Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-06-18
Nn

III.
Hiram Jones, tramp, farm laborer,
busvbody, detective, or whatever he
might be. furnished for d month my
principal cause for anxiety. Lanar'e
Indifference to the mans doings was
more than l could explain to my own
satisfaction; for, If the owner OF the
house on the knoll had reason n feal-
uuv great peril, how was it that he
could hear 50 calmly tidings which in
dicated at least that he was under sur
yeillance? 1t was as il Il willy old toX,
after a long run from the hunter,
should sit coutentedly watching stray
hound circling about him. INSTEAD of
retreating poat-haste out OF danger.
There was certainly the argument that
lamar should know very we'll the par
ticular point from which he was men
aced. and the character OF the agents
likely TO be employed against him;
but I could not find IT convincing.
Greatly as l dislilled him, his apathy
fretted me Even enemies, when fate
makes them <artners, can generally
be counted upon to cooperate 10 win
the game. Now, here was ], quite
re;.dy to do my best TO beat our nys-
terious opponents, yet hampered, or
al least discouraged, by the indiifer-
cnce of the player whose stakes were
hazarded upon the result. The sltua-
ton seemed to be entirely false.
If Jones was a spy, in turn diligent-
" played the spy upon him. No time
was lost in confirming his identity with
that of the man who had aroused Car
penter's suspicious, q result easily ac-
complished by bringing the horse-deal-
er on q pretended errand to Rodney
town and having Jones at work near
the house as he drove by. After this
preliminary, I devoted many hours TO
watching Mrs. Weston's retainer, with
out getting much reward for my pains.
The man went about his various tasks
in the most matter-of-fact fashion, APP
narently concerned in nothing beyond
them. I had expected that as soon
as he learned of my daily visits 10 the
house on the knoll he would attempt
to question me about its occupant; but
not once did he display interest III my
hermit patient. In short, the only new
ground given for my suspicious was
furnished by a habit he developed OF
solitary strolls about the neighborhood
when evening put an end to his work
on the farm. A little Of his gruffneas
had worn off, and, barring this Hiking
for lonely rambles, there wns nothing
10 distinguish him from the other la
boreIs of the vicinity. Lamar listened
patiently to the reports of my obserVa-
tions, which appeared to increase his
belief that there was no cause foT I'M
mediate alarm, though he still neglect
ed to give the reasons for his convic-
ton. II may be that, undisturbed as
he was In his own mind, he was salts
fled to have me maintain vigilance.
After all, 1t was not to be denied that
standing guard was part of the business
for which he paid me.
put the month vna q pleasant one
except for Jones and the worries he
created Mrs. Loring wes doing sur
prisinQly well. Nobody could have eX-
pected her 10 regard herself as any
thing but n confirmed invalid, butwith
increasing frequency she was enjoying
intervals of oblivion to the fact that
she supposed herself to be sufferer.
She took her harmless doses with clock
work regularity, and there was not one
of the directions given her which WIS
not carried out with scientific accuracy.
Simple food, good air, undisturbcd
sleep, and trifles enough TO keep her
interested were doing for her what
they will do for most of the race. Two
or three additions had been made to her
code of directions, with not altogether
unselfsh motives On the part Of her
medical adviser. For one thing, she
now kept diary, in which she wrote
her observations OF her symptoms. Os-
tensibly, this was to secure, for sci
entific purposes, u record of the prog
ress of a most notable case; actually,
1t was to save her doctor from daily
food of talk. Then, too, she had been
persuaded that 1t was not wise TO have
her niece constantly with her, the the
ory followed being that Miss Gray bad
been so long her nurse that their con
tinual association could not but remind
her of her impaired health. This bit
of sophistry was far more convincing
to the elder woman than to the young
er, who, though she acquiesced in the
arrangement, left me no doubt that
she regarded the argument as falla-
cious. Inasmuch, however, as through
it | secured a great deal more of her
society, was content, my object thus
accomplished. Moreover, TO this day
it seems clear TO me that in forcing
Mrs. Loring to throw off somewhat
Of her acquired feeling of helplessness,
and 10 learn that she was not entirely
dependent on her companions minis
trations, l did her a great service. So
far as tho girl was concerned, there
could be no question of the benefit she
received from the lessening of her
hours of attendance upon her aunt,
No calling, as we all know, Is lnore no
bic, more self-sacriiicing, than that of
the nurse; in none is there greater need
OF reasonable relaxation from the de-
mands upon body, mind aud spirit; and
never Is devotion more sadly misapplied
IMAM IN LuO3e CiIsScS III WHICH the uIlDuUs
10 supposed duty and real affection is
paid needlessly or In obedience to an
others over-indulged caprice. The
light of common sense should be strong
enough to show the flaw of usclessness
IN many u picture of accomplishing
martyrdom-
As events proved, the country life
was much 10 Mrs. Loring's taste, in
spite of her years Of travel and her
long sojourns In great cities. She
struck up friendships with Mrs. Clark,
Mrs. Weston and the other housewives
OF the neighborhood, and, through
them, with the residents OF Rodney
town village, among whom she gained
considerable popularity. She became
u regular attendant at the village
church, and soon was received into the
circle of its sewing society. At these
things l maryeled and rcioiced, know
ing very well that her new friends
could do more TO promote her recovery
than all the drugs in the pharmaco-
peia. Seven days in week, gossip was
better for her than tonics.
1t was almost inevitable, in the cir
cumstances, that | should be honorcd