St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-02

The peasant stood face to face with
The doctor in the background, near the
bed of the dying. The old woman,
ealm, resigned, regarded the two men
and listened to their talk. She was
lbout to die, but the thought was not
fevolting. . She was ninety-tWo and her
lays were over
Through the open door and window
dreamed the July sun, spreading its
YARN rays over the brown, earthen
Door, furrowed and beaten down by
lhe wooden shoes of four generations
N ruSticS. The doors of the fields
ar1fted in, borne on the scorching
breeze, the smell of grasses, wheat, and
leaves burned by the monday heat.
The clicking sound the grasshoppers
made was clear and distinct.
Raising his voice, the doctor said:
'Honore, you cannot leave your
mother all alone in this state. She
may pass away at any moment"
The peasant grumbled-
Must get in my wheat. Been too
long in the fields already. The
weather's just right. What do you
Say, mother?"
The old, dying woman, still possess
Int, nodded Yes" urging her son to
get in his wheat and to leave her to
die alone.
But the doctor became angry and
stamped his foot. ''You are nothing
but a brute, and I'll not allow you to
do it, do you hear? If you have to get
In your wheat today, go and find
( Mother Rapet, parbleu, and let her
faI, T yi,l, Il
hear? If you don't, I'll let you die like
a dog when it comes your turn to die
when your turn comes to be lido you
hear that?"
The peasant, tall, spare man, tor
tured by indecision, by fear Of the
doctor and the fierce love for saving,
hesitated, calculated and bfurted out:
How much will La Rapet ask to
Watch?"
do you suppose I know" exclaimed
the doctor. THAT depends on how
long you want her for. Arrange that
yourself with her, morbleu! but L want
her to be here in an hour, understand"
and he went out.
When the peasant was alone he turn
ed toward his mother and said in
resigned voice:
I'm going to get La Rapet, because
that man wants her. Don't bulge till
4 get back"
And he left the room.
La Rapet, an old woman, watched
the dead and the dying of the COM
lnune and it's environs. Then, when
she had wrapped her clients in the
clothes they were never to leave she
took up her irons to press the gar
mentS of the living.
Wrinkled as last years apple, evil
minded, jealous, avaracious in the eX-
IRENE, bent double, as if she had be-
come broken by continually bending
over the ironing board, one might say
that she had a sort of love for witness
ing the agony of the dying.
She could only talk Of people she had
seen expire, of the variety Of ways
they had passed out of life, repeating
her stories over and over again, with
the minuteness\nf detail Of hunter re-
counting his adventures
When Honore Bontemps found her
she was preparing bluing for the col
larettes Of the village women.
''Well, good evening" he said. How
are things going. Mother Rapet?"
Just the same, just the same turn
ing her head How is it up your
Way"
"All right with me, but the mothers
bad"
Whats the matter with her?"
"She's going to close her eyes"
The old woman took her hands out
of the water, the blue, transparent
drops dripping from her fingers into
the tub.
She's down as low as that?" with
g sudden sympathy.
The doctor says she won't live be-
yOnd sunrise. What'H you charge to
watch her to the end? You know I'm
not rich. Never could afford a servant
that's what broke the mother down;
she worked like ten. Never stopped
till she was ninety-two-you see how
1t is
La Rapet replied gravely:
There are two prices-2 francs a
day francs a night for the rich.
Franc day, franc a night for the
other The other is for you"
The peasant reflected. He knew his
mother to be hardy, vigorous, tena-
clous in life. She might last eight DAYS
In spite of the doctor.
He said resolutely:
No; I'd rather you'd make a price
a price to the end. I'll take the chan
ces one way or another. The doctor
says she will soon go. If so, all the
better for you and the worse for me.
IF she holds on tomorrow or longer
I'm ahead-you're out"
The nurse, surprised, looked at the
man. She had never made such a bar
gain before. She hesitated, thinking of
the risk she might run.
L can't say anything until I have
seen the old one" she said
Come and see her"
- IT