New Britain Herald Newspaper, July 17, 1915, Page 9

—— YOU NEED —— A GAS WATER HEATER Knowing this we have adopted a schedule of ——FEASY PAYMENTS whereby you may purchase a heater and pay for it in small monthly ew Britain Gas Light Co. 25 WEST MAIN STREET Tel. 845 F there had been a furnzce in the old- fashioned house where the children lived it is probable that Bess would not have had her party. There being’ no furnace, of 3 course stoves were, 3 used during winter. { A quick-heater in the dining room #dded to the warmth that came in from the k}:ghen range. An old-time sAre-place was in the sitting room, and was in the Hbrary. room downstaire a base-burner jod near the center of the floor. Up- irs were several “drums” that rned wood. They kindled in a flash 3 :améd & room within ten min- K 8 af the riging bell rang. ' _The guick-heater in the dining room ed a part in what happened. The 8 cold, the door to the kitch- bid been ‘shut and father had ¢, then had opened a hodful of coal into the the drafts e > was a merry hum es the ~ 2F rushed in below and then up the | ey, and the iron npear the stove pips elbow was turning e dull vellow. Bess came into the room and danced across the floor. Perhaps the rug was torn, or maybe one of Tommy's toys ~ Was in the way. Something caused er to stumble, and in trying to save f her right arm rested for an 1140t on the red-hot stove. screams brought every member of ‘the family into the room, and for 1 ¢w minutes there was much confus- . But' while others were asking . *otie another what should be done, and weré running around, exclaiming, “Poor Bess!” “Does it hurt?” “I'm #0. sorry!” and talking like half-dis- tracted persons generally do, grand- v ther was preparing a lotion, and as father was buttoning his over- and declaring that he would go ‘2 doctor, she cut Bess’ sleeve off e shoulder, poured the soothing on the burned skin, wrapped it installments Ask us for full particulars A Surprise Party Apd the girls sald they would be there. When school was dismissed Bess was the first to put on wraps, and she tenderly with a linen cloth, saturated the cloth with more of the lotion, and said: “She’ll be all right now. It’s a pret- ty bad burn, but nothing to lose your wits about.” Then father pretended that he had something to do upstairs. Mother sat down in a rocker and took Bess in her arms and the other children returned to the library. The little girl had stopped crying, but once in awhile a hysterical sob passed from her lips, and even these ceased when mother rocked back dnd forth and sang, “Rock of Ages,” which was Bess’ favo- rite hymn. The next morning she came to the breakfast table with her arm in a sling. “Can’t you go to school asked Tommy. “Yes. indeed” she answered. “Grandma says there is no danger, if I wrap up warm.” “How large {s the burn?” inquired Dick, “About four inches long.” Annette wanted to know if it still hurt very much and Bess said, not unless some one touched her on that side. “What can you do at school with your right arm in a sling?’ questioned Tommy. “I can do everything,' except write and figure sume. I can study and re- cite,” she sald. Everybody in Bess' class crowded near her when she entered the school room, and they all wanted to know how it happened. By the time the last bell rang she felt quite proud, because of so much attentfon and sympathy, After the morning recess her arm commenced to throb again, and dur- ing the noon hour she became quite miserable, She usually enjoyed this period and played with the girls who brought their luncheons; but now, after tin pails, baskets and boxes had been emptied, the others went out to slide and she was left alone in the today?” cheerless room. She wandered around and examined the maps on the wall, then turned the leaves of the big dic- tionary that stood on a rack near the teacher’s desk, and looked at the pic- tures in the back part. She wished that she had more of grandmother's lotion, and that mother could rock her again. It seemed as if she should have some reward for her suffering; surely a girl with a burn like that couldn’t be expected to act like other girls. Bess didn’t know exactly what it was she wanted; only hothing seemed just right. 3 , A% 2 S At that moment Sophie Jones came in, carrying a pair of skates. “The fce is fine,” she said as she drew off her mittens. “Oh, 'Sophie!” called Bess; “won't you come to my party this evening?” “Your party!” exclaimed Sophie. “What time?” “From five to seven.” “Thank you,” said Sophie; “I'll be glad to,” and she went to the)hall closet, to hang up her wraps. The next minute Bess would have given anything in the world if she hadn’t said it. Why she had done so she never knew. It had come out without thinking. “Now it was too late, for the other girls were coming in and she could hear Sophie telling them; then she heard voices saying, “I wonder if it is her birthday?” “Are you going?’ “Oh, won’t it be fun; their house is so big,” and things like that. Now they were entering the school room, and when Bess saw their eager faces she marched up to them and repeated the invitation to every- one there, “Are the boys coming?” asked some- one. “Certainly,” sald Bess desperately. “I wish you'd help me ask them.” “Let's all meet at Peters’ drug store at a quarter to five; then we can go out together,” suggested Sophie. And the girls said they would be there hurried down the long hall. As she went she heard one girl say to anoth- er, “I suppose she’s going home to help get ready;” and another called out, “We’ll be on time.” She ran up hill toward home until her arm commenced to pain so badly that she had to walk. There was a lump in her throat as she neared the house, and it was all she could do to keep back the tears. “Mother!” she called as she opened the front door. There was no answer; but she found her grandmother knitting in the library. “You must break that habit of calling out when you come into the hall,” said grandmother. “How is your arm, dear? Has it pained you much?” “No; that is, yes.” stammered Bess. “Where is mother?” “She went to the city this morning?” “Will she be home early?” “No,” 'said grandmother. “She said she would come out with your fath- er.” “Has Annette come home?” and Bess couldn’t keep a tremble out of her voice. “Don’t you know that this is the afternoon for her singing lesson and that she was excused at recess. But I want my little girl to lie down now and I will pour some more of the lo- tion on that burn. Perhaps you can take a nap until supper time. So go up stairs and I'll be there in a few minutes,” and grandmother put her knitting one side and went into the kitchen. Scalding tears could not be kept back any longer, and Bess could hard- ly see the way to the bed in her room. Then she threw herself down and moaned. When grandmother’s step was heard on the stairg she hid her face in the pillow, but she couldn’t choke back the sobs. “What! is 1y little girl in so much pain? I thought she would be nefter. Lie perfectly still, dear, and I'll pour tuis on your arm and it will soak through. There, doesn’t that feel be:- ter? Now I'll cover you:;” and grand- mother tucked her in with a blanket: “and I'll darken the room so you caa take a nap.” She pulled down the shades, then went out. For a quarter »of an hour Bess 'ay perfectly still, but every second of the time seemed to be a day. What ecould she do? She had hoped her mother might come, but no nne opeacd the front door. “Oh. I wish I could die and go to heaven!” _he moaned. Then she suddenly sat up, for the terrible thought came that she might not go there, because she had been so wicked. “I suppose I must tell grandmnth- er,” she said at last; and she crept down stairs. wandered through the rooms, and finally cntered the kitchen. “Couldn’t you sleep, dear? Well, go into the library, where it is bright and warm, and T'll be in soon. It's Bridget's day out and T have to pre- rar¢ for supper.” Those words proved the final blow. Bess fled and never stopped until sho reached the attic, where she crept in- to the darkest corne-. There 1Ius nuihing to do but stav there and die. The cook’s day out: In fifteen minutes grandmuther ecame into the library and lo~ked around, then she went to the foot of the stairs and listened. “Poor child!™ she sald. “She has fallen asl2:p at last;” and she went back to the kitch- en. The clock on the dining room man- tle struck four and then sounded the half hour. Bess heard the strokes of the bell and she also heard the frout door slam. It was either Dick or Tommy, pérhaps Annette; her mother wouldn’t make so much noise. It was too -late now to ask one of them to go to town and tell the children not to come. She could picture them gathering at Peters’. Now they had By Annette Ang started, and Sophie was in front—she always was. Why couldn’t she dje? Her breath just wouldn't stop. Slowly she came out of thé corner and slowly tip-toed down the stairs. No one was on that floor. She crept down the second flight. The library was empty and so was the sitting room. Whoever had come in had gone out again. Bess peeked into the kitchen. - Her grandmother was stirring some corn meal mush that buhbled nver a cheery fire. Then the girl moved softly into the library and Jooked down the street. Tt was dusk and she conldn’t see very far. But she heard—the chatter of many voices and some one laughing. Then they came in sight. fully twenty boys and girls! They hesitated at the corner, then started down the side ‘street. Bess nnderstood: It was mud- dy, and they had decided not to come in by the front door. She hurried back to the kitchen and was just in time to hear her grand- mother say: “What do you want, children?” “Why, we came to the party; Bes- sie’s party.” No matter how long she mav live Bess will never forget that picture— her grandmother in the doorway, hold- ing a dripping ladle: the children, her classmates, grouped on and near the doorstep. Then came the words she had dreaded to hear: “Run away. chil- dren: don’t bpther me. Can't you see tuat I'm very ‘busy?” and the door was shut. “Oh, grandmother! Piease!” The woman turned and saw the pit- iful, pleading face, and instantly a change came over her stern features. She hurried to the door, threw it open, znd ‘called, “Children! children!” They looked back. “I mean, go to the front” sald grandmother. “Of course Bess is go- ing to have a party.” Turning around she told the little gir! to run upstairs and change her Times), . 18 the suggestion President Fred D, Under- the Erle Raflroad, that the the steam carriers to establish a better business balance and a fair distribu~ tion of the cost of transportation, The Underwood idea 18 to cut the pasgenger. trafllc to one cent a mile and simultanecusly increase the freight charges by twenty per cent, The Hrie exacutive goes even further in special cases, saying that suburban passengers who travel frequently over comparatively short distances, should have & rate even lower than a cent & mile, Were this plan meade effective to- day there would be millions saved be- fore the end of the year to thoss who make up the vasi vaeation trafic of the raiireads, With Burepe cut off as a teuring ground and all foreiga eountries rendered less attrastive as a resuit of war conditiens, there will be more domestic travel on rallroads than ever before, There is ne room for doubt but that between many points on most rallroads the tariff is too high, It is all very well for railread men (e insist that passen- ger traffic does not pay, but that is a statement eemmoniy based on speci- ous accounting systems, and there ls plenty of evidence to show that prop- American’ erly conducted passenger business is the most lucrative of all, The suggested twenty per cent, freight rate increase would not prove particularly burdensome to shippers, Indeed the attitude of twenty-six Western roads, as outlined in the brief presented today to the Interstate Commerce Commlission, shows that ultimately a freight rate Increase must eb made if decent service is to be given, To grant the frelght increase and offset it with a passenger rate de- crease, would be a most acceptable so- lution of the questjon Von Jagow, in admitting that this country is well within its rights in ert dress as quickly as she send Anpette to help 3 just come in. Now hui “lI wonder if I'm thought Bess. “Yes, I am; hurt. ¢ e Then she heard her talking to Dick in the ing: “Hitch up Dolly and | as fast as you can. and mother at the train to bring b%mo enough cak cream for twenty or thirt and ten pounds of candy, & else they can think of. Bess a party.” A moment later the fi onened and the same “Come in, children. Put you and other things in the this way, into the library. M selves comfortable. Bess 5 in a very few minutes. Her pained her a good deal had to take some time dnr That party? It was party the children had J For grandmother not only every game. but played Only once did she leave i that was when she must be burning in the ki while she was absent for Dick to set the table. Tommy was J in his life than when he o late with his hockey skates shoulder. “Gee!” he said | in the hall; “What does it When the children had to town, and the lights in h part of the house had been uighed, Bess climbed into mbther’s lap, put her well her neck and drew her “You are the dearest, t in all the world,” she said; a pause, “of course, after The woman stroked the that nes inst her X long ago I was a little girl,” “and I r how it shipping arm alll very prow ment of the G& supplemental " icane must realize such create a strong anti- 8 in Germany is the erux of Many actions that are entire are to be discouraged effect upon soclety.