Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-11-17

he would show by his eyes hungry
sagerncss which was like nothing so
much us that Of an cavesdroppcr
crourhed at the kcyhole Of door when
he hopes to hear tiiings OF tremendous
import And now to Martha new and
distressing quality became manifest In
his behavior. This was seeming sym.
pathy with his unclc's dcplorable mean.
ness As the months amused them
selves into years he showed tendency
TO talk with Van Dorcn on the subject
Of investments in bonds and mortgages
and rents All day he would either
aimlessly wander the streets or else
hold converse with his kinsman of just
this coldly mcrcenary kind.
In vain Martha demonstrated. In
vain she tried to rouse hun from the In
toxication Of his hard materialism, lie
would soften towards her for few
minutes. Don't get out Of patience
with me-" he would say I'm u little
while now you'll find me such differ
cnt man. He can't last much longer.
Don't you see? lie hardly eats any
.hing. as It Is lie scarcely ever even
stirs out OF doors Why, it's touch-and-
20 with him; fool could see that"
Martha would shuldcr. "Touch-and-
go!" aud he was now long past eighty.
S.anfcld himself had become n middle
aged man. she, his wife. was no longer
young: the children were ceasing to be
children.
One day, In his eighty-fourth year,
Van Dorcn was taken violently Ill. 1t
was winter, and many cases of pneu.
monia Condemnation of the lungs, they
still called II then, in the year ls30l had
broken out, and proved fatal Against
his will physician was summoned. and
the verdict given his nephew was
against his living twcn,y-four hours
longer. Martha attended him with all
the skill of trained nurse At this
time her husbands conduct Mortified
her lie hung about the door of the
sick chamber. with that eager look nc.
ccntuated in his wan face. There was
one day when II seemed US II Van Doren
might at any instant breathe his last.
During this period fits Of dclirium as.
sailed him, in which he ravcd of money.
money. nothing except money
On the morrow he was surprisingly
better Soon afterwards he began TO
recover, and within fortnight his
health was more vigorous than before
the seizure occurred For days after
wards il tortured Martha to observe
her husbands face.
And this" she thought. was the
strong, clcar-headcd, high-principlcd
man married Whoever first said that
money was curse hit On the most
pregnant Of truths"
The years went on At lightweight
Van Doren was feeble, bowed in figure,
very dim Of sight, and yet mentally us
keen and alert as he had ever been.
Perhaps he Rugged his money a little
closer and made those about him lit
tie more disconnected In consequence.
Martha felt only too acutely now the
ghastly contagion that her husbanl had
caught. lie still waited. but his wait
ing had become q hideous mockcry.
What could he do with the money now,
even II he survived his uncle? Nothing
except hoard il rs Van Doren was do.
ing He had grown old before his
time; he was prcmaturcly wrinkled.
and into his features had crept strin.
gency of pallor, n covert fierceness.
which meant Unsuitable greed
Night after night he now did what TO
his wife was revolving thing The
game of solitaire which Van Dorcn had
been wont to play with his gold coins
had now become a game in which his
nephew ioincd They would sit to-