Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-01-09
NELLIE BELToN's RUsE.

NELLIE BELTON's RUsE
Hush, hush, Neiie!' said Mrs. Bolton.
holding up warning finger as her daugh
ter sprang up the steps with gay laugh
Your father Is suffering very much this
afternoon and is trying to sleep. He is
in the sitting room on the lounge, where
| made him go, as 1t is much cooler
there"
whats the matter now2" said Nelly,
with Der pretty face curiously unchanged
/ by the news OF her fathers ipdisposition
"Oh, just enc of his nervous spells!
| And ! think he said he had headache,
too. | broiled him a bird and he seemed
to relish that, and drank some buttermilk
of The mornings churning.
! "Well, then, if he can eat and enjoy
buttermilk,' remarked the girl with a
short laugh che is not so very bad off.
! BE honest now, mother, do you believe
much in father ailments? No, no; don't
! you frown, but tell the truth Aren't his
! appetite and looks too good for there to be
much the matter with him? ] declare |
have caught DR.. Lester smiling broadly
several time when he has been here to
see father, and it was all he could do to
keep from laughing right in his face.
Mrs. Belton's kindly face wore a half
amused, half-frightened expression as she
listened to her daughter, but she answered
demurely:
How can you talk so, Nelly? OF course
your father is i'll, or why should be feign
to be SOP"
"He likes petting and eoddling just like
baby, and, mother, | really believe you
know it is mainly his imagination that is
at work, but you have got in the habit OF
waiting on hlm and humoring his fancies
until you do it as matter of course. Now
own mp. Do you believe in his sickness
today?'
Tie mother evaded the clear, truth
compelling eyes turned up TO her own,
but she laughed and whispered bach:
that bird and drink three glasses of the
buttermilk and dispose of nearly a
third of glass of my strawberry pre-
serves
Nelly caught her mother in her arms
with shout of delight. Bravo! bravo
You have owned it and that is half the
battle. Mother | know Ia the bottom of
your beart, kind and tender as it is, You
are tired of fathers morbid farcies, and
to ministering to his imaginary ailments
And it is time something was done to
arouse him or he will become confirmed
hypocbondrlac, for he is nearly that now.
believe | could break him"
"No, you couldn't, child, used to try
and get him to shake of his dependency
and not to think so much Of his little
aches and pains, but only got called un-
feeling for my exertlons.
"Well, | would approach him different
". Listen, mother, have plan.
And the two heads, one still brown and
handsome in spite Of the fine lines of sill
yer over the temples, and the other a
bright chestnut, drew close together and
in the golden sunshine of the beautiful
September day dark plot was formed,
and when Bob Harper came strolling in
with the most purposeless air that ever
conceived purpose the same was impart
ed to him under the seal of secrecy. Then,
when Nelly CHANGED to walk as far IS the
turn of the road as Bob took his way home,
the doctor, driving past, was halted and
made partner likewise in the mysterious
business.
The afternoon slipped away and the day
had given place to the purple twilight
when Hiram Bolton awoke from his pleas
ant nap and stretch d out his hand for tie
pitcher of ice water usually PLACED right
by his side on such occasions by his de-
voted wife. but this time he felt in vain
He pressed his Lar d on his forehead and
groaned twice, iLrice, very heavily, but
there was no one wh) came tipt0eing into
the room to bend over hi . abd beg to
know what could ba done. Mis- groans
grew louder and more alarming and still
they produced no effect, so presently the
invalid raised himself slowly, and advanc-
ing TO the door called family: Barbara, y
returning 10 the couch at once. No Bar
hara answered but in few moments
Nellie came nonchalantly singing into the
room
THAT your father?" she said careless
~. Have you taken lazy spell, tooY'
A groan was the reply, which only
brough forth, Drank toe much butter
milk, Ell? ] did myself, and tell you 1t
gave me pain
Where's yonr mother - put in the in
suited invalid, glazing az his daughter
Gone to bed. She had headache and
| made her &c, for there was really no
reason for her keeping up if she teIt lndis-
posed,
mo reason - snorted Mr. Bolton. And
me as III as am! ] wonder who she
thinks is going to nurse me; but it is like
a woman TO give up at the slightest ache
or pain. and just when they are need
ed most.
Oh. you will be all right in an hour or
two! Father. ifyou don't mind III 20 to
prayer meeting with Rob Harper. By the
way, mother said would you please get the
churn ready for her, and here ice key to
the dairy"
She was gone gefore her irate parent
could frame the cutting speech be bad IN
mind. in which be mingled a serpent
tooth, an ungrateful child, his wife's IN
accountable and preposterous failure to
perform her wifely duties, and the heart
less Madness 1T expecting him TO rise from
a couch Of pain and illness to set cbnrh
He lay and pondered the thing over. They
wer evidently growing incredufous % the
subjec, Of bis ailments and needed a ies-
snp a gevpra ono Ia bring them back to