Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-02-12


tool"
A groan was the reply, which only
brought forth, "Drank too much butter
milk, eh9 did myself, and 1 tell you it
gave me pain
"Wherc's your motherl" put IN the
insulted invalid, glaring at his daughter.
"Gone to bed. She had a haadache
and l made her go, for there was really
no reason for her keeping up if she felt
indisposed.'
"No reason" snorted Mc Bolton.
"And ne as ill as ami wonder who
she thinks is going to nurse me; but its
like a woman to give up to the slightest
ache or pain, and just when they are
needed most"
"Oh, you will be all right in an hour
or twol Father, ii you don't mind I'll
90 to prayer meeting with Bob Harper.
By the way, mother said would you
please get the churn ready for her, and
here's the key to the dairy
She was gone before the irate parent
could frame the cutting speech he had
in mind, in which he mingled serpent
tooth, an ungrateful child, his wife's
unacountablc and preposterous failure to
perform her wifely duties, and the heart
less madness of expecting him to rise
from a couch Of pain and illness to Sc. a
churn. He lay and pondefed the thing
over. They were evidently growing in
credulous on the subject Of his ailments
and needed a lesson, a severe one, to
bring them back to their allegiance. In
the meanwhile Nellie, leaning on her
lovers arm, cOaGdcd to him that
"Father always fell ill so oppoTtunely,
and recovered with such surprising readl-
ness whenever he found that illness was
inconveuient. They both laughed, but
a quick remorsc smote the girl when on
their return they saw lights glancing
about the house, heard a msn-servant on
a horse 60 tearing after the doctor, and
Mrs. Bolton met them with
ooh, Nelly, your father is dying, dy-
ingl 1t is a judgment on US for our
wicked doubling of him this afternoon.
Oh, can never, never forgive myself"
But when Nelly, followed by Rob, en-
tered the darkened room where her
father lay the color came back to her
checks and her eyes lost their look of
borrow, for with singular laundering
Rob picked up the shaded lamp, and,
turning the wick to its greatest height,
let the bright stream of light fall right
on the sufferers face, so that his
daughter saw that the dying mans
countenance was still very healthily
tinted.
"Oh, oh, OIL" grOaued Mr.. Bolton.
'sTurn that lamp down. Is that you,
Nelly, daughter9 Well, kiss your poor
father and tell him goodbye. Oh, ohl
"Here, you are going to faint, Miss
Nelly. Go out in the fresh air at once, y
said Rob, and as the door closed on tht
ni-l turned to Mr.. Belton with "PooI
girl. And she to be married 50 soon to
Joe Bannerl Your death will put her
wedding OF, won'tit?"
"Whatl' yelled Mr.. Bolton, forgetting
to groan and sitting up in bed. "Joe
Banner! Not if have to kill him."
The Banners and Beltons hated each
other as only people in small places and
over small matters have time to. "Ha;
such thing been going on behind my
backq I'll-I'll-"
"Oh, don't, dearl" interposed poor
Mrs. Belton. "You will injure yourself.
Lie quiet till the doctor comes. an
sure Rob is mistaken about Joe Banner
Why, Nelly never speaks to him, aud,
besides, she and Rob are
"iIere's the DOCTOR" exclaimed Rob
rushing to open the door and cutting
Mrs. Bolton short in her explanation
DR.. Lester came IN looking suspiciOusly
grave, for there was a very inconsistent
twinkle in his eyes. He felt Mr. Beltoni
pulse aud looked graver still, while the
twinkle fairly set his eyes to dancing
and then with a certain reluctance in bis
voice said:
al must not conceal fron you, m.
dear sir, that you are suffering from
! cer.bro-spinaI meningitis combined with
enemia of the medulla- oblongata. How
is it you never consulttd me about it be-
foreg Didn't suspect itl"
"No-o," said the patient, looking
scared and white. "poctor-wiIl-wil
it-it-it be fataI2"
The doctor turned first and requested
Mrs. Bolton and Rob 10 leave the room,
which they did, when he addressed him
self to the sick man: 81 feel it my duty
to tell you the truth. You haven't one
hoar tc live"
"ob, oh, OIL Save me, doctorl III
give you $500 to do it---a thousand dol