The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-12-18

to receive II and then closed tightly
again.
'How is your wife feeling nowP"
Honor asked after pause.
"How are you now, Mercy9" asked
the old man, awkwardly. The old
woman shook her head. "Tm goin'
fast, Jim," she grumbled weakly, and
tear of self pity trickled down her
parchment cheek.
"What rubbidge she do bc talk |"
cried Honor sharply. "Why dye
stand there like tailor's dummy
Why don't you tell her to cheer up?"
"Cheer up, Mercyi" quavered the
old man hoarsely.
But Mercy groaned instead, and
turned fretfully on her other side
with her face to the wall.
"Pm too old, I'm too DID," she
moancd. "This is the end ONE"
"Did you ever hear the like !"
Honor asked Jim angrily, as he
smoothed his wife's pillow. "She
was always conceited about her age,
settin' herself up ms the equals of her
elders, and here am I, her elder sister,
as carried her in my arms when l was
five and she was two, still hale and
strong aud with no mind for under
ground for many long day. Nigh
three times her age / was once, mind
you, and now she has the imperencc to
talk of dyin' before me.
She took off her bonnet and shawl.
"Send one of the kids to tell my boy
I'm stayin' here" she said, can then
you just get 'em all to bed-there
is too much noise about this here
house"
The children, who were orphaned
grand children of the dying woman,
were sent to bed, and then Jim him
self was packed of to refresh himself
for the next days labor.
The silence of the sick room spread
over the whole house. About ten
o'clock the doctor came again and in.
structed Honor how to alleviate the
patients last hours. All night long
she snt watching her dying sister, hand
and eye alert to anticipate her every
wish. No word broke the awful still
ness.
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 in
dignantly refused to be dispossessed.
"a nice daughter you are," she
said, "to leave your mother lay day
and a night without a sight o your
ugly face."
81 had TO look after the good man
and the little 'uns," the daughter
plead ID.
"rhen what do you mean by de-
sertin' them now?" the irate old wom-
an retorted, "First, you deserts your
mother, and then your husband aud
children. You just go back to them
as needs your care. / carried your
mother in my arms before you was
born, and if she wants anybody else
now to look after her let her just tell
me so and I'll be off in brace of
shakes"
She looked defauty at the yellow,
dried up creature in the bed. Mercy's
withered lips twstched, 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 tho kids
downstairs bit when you can spare
an hour; and I've got to go to the
shop. I'll send you telegraph if
there's change" he whispered to the
daughter; and she, not wholly discon-
tented to return to her living inter-
ests, kissed her mother, fingered q
little and then stole quietly away.
All that day the old women re
mained together in solemn silence,
broken only by the doctor
visit He reported that Mercy
might last couple of days more. In
abe evening Jim replaced his sister il
law, who. slept perforce. At mid
night she awoke and sent him to bed
The sufferer tossed about restlessly
At half past two she woke and Honor
fed her with some broth as she woul,
have fed baby. Mercy, indeed
looked scarcely bigger than an infant
and Honor had the advantage of he
only by being puffed out with clothes
| A church clock in the distauce strucl