The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-02-04

1Olke says as q SELFISH DTuto, DuI lIloI 10
liars, liars every one one of 'em. Didn't
@ pick me up, when l was a sniveling lit
tie brat by { roadside, an 'asn't Q KEEP
me wi him ever sin'Y
"Poor lass, she struggled bravely against
her illness, often keeping on her legs
through sheer force of will when weakness
made everything seem to swim before her.
But, when she arrived here with lot of
others for the village tide-as they call
tho feast-just a week ago, the tent in
which Doynes' performing dogs were wont
to perform, was not set up. Dolly Bobs
came sneaking in here late at night in
mortal fear OF his wife-for Liz was a
pariah among her people-and told me
why, and gave me LIS history as far as
he knew il. He came really TO relieve his
conscience, believe, by asking me to go
and see her, evidently doubling whether L
would do so when no pay was forthcoming
-sordid old brute.
"0f course I did 20 and ] fonnd time
even worse than he had told me. The
caravan was fearfully dilapidated old rat
tle-trap, weather-beaten and rotten to the
last degree, and but for couple of NANCY
nongrel ours which were crouching on the
steps there wasn't sign of life about it.
The battered tin chimney gave out no
smoke, both doors were closely shut, the
windows were half covered with painted
limitations of curtains. l knocked and
went in. Everything was frightfully
ruinous and poverty-stricken, and there
was plenty of evidence to show that nothing
had been done in the tidying line lately.
There was bunk against each wall at the
opposite end. In one of them the bearded
face of man OF about five or eight and
thirty showed itself; i'll the other lay
woman, young, still good looking, but
terribly emaciated, and evidently in the
last stage OF consumption.
Are you the DOCTOR she asked. And
] told her that / was and that Naltolski
had sent me in TO see her.
"'Yes. yes she said, hurriedlv, AN its
very kind o. yer to come t likes % me.
But see Doynes; 'e's been orful bad today.
1t amt ketchn' i'm in lis back where it
used, but 'igher up like. An there's a
somethin' j. lis throat as makes i'm e
don't want TO eat, sir. There's beauti-
full piece OF billed am aside i'm
"And as poor Liz indicated the Wand in
question l could see that she considered
this refusal to eat when food was actually
within his reach, as the most dangerous
symptom OF oil. In his case, also, the
diagnosis was a simple one. He might
live week, a couple of days, or a few
hours, or he might die in matter of min
utes.
"I'll send him some beef tea told
her.
"'But med 'cin'-give i'm some medic Gin
as well an I'll pay yer wi the first brass
We gets; l will, s'welp me bob.
'lt is extraordinary what faith these
people put in drugs. However, not that
all the physic in the world would have
done him any good, but merely to pacify
her, / said: oh, yes, OF course; il will
come with the beef tea And then
tried to hint to her how dangerously i'll
she was herself. But she burst out into a
torrent of abuse-probably because had
confirmed her own ideas-snd finished up
by saying, vehemently:
az mustn't, | cannot die, | willn't die!
There's Doynes there as helpless as e can
be, wus'n usual, in fact, an if | types out,
who's to look arter 'un? No, she contin-
ued, excitedly, raising herself on one ell
bow, it's no use yer 'intin' at them out
side-the other show-folks. They'd send
i'm to the 'ouse, thev would, like as they
wanted to do afore. Bnt 'e's mine, mine
all mine, an e shalln't be took away
Doctor she went on, first sinking back
out OF sheer eXhautaion and then raising
herself up again and clutching at my
hand with the feverish energy OF despair
doctor, yer will gle me sutthing to max
me strong agen, willn't yerP Sutthing as
III let me work the show agen, and get
DOynes bits stuff as e likes. Oh, if ye
nobbut knew 'Ow it wor I'm an the
dogs as been the only thing Use even 'ad
to-to-like; an though folks SEE dogs is
best, / don't care-it's i'm, it's Doynes, as
l wants t'hangs on fer
"Well, there she tainted dead away !;
and from then till now I've been messing
around that old caravan the most OF my
time. / dare ay"-brusquely-"yo
think me bit OF fool for doing it; but
couldn't help myself. Besides. there was
no one else. The parson-who is a very
good fellow in his way but lacking of
tact-tried his hand but Liz sent him
about his business very quickly when he
started lecturing her about her want OF
resignation as he was pleased to term it !;
and she can be pretty free with her
tongue when she likes. Most of those sort
OF people can be; it's part OF their bust
ness. you know. And the natives. for
| some reason or other, refused 10 go near.
Il was there this morning rs usual.
and hardly expected the girl to live
another hour. Indeed, she might have
| died any minute, and it was her will
alone that kept her alive.
flows 'e2' she would mutely ask
every few minutes or so; and when /
told her, she would seem satisfied.
And so it went on till about an hour
before you arrived here. Then Doynes
suddenly stopped breathing. She noticed
1t mediately-noticed it, in fact, before
/ did, and babe me look at him.
''He was dead, and told her so.
''She smiled feebly and beckoned me
down nearer to her, and, by laying my
ear close against. her lips, could just
make out the words above the pattering
of the rain on the roof:
"'Told yer so-didn't die whites e
might want me. Say the caravan
| give Doynes-swell funeral-and-'
"But that was all. She had fastened
after DoYnes.n