The record-union., 1897-10-22


L wish I could get her to our home.
said to the bicyclists
"Oh. know what we can do" said
one young lady, Say, Jack. come
with me. and We'll bring Aunt James
sick chairi''
Before I could assent or thank her
for her kindness, she had mounted her
wheel and, with her escort, vanished.
Then kind words of sympathy were
in order. One lady set Mrs. Needles
hat on straight and another brushed
off her dress.
"Oh Mr.. stickler!" the helpless wom-
n said
''Wel?"
Come nearer to me-"
Then she seemed to hesitate and
vas in mortal terror that she was go
ng to have another attack. By this
ime, a number of passers-by who had
been attracted by the lights OF the BIZ
cyclists and the sight of an elderly
woman seated in the gutter, came up
and asked what was the matter Think
ing that probably the dressmaker mad
something private to tell me. l stopped
down so that she could whisper to me.
What do you think has happend TO
me?" she murmured softly.
I'm sure 1 couldn't guess" I said.
Did you hear anything drop since
we left the house?"
Yes, I think l did," I answered, as
I remembered having heard something
fall on the stone pavement, when I
had advised her to sit on the step
block back.
"Mr. Stickler-just think-my false
teeth dropped out!"
'What?" I blurted out. You lost
your"
For heavens sake, don't let them
hear you she said, beseechingly.
All my pity and sympathy vanished,
and, you may think me disrespectful,
commenced to laugh aloud until l act
ually had a pain in my side and the
tears rolled down my cheeks.
Imagine the CONSERVATION of the look
ers-on, when they saw me break out
in a state of hilarity, while they were
all so solemn and the poor dressmaker
was far from recovered. One of them
exclaimed: 1.-The heartless wretch"
But Mrs. Needle didn't blame me. She
realized how funny it really was.
Il wish you could run back-and try
to find them-before some one steps on
them. They cost $40 and I'm sure
can't afford to get another set of up
per teeth
Words fail to express how / felt for
about a minute However, I told her to
be of good cheer, and I'd look for them.
and come back Immediately. But
didn't have match and it was pitch
dark
Can any one of you let me have a
match?" I inquired
A dozen matches were forthcoming,
and l FASTENED to the spot where
thought had heard something fall. 1
struck one match, then another and
still another but no teeth We're in sight.
Soon I heard a squeaky sound and the
young lady with the sick chair came up
to me.
What did you do with the sick lady?"
said she.
She dropped something and I'm try
ing to find it,"
Can't we help your" she asked.
oh, mol" / answered, evasiyely.
What did she lose?"
l didn't know what say, and pre-
tended not to hear her query. But she
was persistent, and I finally said:
She lost her purse"
"Ohl did she have much in it?"
Not much-only a key that she
wants. This seemed to satisfy her.
and, without forcing me to wade fur
ther in the mire Of falsehood, she said
to her Jack, who had remained silent:
Come on; guess we can't help him"
I looked long, and just as my last
match was going out I spied a silver
thimble which had seen her use before
in our house. grabbed it up and has
tened to where I had left her, examining
the sidewalk carefully as 1 walked. But
I found no teeth.
She was still sitting on the edge Of the
sidewalk, and when I came up to her
and gave her the thimble she seemed to
have recovered immensely. She was
disappointed at not receiving her teeth,
but managed to keep the strangers ig-
norant of what was passing between her
and myself.
Won't the lady try and rise and sit
in the chair?' ventured the young lady
who had been so kind as to bring the
sick chair.
DO, Miss Needle I said. I'm few
moments We viii have you home'
She tried, but it was useless. Her
strange attack had left her so weak
that she could not move her limps.
Il can't stand" said She
What were we going to do? Were she
some slender, lifting nymph I would
have raised her UP in my strong arms
and carried her home. On the contrary,
here was a woman weighing over 200
pounds. Nothing short of aderrick, it
seemed, could bring her to her feet. The
other gentlemen kindly volunteered to
assist me, however, and after about five
minutes pulling and hauling we finally
got her seated in the sick chair. 1t
creaked ominously, and, to be frank I
feared every minute that the seat would
give way and precipitate her to the
stone pavement. But again the fates
were with me, and by carefully maneu-
vering We landed her in front of our
steps. Needless to state that here we
had another trial, but after great perse-
verance succeeded in getting her up the
front steps, up the hall steps and into a
spare room.
Now here is where the funny part
comes in. When she reached the room,
while she could speak without any ef-
fort, she could not move about with suf
ficient strength to undress herself. Of