The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-11-19

"Send ono o. the kids to tell my boy
I'm stayin here, I" she said. "And then
just you get 'em all to bed-there's too
much noise about the house"
The children. who were orphaned
grandchildren Of the dying woman, were
sent to bed, and then Jim himself was
packed off to refresh himself for the
next days labors, for the poor old fell
low still doddered about the workshop.
The silence of the sickroom spread
over the whole house. About 10 O'Clock
the doctor came again and instructed
Honor how to alleviate the patients last
hours All night long she sat watching
her dying sister, hand and eye alert to
anticipate every which. No word broke
the awful stiffness.
The first thing in the morning
Mercy's married daughter, the only
child of hers living in London, arrived
to nurse her mother. But Honor indig'
nantly refused to be dispossessed.
"A nice daughter you are, :" she said.
''to leave your mother lay a day and a
night without q sight o. your ugly
FACET.
81 had to look after the good man
and the little uns, the daughter plead
ed. ...
Then what do You mean by desertin
them now?' the irate old woman retort-
ed. First you deserts your mother and
then your husband and children. You
just 60 back to them as needs your care.
I carried your mother i'm my arms be-
fore you wa born, and IL she wants any
body else now to look after her let her
Just tell me 80, and I'n be Off in q brace
o. shakes"
She looked defiantly at the yellow,
dried up creature in the bed. Mercy's
withered lips twitched, but no sound
came from them. Jim, strung up by the
situation, took the word. "You can't
do no good up here, the doctor says.
You might look after the kids down
stairs a bit when You can spare an hour,
and I've got to go to the shop. I'll send
you a telegraph If there's change, he
whispered to the daughter, and she, not
wholly discontented to return TO her liv-
ing interests, kissed her mother, lin
gered q little and then stole quietly
away. ,
All that day the old women fingered
together in solemn silence, broken only
by the doctors visit. He reported that
Mercy might last q couple of days more.
In the evening Jim replaced his sister.
in-law, who slept perforce. At mid
night she awoke and sent him to bed.
The sufferer tossed about restlessly. At
800 she awoke. and Honor fed her with
some broth as she would have fed q ba-
by. Mercy indeed looked scarcely big
ger than an infant, and Honor had the
advantage of her only by being pulled
ont with clothes. A church clock in the
distance struck 3. Then the silence fell
deeper. The watcher drowsed. The
lamp fickered, tossing her shadow about
the walls as If she, too, were turning
feverishly from side to side. A strange
ticking made itself heard in the vain
scoting. Mercy sat up with a scream OF
terror. Jim" she shrieked. "Jiml''
Honor listened, her blood curdling.
Then she went toward the door and
opened it. Jim" she said in low tones,
speaking toward the landing. ''tell her
it's nothin; it's only q mouse. She was
always a little thing" And
she closed the door softly, and press
ing her trembling sister tenderly back
ON the pillow tucked her up snugly in
the blanket.
Next morning, when Jim was really
present, the patient begged patheticaIly
to have q grandchild with her in the
room, day and night. "Don't leave me
alone again." she q~uavered; don't
leave me alone, with not q soul to talk
TO. Honor WINGED. but said nothing.
The youngest child, who did not have
to 60 to school, was brought-a pretty
little boy with brown curls, which the
sun, streaming through the panes, turn
ed to gold. The morning passed slowly.
About noon Mercy took the child's hand
and smoothed his curls.
My sister Honor had golden curls
like that, she whispered.
"They were in the family, Bobby"
Honor answered. Your granny had
them, too, when she was a girl"
There was a long pause. Mercy's eyes
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