The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1897-10-07


score Of years ago had been suitor of
aunt's, presented another veteran
which he had obtained from retired
sea captain.
Sue certainly had the most annoy
ance to put up with. Poor girl! She
mad gone about with red eyelids for
weeks. DR.. Farquhar, the old doctors
assistant had come to spend an even
ing with her. There was nothing un-
usual in this; in fact, it was the fifth
evening that week, but this time he
asked Sue very special question. Sue
had shyly slipped away to the window
TO give her answer from that vantage
point, but before she had time for
word, voice, precisely like her own,
in modulation, replied: go home, you
fool!"
Now DR.. Farquhar is ho'- -lcmpercd
man, rather prone to act on impulse.
On this occasion he waited for no fur
ther remarks, but made hasty depart
ure well puncutated by the vicious slam
he gave to the front door, while the
guilty parrot that had caused all the
mischief burst into roar OF laughter
| hurried down, only to find Sue shalx-
ing her fist at q bird perched on the win
dow ledge above.
''Oh, you beast! Wouldn't l like to
wiring your neck!" she CALCULATED, as
the tears streamed down her face.
This from our even-tempcred Sue was
quite equal to profanity, and soon she
poured out the whole ridiculous, but
nevertheless painful story to me.
About this time Aunt Rivers mounted
her next hobby. She became hypo-
chondriacal, and imagined herself the
victim of half the diseases that afllict
mankind. ! nearly ruined my eyesight
poring over medical records for her cdi-
iication. We all scoffed at the notion
that there was anything more serious
than Il touch of Indigestion ailing her,
but outwardly we were her devoted
nurses. At her request we moved her
bed into the airy front room, where,
with her cabinets. of china and her
precious parrots about her, we conf
IDENTIFY awaited her recovery.
AS the days went by there was but
little improvement in her state. Her
strong belief in her ill-health kept her
down as etfectually as If fatal illness
had her in the tolls. / was not sur
prised when she aroused me one night
to send in post haste for the doctor and
clergyman. 1.-THE end" she Informed
me, sepulchrally, "the end has come"
The old doctor was i'll, and DR.. Far
quhar came in his stead. Sue grew very
white as he entered the room. At the
same moment the fat old rector cam,
wheeling in with such evident concern
in his puffy countcnance that | fel
ashamed of ever having laughed at him
and be- to wonder if he really caret
for Aunt Rivers.
Awakened by the disturbances ant
the light, the rector's parrot sent up al
aggrieved shout of "Who the devil ar
you?" This was the signal for th
outbreak. l hope never to hear sucl
sounds again. There was general up
roar, i'll which such remarks as "Wh
the devil" Polly wants a cracker" ant
Good morning, ma'am" were readil
|
the rector's parrot united with Bob
offering in giving utterance to volle
of oaths that | blush to think of.
To diversity further these remark
able proceedings, the Angora and tn
pug. that we had left sleeping quietl
in their respective baskets, came bound
ing in from opposite directions, an
| l,,r ctor, fo
settling some long-cherished differ
ences of opinion, engaged in mortf
combat.
The rector, in his anxiety to separat
them, stumbled on an immense medic;
work which had carelessly left on tn
balance, lurched against one of th
china cabinets, which came crashing (
the floor. For the next five minute
there was IL grand melee of rector, dol
cat and broken glass and china, an
above all the tumult came aunt's yois
-"Ralph, dearest, say you're not hui
and I'll name the day" And actual
the fat old parson somehow got G
Lis feet, and with blood flowing fro
the cuts on his hands and face, bel
over and kissed her, to the utter asto
ishment of DR.. Farquhar, who, aft
being summoned to death bed SUI
/, denly found himself intruding upon II
privacy of family with whom his ov
connection had been severed.
In the first lull of the uproar a dulc
voice very near his car whispered: '(
home, you old fool" u direction whi'
the hot-temperedi doctor would ha
. been glad to follow had not sudd'
misgiving beset him. The width of t
room lay between him and Sue. II
whisper, therefore, could not have cor
= from her. sudden light dawned
the young physician, for the wretch
half-orphan parrot here hoped on t
L bed and surveyed him with sardor
. grim.
He threw a pleading glance at 81
= who straightway disappeared from t
room, and when l stumbled over the
N on the staircase half hour later t
u pair were quite oblivious of parrots
3 any other causes of disturbance.
Aunt Rivers speedily recovered a
!, was married to the lover of her you
:. month later. If you wish to see a {
- - voted middle-aged couple, happy in
society of their five pets. would adv
YOU to call at the rectory on X
= street. Aunt has dropped many of
II idiosvnoracies. and has no intent
n of departing this life at present. Bo
. whimsical fear lest she might take
u collecting husbands is in no danger
being realized. Sue, too, is happily m
e. ried and lives near by, but mother son
L times remarks that she hopes Bob a
O. I Will remain single unless we step il
ls' matrimony by some less noisy ager
III -.