Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-11-11

fever, she was, Tor the tn'ru
time. the subject of a strange vision.
AS upon the two former occasions, her
closed eyelids were penetrated by a
cool, subtle flame that compelled her
to open her eyes, when she saw, stand
ing within a halo Of light, the beauti-
full image of Lulu, with the dark blot
effaced from her shining robes, the re-
stored star blazing in the center OF her
crown, and her once-mousnful count
nance now radiant with divine joy.
For an instant only size stood thus,
and then, smiling, faded In music
away, singing as she vanished, the re-
! frain OF some heavenly song, the bur
den Of which was, Saved All sayed!'
And the next moment the room was
in total silence, deep darkness ard per-
feet solitude again. And Astreas Wild
eyes were wide open, and gazing into
the thick blackness whence the bright
image had vanished. What was it?
A dream? A vision: a reality She
could not tell. She only felt that
there were mysteries in spirit life, un-
fathomable by human intellect.
The next day, for the reasons al
ready stated, the funeral of RumforJ
took place. 1t was a clear, bright
~ - liz iAAr, tHt NtIAlitI WIS
fine. the air fresh. and. more than
that. the deceased planter had been
very popular in the neighborhood,
known for a good fellow all we the
country as he himself had said; con.
s%equently mis- funeral was very largely
attended. A long cortege of carriages
followed him to the cemetery, on the
rising ground, 4 nile above the planta.
tion house.
Many OF the guests returned 10 par
take of the funeral dinner, mt which
the confidential solicitor Of the de-
ceased presided. Then. as there was
no will to be found. they all dispersed
to their various bomes--all except Or.
Herkimer, who was stopped by Old
Cybele, who said:
'Marse doctor, sir, / wish you'd cone
i nan look at poor Fora; she amt eat
nor drank nor likewise spoke since she
had that cattapussy fit as you talked
about; she jes lay dere. hal sleep an
half wake. a-rollin of her head on de
pillow. an a-mumblin' somethin' to her.
self, for all lie worl' as If she was Il
conjurin' or a-talkin' to de sperits or
de debil! which indeed. it do put such
n scare on top o. me, as Pm afeared o
my soul TO stay in &c room long %
herr
While Cybele was speaking she was
leading the way TO the back chamber,
into which the doctor followed her.
The girl has inflammation OF the
BRAIN said the physician. as he felt
Astrea's full and bounding pulse. and
gazed upon her flushed face and heavy
eyes. Her head must be shaved di-
rectly. You have a barber On the
premises, l presumeE'
"Oh. yes, MarSe Doctor. Sam a
good barber, he alius shave ole marse,
an trim his hair, too, likewise de trees
in de garden" answered Cybele.
go, then. and tell Sam he is wanted.
and order him to prepare his razors
and come here Immediately"
Cybele departed, and while she was
one the doctor took from his pocket
the calomel pills that he always ear
ried with him, and, raising the head
of the half conscious but docile suffer
er, made her swallow two of them.
Cybele oon re-entered the chamber.
followed by Sam, bearing all the APP
paratus of ~hair-cutting and shaving.
Astrea was lifted up in the arms of
old Cybele, who sat behind her and
supported her, while Sam cut off her
hair. which fell-a rich and glossy
black mass-upon the bed before the
doctors eyes. DR.. Herkimer picked a
portion of ii up, to examine 1t, as one
does any beautiful object. Presently
he exclaimed:
why, how is this. This girls hair
is golden near the rootsp'
Sam stopped in his process of lath-
ering, and old Cybele also ben for
ward to look. The three heads were
bent in curiosity over Astrea's beau
tiful tresseS. Yet, it was certainly as
the doctor had said. Every raven
hair was tipped near the root with u
spark of gold. This, Of course, was the
new growth. coming out in it's natural
color. But they did not understand it.
Il should be inclined to think that
her hair was originally golden, but
that she had dyed it; only she is so
much too dark to have light hair; /
can't make it out at all; it Is quite phe-
nomenal!' the doctor exclaimed. And
the three pairs of eyes gazed upon the
phenomenon until DIR. Herkimer
said.
go On with your work. Sam: what
the mischief are you stopping forT'
Sam obeyed, and in a short time the
stately little head was shaved as clean
as the face, and looked so much wi it
er as to draw the attention of the aoc-
tor. who put on his spectacles to scru-
tinize it, rs he said:
We'll. the scalp. being protected by
the hair. is always n little whittier than
the face! But here is so marked a diff
ference as to Indicate something very
abnormal, particularly when consid-
cred ia connection with the golden
roots of the hair. l cannot make it all
out"'
Neither, of course, could any of his
bearers. But had Venus been present
she might have given them the clue.
Towels dipped in ice-water were
now wrapped around the sufferers
head. which was once more laid upon
the pillow.
Sam gathered up his BARRIERS tools
and left the room, carrying with him
the rich, black hair, which he knew be
could sell for a good price to the city
barber with whom he dealt.
You are too old TO be trusted to
nurse this girl. You would not sit up
ut night to give Der medicine regular
ly. You would fall asleep. Where is
that woman that l saw about here es-
terday!' said the doctor to Cybele.