Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-04-16


from serious accident occasioned by
fall from wagon, and her husband,
an enormously built man, with a rough
manner, which, by those unskilled in
such matters, might easily have been
mistaken for 1nsolence, had that very
day returned with loading from the
west. By inquiring after his wife
whose illness l was aware of, l touched
the right string, for his eyes lit up, his
voice softened and he answered my
questions with surprising meekness.
She was getting on WELL" he said,
''but, all the same, it was terrible slow
work"
Now, it must be known here that al
though the Kalaba hospital occupies
the best position in the township even
then it is, if anything. little less cheer.
! less than an undertaker's showroom
Great gray plains surround it on three
sides; the township with its ugly
whitewashed roofs, stares at it from
the fourth, and it would be impossible
to say which view would be likely to
have the most depressing effect upon an
invalid. | am told that Kalaba was
only designed as a depot for the great
west, and 1 console myself with the
reflection that in the very near future
the Overland railway will obviate that
necessity and then it will be scattered
to the four winds of heaven. At pres
ent it is the decalogue turned back
ward
When my business was finished I
newspapers. Daphne being the only
patient, l found her occupying the best
bed in the only ward. Her why black
hair struggled in rank confusion about
the pillow, while her complexion har-
monized, as we'll as a well-tanned skin
would permit, with the dingy whiteness
of the counterpart. Only the great
dark, honest eyes lent relief to the
monotony of her expression and they
were now full of something which,
when read Alright, spelt hopelessness of
an extraordinary degree.
Toward the end of the afternoon the
husband made his appearance and.
preceded by the matron, stalked into
his wife's presence. For moment he
stood in the doorway, dazed, bewildered
perhaps by the half darkness; then,
recognizing his wife, he advanced to-
ward the bed.
Daphne, old gall" he said, with a
little tremor in his voice, as he bent
over her, "an' 'ow's it with ee now?
Ye looks better by darned sightr'
She gave a little sigh before she re-
piled.
I'm nearly we'll, now, Bill; better'n
[ ave been by long chalk. Sit We
down, old man, and tell us 'ow it goes
with the children an the teamr
Bill sat very gingerly on the edge of
the bed, and, as if out of compliment
to the peculiar cleanliness of the place,
fell to scrubbing his face with a far
ing red handkerchief.
''The kids is fit and the teams first
classp he answered.
Then, with gesture of almost awe,
he assumed possession of one of the
thin brown hands upon the coverlet.
MY lass, 'ow dog poor yer lands has
got, to be sure; but they was always
pretty 'ands to my thinkin''
Daphne patted his great brown paws
and allowed little wan smile of graft
fed vanity to flicker across her face
Let the woman be ever so old and plain,
she is never beyond the reach of a COM
pliment from the man she loves.
can 'ow's the roads lookin' out
back?" she asked.
cal, an no mistake; green as leaf
all the way. From here to Kilgeree
creek there's water in every hole, an
the little wild flowers yer used to like
is that thick along the track yer can
hardly see the grass for 'em. 1 brought
yer some!'
Out of the lining of his big cabbage
tree hat he took a tiny bunch of bush
blue-bell and placed them in her hand
1t was a critical moment for both of
them. He was acutely afraid of ridi-
Guile; she, for some reason she could
not have explained, did not know
whether to laugh or cry
her bedside and then turned to her
husband, the better to express her
thanks.
Bill" she said, softly. you was allus
a good chap to men'
NAY, nay, my lass, you mustn't say
that You don't know 'ow we misses
yer out yonder; things amt the same at
all without you. Make 'aste an get
we'll an come back to the kids and me,
an let's get out of this ere town."
Bill! I shan't be"
"Shan't be what, lass?'
He looked rather anxiously down at
her.
ct shant be" The weak voice
paused as if to think of a word, then
she seemed to choke, and after that
a painful silence ensued.
Finally she said:
"T-I shan't be long"
Bill gave a sigh of relief and con-
tinued:
'I'm 'avin' new tires put on the fore
wheels n we've got the new pair of
steers in place O. Billabong an Blossom
that were too old for work. We've got
full loadin' out to Diamantina an back,
an when the trips done ther'll perhaps
be matter O. EGO to put in the stock
ing for the kids. Get we'll, my lass,
an come back to yer place on the load;
the bush wind an the blue sky an