The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-01-23
# they didn't know better, they'd jes'
think you was crazy woman" I,

# they didn't know better, they'd jes'
think you was crazy woman"
Mahala Strengthened up her meager.:
STOPPING form. mis- Brown" she said
TREMENDOUSLY, but with dignity, II like
to feel the rain She hesitated. 1T
comes from where my mother is. She
always liked it too, and don't think
people have any call to talk bout me-
for that" She turned away her face
and looked out of the window at the big
dl ops pattering down on the expand
ing foliage. The rain came down moro
heavily. There was. u perfect deluge.
Mahala looked uneasy and restless, and
once made an involuntary movement
as though to go out. She checked her
self and brought out her work basket.
"I'm piecin' Risin' Sun quilt for
Rose," she said, quietly. ''She's goin'
to be married this fall" 81
"Now this'll be real cozy," exclaimed
Mrs. Simpson. "We've got piecin', too.
I'm helpin' Mis- Brown piece her Jeru-
salum Cherries" She opened the
basket. Here's the elderberry wine,
and this is some fruit cake I've had
mellerin' for nigh about a year. 1
brought it over for you to eat with the
wine. thought it might tempt your
appetite. It's real strength'nin, I've
hearn." She took out the things and
laid them on the table. "And this is
Mis- Browns crab jell," she added.
Its not as good rs your mother
used to make" interposed Mrs. Brown,
depreciatingly, shut 1 knew't your tree
had died, and thought I'd bring it
over"
THANK you," said Mahala, simply.
Such delicacies as cake and jelly and
elderberry wine were Us far removed
from her in these days as Victoria's
crown jewels, but she would not let
her manner or her profuse thanks put
her to shame before her visitors, she
thought. They should not know but
it was common thing for her to have
such luxuries in the house-at least
when she wanted them. She told them
she didn't have any appetite, and didn't
feel like cooking-so they wouldn't
think it strange that she hadn't any
cake baked. Yes, she could manage
about the dinner all right-so her mind
ran on. She had three eggs and some
potatoes, and she would toast some
bread. Then she was sure that enough
of the pic-plant was sup-sbe had
looked at it only yesterday-to stew
for sauce. And they would have the
fruit cake. How fortunate there was
butter in the house. She was glad she
had gone without it all winter, or
there might not have been any now.
Yes, everything would be her own but
the cake. She heaved great sigh of
relief, as her visitors chattcd and cut
and sewed, and she soon found herself
able to talk too.
"You should hev seen her chir1l up
after we'd been there little bit of
WHILE" said Mrs. Simpson afterward.
At dark the visitors departed. They
told Mahala, they had had real good
ti,ne," and urged her to come over and
spend the day with them soon.
ITO think that's the reason she goes
out in the .rain!,' Mrs. Brown ejacu-
lated, US they wended their way home
ward. swell, I'm beat! Poor thing,
poor thing!"
$40 And so the village curiosity was sat-
.isfled~to some extent, although many
of the good folk still wondered whether
Mahala wasn't crazy after all; and they
stiIfnlooked at her curionsly from BE-
hind blinds" and curtains wheneversshe
appeared in the drenching showers:
It was noticed, yhowever, Tint she did
t#n iie + as4stof yoIs, go4out every ti1ne
Asete Mh4 q Estotnl; moreover, thatghe
alNA " wore kes bonnst; and, instead
of gazing upward, walked along g
Ecther people did But q new and he=
culiar phase ltllsye1 which
more than i csoount return
til tie ordinary aIlid alccep,ttsd a%
Several, driving along the country
road, had seen her viii hersun bonnet
thrown back, violently shaking the
trees and bushes, looking up the while
fxedly as she went from clump to
clump, apparently tireless. People be-
gan to warn their children to keep away
from her, and said to each other that
something must he done. 5ea
One day, the word went round that
Mahala was sick. The minister had gone
there to call, and had found her hardly
able to3crawl to the door. The people
Aockcd in. They sent for her half sis
ter, Rose, who was a trained nurse in
New Haven, and to AN adjoining town
for q doctor. He shook his head grave
", and said that exposure in her weak
ened condition, had done the work, and
that it was chance if she ever got any
better a.
As she lay on the bed, pale and weak.
she called again and again for the look
ing glass. When it was given her, she
only groancd and turned her face to the
wall.
another phase of the insanity, the
doctor says" people repeated to one an
other; but one who was there went
home, and, going to the garrett, hunted
up an old mirror that had belonged to
her grandfather. He had been a sailor
and had brought it home from some for
eign port. 1t had the property of maxi
ing almost anyone look fair and we'll
e..>.n5 poc;<;vo1v hon1S0rno At