The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-04-10
coupbipp was quite CAV. Yet. as often as

ceptible to her friends. Ever since she coult
read she had practiced reading aloud; and
was one of the delights of her happy house
hold for her to read aloud, for the children
something little beyond what they read TO
themselves; bu. which her excellent artcu
lation and occasional pauscs 10 explain ano
and simplify, made a genuine feast. Or
this Sunday evening the children should
have their reading even if she WAS feeling
miserably. She read and talked
to them till their eyes grew heavy
and her voice was nothing but 8
husky whisper. Then the little ones were
tucked away in their beds, and their mother
sat for an hour, toasting her feet at the CRATE
and for wonder, not coughing. She was
sure she was getting better. The clock struck
10. She went 3, her own bed room, tired
sleepy hoarse, but the cough was gone.
al hope you will rest tonight" -aid Mr.
Pitklns, your cough seems to have lett you. .
| Eyes, I'm much better only very tired y
but what sort OF tantalizing demon had taken
| that cough tor vehicle of expression and
action? No sooner had Mrs. Pitkins touched
her pillow than was commenced that tlresone
scratching in her throat-that persisted,
hanging on. reaching up and down, further
and futher each way, OF a elaw-it was like
nOJIllnH tlst. LII Itsleutu ltc lullSo nihN III
one spot then in another, tearing ndpulling
and wrenching as if determined 20 turn the
throat wrong side out and upside down.
Then picked out fine threads and tibers that
reached into the depths of the shoulders and
chest. How strong they were if they'd only
break what relief il would be- Ii was of
no use to swallow an extra dose of each one
of the infallible remedies her friends had
prepared 1t was of no nse to change her
position from one side to the other. 1t was
of no use to sit wrapped in shawls, and sup
ported by pillows. That memorable clan
still held the citadel and that frantic cough
still rioted all over the house, and out into
the night. The clock struck IL. 1t was not
only painful, it Was exasperating. Mrs Fit
kins heard window opened across the street,
she knew who WIS listening, and she knew
how she would be looked at in the morning.
The window was softly closed and the wo-
man III the hands Of the cough demon knew
how that listener over the way was shaking
her head and signing, and no doubt casting
about in her mind as to what device In flowers
she would contribute to the funeral, how
much she could afford to pay, and what she
would saw TO the children about their dead
mother.
Gradually all sounds died in the streets
but the patrolmans whistle or horn, the
screeching, of the railroad engines commence
ing MONDAYS work and the clock in the tower
that grew noisy in the stiffness of night. If
Mrs. Ptkins could see her thoughts and fam
ces of that night in words on some bright
dav when she is in sound health, she would
be likely to DENY all knowledge of them, and
think any woman capable of thinking such
chaotic mass, or incapable of preventing
herself thinking it fit subject for treatment
in an insane hospital AT first her only
thought was of applying the internal
and external remedies, quite sure
that the claw would be vsnquished within 10
or 20 minutes; but when 80 minutes passed,
then another 30, then 20 more and the noisy
clock struck II, she wonderered why Lucifer
had not tried Job with claw in his throat.
She was sure, as Jobs children were beyond
the possibility of stepmother, he would have
cursed God and went out and hanged himself,
instead of making an example of himself to
be thrown into poor tortured bodies faces for
thousands of years. Then came the weari
ness, the utter exhaustion, when the sense
of pain is half lost and the worst feeling Is
-itation at the monotony. She dozed and
dlea ned and coughed; dreamed she was
se.na tortured for righteousness sake, and
~ 'siti giving way; that she held out
hef hand nd called to her tormentors as
c,ioae'i s. rsays he would have done
4h aetr his lions paw from my
throa. $50. .el me what to believe
and I'll .o-.s- - IA so ,iredl
But the VS. varied. She
climbed hills a. pAl 20 her cough
keep time to her ste, 'ud iaf 'eached
the TOP. She fell from e.ga, ! was
only saved from dash .
pieces by that savas cav e.
ing in her throat and bring her 60
sitting posture in bed. She hao 20 care Ell
hundreds of sick babies that screams ~
cert every time she coughed. She stpoie-
the puzzle of Is, moving the blocks In I.
with that demoniac claw. Then she reused
herself, rubbed her throat and chest, took d
dose of each one Of the infallible remedies,
told Mr. Pitkins she was getting better and
laid down again, to ind herself pursued by
thousands Of tiny flame colored imps. They
swarmed over her head and shoulders, flashed
before her eyes, Missed in her ears, dartlng
like lightning here, there, everywhere, ano
/ at last settling in swarm over her cnest
| Each one proceeded to adjust weapon ne
carried what they were she could not dis
Germ; but they looked like needles OF fire
and so she thought them as million or more
all at once pierced her lungs and riveted them
selves there. Then how those imps laughed
and shouted and sang and danced. How they
dist ,rted their ugly little faces, and writhec
and twisted till sparks few from every poin
of their bodies Poor Mrs. Pitklrs though
! the end must come soon now and resolved Il
bear it quietly. The imps read her resolve il
her face and instantly ever.
one went to work in SOM
different way with his needle. Some twisted
and pried: some balanced their bodies on tn
top end and spun round and round: some per
formed like wooden jumping jacks
and some sprang from one to another
in bewildering game of cross-tag. Their
was no gymnastic feat ever dreamed OF, n
tricks of agility ever invented that was nc
performed by these flaming imps on thel
redhot needles.
Mrs. Pitkins was only conscious OF tn
thought: 'Im nearly dead-but didn
know consumptives died this way-the chi
T dren must do the best they can, when SD
felt herself raised by strong arm under he
shoulders. She opened her eyes to see benz
, ing over her the face of the old pnyslcia
she knew and trusted. Mr.. Pitkins was SUI
porting her and remarked as the doctor pr
l sented spoonful of something: "IaKe Uni
| Polly. we'll have no more of these nom
made slops. and no more of this blab abo'
/ consumption and step mothers
j, Then the bed covering was folded soft
about her, the fiery imps grew DINNER al
: paler, turning rapidly to indistinct, ash-ct
b ored forms, needles and all, and droppIir
|, like healing powder into the wounds tn
e had made.
d The next day Mrs Pitkins kept her roo
r and the news went though the neighborho
: like wild-fre that she was down at last, u