Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-05-03

10 the DOCTOR, ana the shaking
old hands tied the ribbons resolutely.
81 can't stand this, no way. It's worse
than being farmed out, sister," and
she went.
The doctor came. There vas little
he could do, but that he did, and first
of all he took the needle out of Needles
thin old hand.
From that day on she set herself with
all the force of resolute and loving
nature to die. It was pitiful to see
how she chung to Pins and longed to
stay for her sake, even as she felt that
she must make haste to go for that
same dear sake; and the conflict be-
tween longing and steady purpose
weakened the faithful old heart still
more.
''Prissy," said she, ''when I am gone
don't spend much money on me. I'd
rather the town should bury me than
that you should come on the town
finally"
The slow tears rolled down Pins
cheeks. 'I'll bury you myself, sister,"
she said. earnestly, land won't live
long enough after to trouble the town,
no way"
Needles looked up wistfully: Don't
be long after me, Prissy, for shall be
lonely without YOU"
mo, sister, but there's my two hus-
bands. Don't you think you'll know
emp
Know emp I'd know Silas Wether-
ell anywhere 1 set eyes on him, and as
for Amasa Youngs-"
''Sister. 1 hope you don't bear no
malice. He's dead and gone. you
know"
''So'll be. Prissy, when I see him
if do"
Sister,
1.-The Lord is merciful, and think,
sister, think He's made Heaven big
enough so that Amasa and I won't see
each other"
.'Well. sister. if it hadn't been for
him dying as he did, getting run over
by that ere train, we couldn't have got
along as well as we have.''
mo, Prissy, we shouldn't. Amasa's
death was mercy any way you look
at it, e..ss,,S
''As for Silas," she went on after
minute, 81 never had no conceit of
him nohow, but I'll try to get along
with him till you come"
He'll be there, sister,"
30, yes. he'll be on hand. He al
ways was on hand when nobody wanted
him."
Only few days after Needles died.
1t was one lovely August morning in
the early dawn that Pins heard her call
and came hastily from the little inner
room where she had been trying to rest
little. She came out and bent over
to kiss the withered lips of the dying
woman.
SISTER, do you know meP It's I,
Prissy." she said. '.Sisteri good-morn-
ing, sister!' The dying eyes opened
for one last loving look and then
closed forever.
Pins buried her. ga good decent
burial that the town didn't have no
hand in" she said to herself, grimly.
''Mebbe I'll have to be buried by the
town myself, but sister wasn't" she
said, and she took up her work again.
But. alas! the stiff, hard old fingers
worked even less swiftly and steadily
now. There was something gone from
the life and the eyes wandered visit
dropped idly from her hands. So. be-
fore long. it happened that the dozen
shirts ook two weeks instead of one
to finish. Then coarser work was
taken that tried the old eyes less and
that only paid three shillings a dozen
instead of fifty cents. Nineteen cents
a week! 1t wasn't much to live on,
but she did it. Easily too, as her APP
petite began to fail her, and soon she
began to lay by out of that little sum
something more for her burying. She
couldn't eat the coarse food she
bought, and day after day a little
bread and butter and a cup of tea was
all she took. But worse of all was the
loneliness. She missed her sister SOL
Again and again she would start up in
the night thinking she heard her call,
and then would lay herself back on
her dreary pillow, not to cry, for she
was over seventy, and the old shed few
tears, but to remember.
She took to going about a little now,
stopping at the houses of by-gone
friends, and she would be often asked
to stay to dinner or to tea with them.
How good the food tasted! 1t would
be easier to wait for death she fancied
if she could always have food like that.
But one day she overheard the good
man of the house remark: '.Prissy al
ways happens around about meal-time,
don't she, wife?" and she hurried
home in an agony of shame. She
never went again.
That same day one of the selectmen,
a kindly-natured man, though with
rough exterior, overlook her as she
walked. and involuntarily she spoke to