The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-30

narrowing toward the foot A strong shudder
darted through the doctor at this sight which
must have been so common to him. Two other
women were watching with Ruby. One of them,
the landady of the tavern, came forward to
meet her two borders. and shook hands with the
doctor. She was capable and portly and talked
in hoarse whisper. Being the dead girls Aunt
Ruby Ann, she was there to command.
Mrs. Dixon sat down in remote corner, with
her sunbonnet over her eyes She was very
thin creature, having calico garments which
hung upon her. The contemporary world sell
dom caught her features on account of this i'm
movable sunbonnet, and it was believed she
would die without having ever fully shown her
face. She was not deaf, yet when she made one
Of her scant remarks she shouted it, and people
shouted to her in return. rhe major part of
her time was evidently spent in meditation, and
having Hiram Dixon for her second husband
was deemed sufficient excuse for this.
Aunt Ruby Ann put splint bottomed chair
and the one rocker before a soote and cavelike
fireplace where some green sticks were weeping
upon rusty fre-dogs.
The doctor set his pillbags and hat upon the
splint- bottomed chair, and the landlady under
standing him, took up the candle.s
During their conference her voice never rose
above the hoarse whisper proper to the occasion.
Ibid you git wordW she inquired.
''Not until Secrist told me, after got out of
the hack"
II am glad you're on hand, for he's rarin'
around to bury her whether or no." She cast a
look of contempt at her sister who could keep a
husband in no better subsection than Hiram
Dixon was kept I'D give her up, and then
agn so and try once more with feathers under
her nose and a looking glass held to her mouth
can mighty near see dimness on the glass;
and yet amt sure of that neither"
Seeing that Brotherton did not lift the corner
of the sheet sarcophagus. Aunt Ruby Ann raised
it herself, exposing little Ruby by the yellow
tongue of the candle. Shrouds were just pass
ing out of use then, SO Ruby was clad In her
best dress of thin black silk, the sleeves flowing
away from her elbows and leaving her arms pro-
tected by muslin underseeves. broad collar
of needlework was turned down we'll toward her
shoulders and fastened at ner throat by a
mighty brown and white cameo pin. Her deli
cate face was not yet pinched or sunken, its un-
usual whiteness seeming merely to deepen the
OF her eyelid veins and the network on her tenn
Piles caught the gaze of one who studied her.
suggestion Of color like auroral light appeared
upon her lips and cheeks.
She looks nat'ral, don't she Doc.W whispered
the landlady with emphatic hoarseness.
"Yes," replied Brotherton, getting down upon
his knees and applying his ear to her chest and
heart.
she tumbled," shouted Mrs. Dixon from her cor
ner turning the mouth of her sun-bonnet up
ward from trance of meditation. And having
discharged that conversational ball, she again
lowered it's muZZle.
Brotherton and the landlady held converse
ton which ended in much trampling on the
naked floor and some shifting of the mean fur
niture at which his partner and the neighbor
assisted. Mrs. Dixon sat silent and saw her
daughters body transferred to table, and the
doctors morocco case of instruments gittering
beneath the feeble candle light
Secrist poked the fire and kept his face strictly
chmneyward.
At the table long pauses alternated with whis-
pers and changes of position. Water occasional
ly drpped on the floor. Mrs Dixon could be-
hold Brotherton's haggard expression, and the
quick gesture with which the back of his hand
rubbed moisture from his forehead.
Three doctors has give her up she shouted,
and again dropped her sunbonnet mouth, leaving
the fact to hit its mark.
There was a clock screwed to the wall, with
pineapple weights hanging by chains 1t
had the piteous air of dragging its own yiscera
and was altogether such an incomplete clock as
the master of such house might desire; but its
iron hands kept pace with time and they indi-
Gated that Brotherton had been experimenting
| more than an hour, when the pat of naked feet
became irregularly distinct on the naked stairs
and the stting-room door was thrown open so
wide as to bump against Mrs. Dixon's knees.
What did you git up for, Mater whispered
on the curve of her arm The child was in
linsey dress, under which scant draping he cud-
died his legs, while he searched the group around
the table with large, dark eyes and began to
whimper.
Her and Nate was tossin the ball thgether
and singn Lord Lowell" shouted Mrs. Dixon
She bent her sunbonneted head once more and
sat motionless as if waiting to be reloaded
The landlady turned his face from the table
and carried him around to the doctor.
How do you do Nate2" said Brotherton
taking one of his ague- tinted claws and kissing
81 want my maw," wept out Nate, putting up
his trembling underlip.
''Call her." said Brotherton taking the child
upon his own arm.
NAV, O, maw!" called Nate. 80. I'm
49, al Al, l.
Butterton"
The young man moved one of Ruby's arms.
.If you can't rouse her. Nate, she's beyond the
reach of love and despair. Call her again"
doc Doc!' demonstrated the landlady. IF
you set him to takin' on we never will git hi m
peacefied again."
And out Of her bosom grew red red rose, and
out of his'n grew a briar" shouted Mrs. Dixon.
Her knees being again threatened by the open
ing door, she threw herself together if collaps
ing.
1t was an old man who came in. He fixed the
glare of blue goggles upon the table His iron
gray hair met with iron gray beard upon his
cheek bones and formed shaggy curtain reach
ing his shoulders AS if sun, rain and many sea
sons wear had not done their worst for his
ancient and ill-favored clothing, he was freshly
glazed with frozen mud stains, and his dark
paws were yellowed by clay quite to the frayed
coat sleeve. Shutting the door so that respon-
sive shudder ran through the old house. he de-
manded at once:
WHO'S medd,in' with that corpse9"
1.-THE State of Illinois" replied Secrist from
the fire place.
''The Stateof Illinois can get out of my house.
them said the old man, wagging his CORY shag
II don't keep medical college"
Hiram Dixon" spoke out the landlady, faint
you willin' every means should be tried to see if
l/e's left in Ruby!"
Il am" said the druggist and I'm the con-
stable"
''You can't bury her tomorrow, Mr. Dixon"
said Brotherton 81 am not ready to pronounce
her dead"
'Ill bury ner to morrow as sure as the
sun rises said old Hiram Dixon ''And I
knowed you couldn't tell dead woman from a
live one."
He came forward in his usual stopped and
stiffened posture, and Nate, with one arm
around the DOCTORS neck, watched him fearfully.
b,1ru har To faator