and poverty po of ot dis dis- disease J. J ease easA and vice that hat hung about the narrow paved Ill streets were shockIng shock- shock wt lug Ing to little Agnes the tho year old daughter of ot a well-to-do well m merchant Jhant of S I the tho town So So when whenever ver she took this r f. route to school chool she Phe kept her eyes straight In front of ot her avoiding th they the t y unpleasant sl sights to be met with at I ri every turn tarn in that stricken poverty district i 5 One morning earl early In December r J. J Agnes was hurrying to school chool b by way war L tt of nt the thc short cut cat on account of ot the fast falling snow As she sho turned a s. s corner near a miserable little shop shop shop- S where tin the kC keeper alwa always s 's looked half halt frozen and nd half starved ed as he stood tood In tho the doorway looking for customers customers- t Rh she heard the low heartbreaking sob t of a a a child a A Agnes nes had a very ven sympathetic heart and turning quickly to se sep see e p from what source the wall came she ho was shocked to see standing ju Just t within with In in the hop shop door a n little girl clad In t Ai thin and ragged nagged l-a l ed garments her h J feet al almost almost almost al- al most bare baTt the hugo huge shoes shoes hoes a womans woman's wot woman woman's womans wo wo- mans man's In were size size were In tatters and the tho stockings s thin and and full of holes The child seemed In tho the deepest t distress s and turned her eyes eos imploringly towards to towArds towards to- to wards Agnes j Fonn Forgetting lUng that she would be bo lato late at school should she waste a minute Agnes stopped then went back to the ther I r the child F shop hop door floor and stooping over O who who appeared to be bl about S 8 years ears M old old she she asked In gentle tones tone What is the matter little girl Why ar are aro you rou crying S The rhE childs child's face cleared an instant tnt seeing that she was about to be he be befriended befriended be- be I then between sobs fobs she re replied re- re S. S ii plied Papa is Js sick ba bac bak there there- andI and I J dont don't know what to do for him Ho He Just talks queer like and dont don't know m mo at nt nIl all The rhe last Jast words broke off offIn In it a u pitiful sob and tho child shivered red t with the cold and hor her own emotions ns r Where here Is your our papa a asked ked A Agnes nes stepping In Inside the shop hop and amI closing l ih th h.- outer door against ag th the tho rush In-rush of I Il I wind rind and snow I Back there Ie and the little girl pointed to a roar rear room through who whose e connecting door Agnes coul could seo see a n gloomy gloom dark and bare Interior I She went vent In ht without question of f fear r for tor her heart liart was swelling with pity pIt for lor this child in distress and she wanted to do o what she could to alleviate alleviate alle alle- the troubled little ones one's woe woe In Tn the small bare room stood a abed abed abed bed In one corner cornor On this was tog tossing ln lna a man in delirium 11 He lIe wore his ragged ragged rag rag- ged dirt dirty clothes oven even to his shoes The Tho bedding was scant and ragged n and an old garment s-arment folded up served senNI as ac a pillow Agnes Agnes' eyes wandered from the sick man about the room In Tn an nn opposite corner was vas a n pallet- pallet bed of rags Jags t co covered with an old gray la blanket This A Agnes ns n's knew must bethe be betho betho tho the childs child's bed Against the wall near the ono one window stood a n pine table and near to It was a rusty fireless fire fire- less stove not much larger than a ato I to toy A few cooking utensils and broken dishes were nvere on the stove stow and table Two backless backle wood wooden eon chairs I I completed d the tho furniture of this damp clamp cold miserable apartment where here even rats must have dreaded to come has been m ale How long your our papa asked Agnes drawing th the tho child to herand hrand her hr herand and covering her shoulders with her hor own pretty prett fur boa All night and this morning ho he would do nothing but lie lio in bed and groan broan Yesterday ho had a pain hero and the child her hor own breast St Ill run out and telephone for or a doctor said sold Agnes And then Ill I'll hurr hurry home and get et mamma to come com with me Have you OU had breakfast Tears filled the childs child's eyes ees afresh as she she- shook her head sadly We l haven't mt anything to oat eat she replied Y Yesterday the they took all m my pas pa's money for fOl rent and he had to pay a line for lor not getting ng a new license cense wh when n his old one ono was waN ouLA out A terrible condition of ol hunger cold sickness mise misery was summed up Inthe in inthe inthe the few sentences the shivering spoke As Agnes paused a moment to adjust her boa before braving th the storm the child wont won't on I f opened tho the shop and tried to sell ell something something- so I could get the tho money to bu buy some bread and tea lea The snow ke keeps ps people peo pee plo awa away You eat this now little girl said A Agnes es placing In her hands a a. basket of oC dainty luncheon that she sho was carryIng carry carry- carrying Ing Ing to school for her noon refreshment And sit It yonder under the bl blanket till tillI I return Ill I'll bring something more for lor you OU to eat ent and u a doctor will cometo tome come to attend your papa With the delirious mans man's ravings la In her cars ears Agnes Agnos hurried room and passed cl out through the shop hoJI glancing round the latter as she went to see Ree what they had there for tor sal sale There wera ero a foes fow n a toys a case of lend lead pencils rubber erasers cheap writing tablets and u Ii cord stretched above tho the counter holding hoMing hoMinga a few tew unpopular monthly ma magazines and weeklies all of ot a old month-old date Poor souls was what Agnes s whispered whispered whispered whis whis- to herself as she ran Jan to te the nearest drug store where she I knew new there would bo be a telephone A real little woman woman and and most capable was A Agnes nes In a time of oC stress she never waited to ask advice advice- of others other she quickly acted upon pon her own n Judgment Judgment Judg Judg- ment which was always good She did not have ha to consult the phone phon directory for tor she knew her physicians physician's number In u a moment sh heard his emphatic Hello Hello called ba back k Agnes Doctor Doctor Doc Doc- Doctor tor Dash this Is s Agnes Turner Yes I want vant you rou and ancl right awa away please Como Come a as quickly I as ns you OU can cun to the corner r of or Bleak and Narrow streets Ive I've found a vcr very IJ bad d case t there 1 No youve you've ve made mado n mistake that that Is the cornor I I said Its It's tIt LS L'S s In a a. little shop on th the corner o w where you OU are to come This is not t in your lI practices you you yousa sa say Oh dent del doctor doctor dont don't dont ont disappoint ills dis appoint me a. a little girl Ir In great d hoT hir papas papa's raving and m out of or his head For my sake dector doctor doc dec tor tOI como come please Oh thank you doctor It is so 80 good of you to come for or the man is so poor POOl that he can caner cann n never er never pa pay you ou but you Ou ma may add it Jt t to papas papa's bill bill bill- You say that's all right Well so Well so you'll bo be here directly Good Goodbye be Agnes decided to run back to the shop and a watt walt the tho doctors doctor's coming before going g home after her mother She had hod not long to watt walt for while she was to lire fire trying get g-et a of old oM papers and a handful of or dust coal i ithe in inthe inthe n the tin tiny stove tho the shop door opened 1 and In hurried Doctor Dash medicine case se in hand han Ho shook hands with Agnes gnes heard hear d her brief brier story tory of or how she came to b be e there thoro then went t tA to the sick mans man's s side After a short examination h he e pronounced tine tHo man in a avery very ven serious condition Pneumonia he told Agnes s lIe He must bo ho 0 taken n at once to a hospital To to your OUI private sanitarium Doctor Doc Doc- tor tOJ said Agnes Agne quietly th but Ho II is all that this little girl has left has beon been tolling telling me mo that her mamma and little brother brothel died tl last year year and and he must have havo the best of or attention At free ho hospitals so hospitals so Ive I've heard my papa say the say the patients cannot cannot cannot can can- not receive all the attention and nursing nursing nurs nun ing thc they should have Papa shall pa pay for for- forThe The doctor put his hand over Agnes Agnes' quivering mouth and amI looked into her he deep blue eyes eyes so full of or tenderness tenI ten ten- I that they brought moisture to his own grey gre orbs You ar are a areal areal real little good Samaritan he said sal feelingly It It takes a child to teach tach and have havo tho rho sick man taken where hI hell holl have havo th the best hest of or medical atten atten- lion tion Tola Today a little girl ha has shoos hon home ho n me what Is m meant aUl h by real brotherly love Then telling Agnos Agnes to hurry home for he feared for her health should she remain In that horrible place an any longer th the tho doctor wont went W nt on to the nearby drug hug store to phone for the ambulance Agnes Agne wrapping the child ehll 1 it in h. the blanket from Crom the pallet bed and und tying old bits of rags about her feet and ankles told her Iner to kiss her papa lapa goodbye and to come with her A few minutes minute later Inter It was a stran strangely ely matched pair pall that Agnes' Agnes mother saw coming in through the gate But i it H t took Agnes Agnos on only a few minutes to cx explain ex- ex plain everything e to her mother Th The rhe c good Ind lady could not speak for a little her voice was so choked with emotion but folding her daughter to her breast breas t she whispered after a few moments Of OC such as you darling Is the Kingdom King King- dom dam of ot heaven |