Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1896-03-20

Mahala Strengthened up her meager,
STOPPING form. Mis- Brown she said
TREMENDOUSLY, but with dignity, Il like
to feel the rain She hesitated. 1T
comes from where my mother is. She
always liked it too, and L 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
drops patterinS down on the expand
ing foliage. The rain came down more
heavily. There WAS Il 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.
Pm piecin' Risin' Sun quilt for
Rose" she said, quietly. "She's goln'
to be married this fall"
"Now this'll be real coHy,' exclaimed
Mrs. Simpson. "We've got piecin. too.
I'm hclpn' 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 year.
brought it over for you to eat with the
wine. thought it might tempt your
appetite. It's real strength'nin, I've
kearn." She took out the things and
laid them on the table. "And this is
Mis- Browns crab icll," she added.
Its not as good as your mother
used to make" intcrposed Mrs. Brown,
depreciatingly, "but knew't your tree
had died, and I thought I'd bring it
over
Thank you," said Nlahala, simply.
Such delicacies as cake and jelly and
elderbcrry wine We're us far removed
from her in these days us Nictoria'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 a 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 pie-plant was up-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, erything would be her own but
the cake. She heaved a great sigh of
relief. as her visitors chatted and cut
and sewed, and she soon found herself
able to talk too.
you should hev seen her chirlx up
after we'd been there little lit of a
vhile," said Mrs. Simpson afterward.
At dark the visitors departed. They
told Mahala, they had had q real good
time," and urged her to come over and
spend the day with them soon.
'''Io think that's the reason she goes
out in the rain!" Mrs. Brown ejacu-
lated, as they wendell their way home
ward. ''Well, I'm beat! Poor thing,
poor thing!"
And so the village curiosity was sat
isfied to some extent, although many
of the good folk still wondered whether
Mahala wasn't crazy after all; and they
still looked at her curiously from be-
hind blinds and curtains whenever she
appeared in the drenching showers
It was noticed, however, that she did
not now, as of yore, go out every time
there was a storm; moreover, that she
always wore her bonnet; and, instead
of gazing upward, walked along as
other people did. But new and pc
culiar phase soondeveloped itself which
more than counterbalanced this return
to the ordinary and accepted.
Several, driving along the country
road, had seen her with her sun bonner
thrown back, violently shaking the
trees and bushes, looking up the while
fixedly as she went from clump tt
clump, apparently tireless. People be
gan to warn their children to keep away
from her, and said to each other thai
something must be done.
One day, the word went round tina
Mahalawas sick. The minister had gon,
there to call, and had found her hardly
able to crawl to the door. The peopI,
; focl>cd in. They sent for her half sis
ter, Rose, who was trained nurse il
New Haven, and to an adjoining tow
for doctor. He shook his head grave
ly, and said that exposure in her weak
ened condition had done the work, ant
that it was a chance if she ever got an,
better
AS she lay on the bed, pale and weak
she called again and again for the look
ing glass. When it was given her, sh,
only groancd and turned her face to tn,
wall.
another phase of the insanity, tn
: doctor says" people repeated to one an
other; but one who was there wen
home, and, going to the garnet, hunted
up an old mirror that had belonged t,
her grandfather. He had been a saiIo
and had brought it home from some for
, eign port. 1t had the property of max
ing almost anyone look fair and wei
favored, if not positively handsome. A
first, the family had exhibited it t,
everyone who came in. but. in th,