Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-11-06

II don't say he's mad" the pirate
replied. Il don't knows he is; 1 dom
knows he ANT. I jest chained him NJ
to see, an he broke the chain"
The whole towns sympathy went tc
Aunt Eliza, and. naturally enough, the
towns Indignation "a sort Of twin
brother of sympathy, hunting about
a ONE one to blame, fell equally or
the pirate and me.
Most people thought that I oughtnot
to have killed the dog. Mad dogs
should not be killed, but captured
alive. and kept in safe confinement
until thedoctors can determine whether
or not the animal is rabid.
They talked as though catching mad
dogs alive was the easiest thing on
earth. My father did lot object to my
shooting the dog. but told me that ]
was ga fool to scare the women" NV
mother declared that it all came from
mat wicked practice of boys carrying
revolvers. What did 1 want with a re.
volyer, anyhow? And she promptly
conhscated my cherished weapon. Tin
really was sorry for me but he thought
that L ought to have lassoed the dig,
Just as we saw the cowboys doing with
Tile buffalo in the wild West" liz
would have. done that way himself; he
always carried a rope in his pocket. II
was too detected to rem nd him that,
IN spite of shying his lasso at every
brute within reach. he had never sue.
e in noosing anything but an old
bind horse, which ran away with the
rope.
was miserable enough those DAYS
indeed, so were we ali, since Ain,
Elias case had become serious. Ary
stray hopes we night have had Of
moving her, Planchette extineuished
directly.
mo. Remington" she said. solemn.
~, to my father; II know better. I've
been warned from on high. Thatfatal
day l consulted Planchette about send,
ing some things to Sister Kate in Lex.
lngton. Thought the message read:
Take a quiet drayman.' You know
the writing is a little jndistinct. Blu,
when l got home I looked at it again,
and there it was. plain as day, You
are in great danger Since then Ell.
dred himself has told me thai
I'm doomed. Everything is arranged
about my worldly affairs. I've SEN
word to Sister Kate when the funeral
is likely to be, so she can come over,
and I've engaged Hatchett for the I'm,
dertaker-Pierce snittles and hens So
it would disturb me in my coffin.
know. And I've bought some stout
canvas to bind me-
'Oh, Lord bless the woman!n fathe,
burst out. in a fury between rage and
grief. Eliza, you're just imagining
yourself mad
Indeed I'm not, Remington Pres.
colt. l read the whole of .Youart or
the Dog You are right cruel to talk
so to a dying woman"
you're not a dying woman"
Il am. too" said my aunt Eliza.
Actually, both growing warm, they
nearly had a Quarrel on the spot.
Lyde begged us in future not to ar
que with her mother. You know how
firm ma is" said Lyde. Firm" struck
nae as a filial word. BY this time thu
doctor was at his wits end. Promptly
upon the ninth day Aunt Eliza wa:
seized with a shivering fit. and took te
a darkened room and smiling chloro
form. symptoms described by sympa
timing friends appeared inforce. See
now" said the doctor, with a groan
Il kmow she hasn't anything but lysso
phob:a; that's a sort of spurious rabies
you understand-just imaginary. I've
watched her. and she hasn't any nv
pe%rasthesia to speak Of. and there ISM
the extraordinary reflex s%ensibility O
the real rabies. No. sir. But she'll xii
herself just the same. Why. sir. ther,
are cases where men have gone ravins
mad and died from the bite Of a dos
found afterward in perfect health. /
is awful about Mrs. Prescott. She ha.
ordered a muzzle. as sure as you live
l tell YOU, Sir. when l heard about tina
l felt like crying"
.'It makes me feel like swearing
growled my father. Ferris, what d.
You say?"
Basil was in New York at the tim,
of the accident. As soon as he heart
about it he came home; he had onl,
been home a day. II think. sad Basil
''that I'll take a walk with Rem owe
to the scene."
He was very kind and forbearine
with me. saying: you acted for the
best, Rem. and if the dog had beer
mad, the sooner they knew it the bet.
ter; times money with mad-dog bites.'
That was the way Lyde had talked
too. but, of course. Ithoughta greatdea
more of it coming from Basil, Lyde be
ing only a girl. He looked very tall
and handsome and determined as ht
strobe along. l admired him i'm
mensely, and a CLEAN of hope light
ened my heart; perhaps he might
think of something. 1t did not take
long to conduct him to the pirates
field. There was the fence, not We
mended. the broken rails and tramplec
grass. Basil examined everything
with frowning attention. Finally he
called me to him and showed me 8
shred of something black t%lutterins
from a projecting nail.
do YOU see that?" said he, pulling
it away. D..
saw that it was a piece of black
silk. with a bit OF Grape on the edge.
II think it's a piece of Aunt Eliza's
dress" I said; she must have caught
it when she fell. She had on a black
silk dress"
rs that all you see," said Basil.