The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1897-07-30
My Fellow LaboreT.
ss5eeEt
BY H. RIDER HAGGARD.
CHAPTER I.-(coNrrNuED.)
s&

CHAPTER L-(CoNTINUED.)
A year after my marriage my wife
%unhappily became the victim of a bad
accident in a cab, as a result Of which
our child John was a cripple from his
birth. To this unfortunate babe, Miss
Denelly, or Fanny, as we called her,
took a violent affection, which, as the
child's intelligence expanded, was m
ply returned. Indeed, he cared more
for her than for his mother and my
self put together, and l think that the
cause OF their mutual attachment was
to be found in Fanny's remarkable
strength of body and character. The
poor, weak, deformed boy rested on
solid depths of pature, as some by faith
are able to rest on Providence, with a
sense Of absolute security. However
much pain he was in he would become
quiet when she came and took him in
her strong arms and nursed him.
Oddly enough, too, it was almost the
same thing with my wife.
She had never got over the effects Of
HeE dCCiuGiI, duu luc SuOCh VI ~ Uii Il
of our crippled boy. Indeed, as the
years went on, she seemed to grow
weaker and weaker, and to rely more
and more absolutely on Fanny.
The germ, small as a mustard seed,
which has now, after so many years OF
experimental labor and patient
thought, grown up into the great tree
of my discovery, lay in my mind in the
form of a dormant speculation from
the very commencement of my medical
career. After my marriage it began
to grow and take root there, but for
some years I went on with my every
day practice, which was that Of a con-
sulting doctor in the city, and said
nothing about it. The fact was that
the whole seemed too wild, and l was
afraid of being set down al one of
those enthusiasts who spend all their
lives in chasing a shadow.
At last, however, my secret grew
too heavy for me to bear, and one
night, after dinner, acting on some
sudden impulse, l began to unfold it to
my wife and Fanny. At first my wife
was much interested, and said that it
all sounded like one of Poe's tales, but
presently, when l got more to he in
tricate parts Of my theory, for it was
nothing but a theory then, she fell
into a brown study, and after a while
broke into thed conversation. 1
thought she was following my line of
argument, and about to question it, and
was rather disguised when she said:
Excuse me, Godfrey, but did you
remember to send that check for the
coals?"
1 suppose 1 looked put out, at n
rate 1 stopped abruptly.
Don't be vexed with me for in
terrupting, DEAR" she went on. "but
1 want to know about the Goals, and
haven't been able to get q word in
edgeways for the last twenty minutes"
Quite So" l replied, with dignity.
i"Pray don't apologize; no doubt the
locals are more important than my dis
lcovery."
Nonsense, DEAR" she answered, with
ia smile; "of course, if there was any
thing in what you say, it would be
very important. But if your story is
true, you are a. bad as that man OAR
win. who believes that We are all
descended from monkeys. and what
we are told in the Bible about Eve
being made out of Adams rib falls to
the ground. So you see it must be
nonsense, and the Goals are the most
important after ALL"
Now my dear wife was one of the
sweetest as she certainly was one of the
best, women in the world, but on one
point she was always prepared to lose
her temper, and that point was Adams
ribs. So, being aware of this, l held
my tongue, and after talking a little
more about the Goals, she said that
she did mo- feel we'll, and was going
to bed.