The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-02-06

"Well," said Uncle Joseph, as his
niece returned to his bedside after mo-
mentary absence, what did he say?"
."He seemed very much offended,
uncle"
"Offendedl at what, pray?" de-
manded Uncle Joseph.
81 suppose at being told to 90 to
the deuce p answered Theodore, quiet
".
"Girl," CALCULATED the invalid, raising
himself halfway upon his elbow, "you
didn't tell him that2"
eyes, I did, uncle. You said your
self, Tell him to go to the deuce"
Mr.. Joseph White fell back, fiat and
motionless, among his pillows.
"Theodora, you are fool!"
elm very sorry, UNCLE" said Theo-
dora, beginning to whimper.
Uncle Joseph stared at her in sur
prise. Could it be possible that the
dreary days and weeks of her steadfast
attendance had weakened her intellect
and turned her brain
"Give me my water-gruel," he said
briefly, after few moments pondering
over the unwelcome possibility.
Theodore brought in a neat little
china bowl, with silver spoon lying on
the snowy, folded napkin that fanked it
on the tray.
Uncle Joseph took one taste, and
threw down the spoon with petulant
sound not unlike bark.
"Trash, trash Insipid as dish
water. Throw it to the pigs" ,
Theodore took up the bowl and started
obediently for the door.
"Here, here !" roared Uncle Joseph.
"Where are you going to"
"To the pig-pen, uncle"
care you crazy, girl? The gruel's
we'll enough, orly Mrs. Perkins forgot
the nutmeg"
"But, uncle" said Theodore, tasting
daintily of the contents OF the bowl,
"it's insipid as dish-watcr."
"Will you allow me to have an opin-
ion of my own ?" snarled Uncle Joseph.
"It's very good, if that old crone down
stairs will add the nutmeg and give it
another boil. Quick, now-I'm getting
hungry A man must eat, even If he's
at deaths loor?"
A minute afterwards Mrs. Perkins was
surprised by Theodora's entrance.
"Well," said the housekeeper, what's
awantln' now?"
"a little grated nutmeg in this Cruel,
and uncle would like it warmed up once
more"
"What are you smiling about, Dora?"
"Was smiling?''
"Your eyes was, if your mouth
wasn't said Mrs. Perkins, keenly.
"Will you be as quick as you can,
Mrs. Perkins ?" said Theodore. "He
says he is hungry.
But when theodore re-entered her
uncle's room, the invalid had taken
another tack.
"why didn't you stay all day." he
growled.
Indeed, uncle, I hurried all could,
pleaded Dora. "Here's the Cruel, all
smoking"
But Uncle Joseph shook his head.
cts too late; I've lost all my
!
"Won't you have the cruel, uncle"
"No, I won't !"
And Uncle Joseph closed his eyes. as
if to signify he was too weak to debate
the question further. He waited
auxiously for Theodore to press the
question further, but she did not; and
presently he opened his eyes the least
little bit in the world.
"Theodora !"
"Sir?"
"Ill try Just one spoonful of that
cruel before it gets cold"
"Why, uncle, threw it away"
"Threw-my-gruel-away!" gasped
the sick man, breathlessly.
'"You told me- you did not want it,
uncle"
~ told you so! Furies and fiddle
strings! You might know by this time
that don't mean what I say. Get me
s ,me more-quick If I hadn't been
fbedridden for a year. 1 could 60 twice
as fast as you dor he added,
grumblingly. ~ never saw such a
snail in my life. Oh, dear to think I
shall never walk again !"
Uncle Joseph lay counting the
seconds until his niece brought in a
second bowl of gruel, this tim, SO
deliciously made that even he could not
find fault with it.
"Uncle," said Theodore, as she set
it on the table at the bedside, "the
doctor said, yesterday, that he really
thought, if you were to try, you could
walk as we'll as an ybodyl"
"The doctors fol, said Uncle
Joseph, "and you may tel him 80 with
my compliments |"
81 will, uncle, the next time he
comes"
"Theodora!"
"Sir."
eff you do, I'll disinherit you'll"
every well, uncle !"
"Theodora, you'll have to feed me.
This annoyance has weakened me terri
Llyr"
"Yes, uncle"
"Stop-stop-it's hot-you're chok-
ing mel" But Theodore kept resolutely
on.
Sto-o-pl" spluttered Uncle Joseph,
nimb!y scrambling to the other side of
the bed. What do you mean, Theodore?
Didn't tell you to stop? Idon't believe
there's an inch of skin left on my
t throat" !"
"You told me yourself, uncle, that you
don't mean what you say. How was I
to know that this was an exception !"
An irate rejoinder trembled on Uncle
Joseph's tongue, when suddenly he
caught sight of a blue column of smoke
wreathing up under his window.
"What's that smoke ?" he ejaculated.
81 think it's Mrs. Perkins, sir, putting
fresh kindlings on the kitchen fire."
"No, it.isn't!' yelled Uncle Joseph,
I" the house is on fre!"
Theodore dropped the spoon and bowl
and rushed out of the room, shrieking,
"The house is on fire help murder !
thieves !"
The servants below the stairs caught
up the cry and echoed it in shrill dismay.
Uncle Joseph listened with bristled hair
aud lilated eyes.
"Help help |" he bawled, but no one
responded. Louder still he yelled, but
yet in vain.
cam I am to stay here in my bed to
be burned to death ?" he asked himself,
and scrambled out with agility that