Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-06-25

nauCht.
For l can't invite conp'ny with
Jared actin SO. He'd haze 20 b in the
parlor some" she said to herself: often
with hot tears in her eyes
The summer days wane ed into those
of autumn. and the autumn days gave
place to the winds and SHOWS of late
November. and still the feet of Jared
Drewe had never crossed the threshold
of his own parlor, and Martha had suf-
fered untold modification on this &C
count.
They were sitting alone il rather
gloomy silence at the close of dark
and stormy day in late November.
! Martha had not been we'll for several
DAYS She had never been confined to
her bed day in her life and slight
| indisposition usually made her irrit-
able She felt that it would be in some
degree disgrace for her to oe i'll 1t
| was with much pride as gratitude
! that she Remembered that neither she
| nor Jared had ever needed the services
of physician
| But she looked i'll enough to need
| one now. There were great black hol-
! lows under her dull eyes her checks
were flushed. her lips dry. and she
| crept about slowly and languidlv.
| Better let me GO for the doctor,
| Marthy." Jared had said several times.
Il b'lieve you're sicker n you reckon
! you air"
! I've an idee I'll be better in the
morning. I'm goin' 70 take a dose of
them bitters that helped me so when
was kind o run down in the summer.
Wish you'd get EN- for me-"
Where are they" he asked. rising
I from his chair, the paper he had been
reading still in his hand.
down, Jared. I'll get up and get EN-
myself"
She was lying on the lounge at the
time and she sat up painfully and
slowly, while he fastened to say:
No, no, Narthy; lay still: I'll get
'em. Where are they?'
They're in that little corner closet
in the parlor, Jared"
He stared b,ankly at her for mo-
ment. his face crimsoning: he took a
step forward and then dropped back
| heavily into his chair and held the pa
per up before his face in silence.
| His wife arose without a word and
feebly walked across the floor. breath
| ing heavily and keeping herself from
| falling by leaning on the table and
| chairs. Jared watched her furtively
while pretending to read. There was
| a visible twitching of the corners of his
mouth once, and his teeth, set close to-
| gether, showed between his parted
lips. The hand that held the paper
| trem bled, but he sat still.
| His wife slowly CROPPED her way
across the hall He heard the parlor
! door open. He heard the door of the
little closet swing back, creaking
slightly on its hinges Then he heard
Martha fall.
He ran to the open door of the parlor.
She was lying at full length, face down
ward, on the floor.
Martha. MARTHA he cried; but he
stopped short. with his toes on the par
lor threshold, his stubborn, infiexibl
| will 10th to bend or break even to give
aid to the wife he truly loved.
'Marthy, o, Marthy," he called,
| stretching his arms far into the room
toward her. ''Lordy, Marthy, come
here, and I'll do everything l kin for
you. Roll over, if Epu can't walk,
| Marthy -
He dropped to his knees, bent his
! great body forward and tried to reach
, her but failed by several feet There
was ludicrous side to it all.
"Marthy." he fairly shrieked
She neither moved nor spoke, but
suddenly she gave pitiful groan.
Good Lord. What an old fool be-
cried Jared. suddenly leaning back and
/ 60 hi with hiS r1anah af
fists. "A fool an beast to let the
best wife any man ever had suffer a
second. when I might help her. The
| Lord forgive me-
He bounded to her side as he
spoke, and took her limp and uncon-
scious form up in his arms, saying as he
did so:
It'll be a Judgment on me if she
dies The best wife in the world.
Marthy, Marthy. dear. What ais
YEP"
He seldom called her dear He did
SO now with great tenderness and gen.
| tleness.
''Marthy, can't We open your eyes?
See, dear: I'm in the parlor. I'll come
in it right along now. The paperin'
| RELY sets it off. I've thought so from
the fust. but I was too cussed stubborn
to say So Oh. Marthy. What is the
matter?" For she did not even oper
her eyes
It was seven weeks before she left
the bedroom to which he carried her.
He had been one of the tenderest and
most patient of nurses, but the word
''parlor" had never passed either his
lips or hers during all that time.
She had thought much about it, how
ever, but not with pride or pleasure,
| because she had no hope that Jared
would ever enter it now. and the wall
paper could not be removed.
He carried her out tenderly and gently
the first time she left her room.
Want me to carry We into the par
lor, Marthy?" he asked. after he had
her in his arms. Its sunny and bright