The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-06-23
THAT STRAGGLER.

entering the room where her niece sat
at work, here | am, and in a pretty
fix too. W hat on earth I'm going to
do l can't tell. There-oon't come
near me; for all | know, you may
catch something if you do"
Pm not afraid of catching any
thing" said Martha. What has
happened now? Has Theodore taken
the measles, or Uncle Van the whoop
ing cough?"
For all | know, they're WE'LL" said
Aunt Emma, though in such times as
these, with all sorts of catching things
abont, who is to tell who'll have 'em
next? They're both down at New
York, and they are coming home Sa-
turday night, and I've made fine pre-
parations for them. What do you
suppose I've taken into my house?
Well. it's a straggler And this
morning, first thing | knew, IN flew
my new help, that | fetched home
only last week, and says she:
'Missns, Tm off,
S. Why, Bridget? says |.
< That straggler, says she, has
got the small pox. | know the signs
of it well, and l don't stay where it is
an hour
And before | got my clothes on,
she was off And that awful strag-
gler moaning and talking Ike h loon
III the kitchen bedroom, and very bad
with it, as DR. Praddigle says, for |
sent for him at once And what shall
| do? I'm going to start for the
town, and have the hospital send for
him at once; but there'll be pa and
Ted coming home, perhaps, before
they get him off. An infection in the
house, and | the cause of it. o dear!
that horrible stragglerr'
Poor soul" said Martha. Some
poor man travelling to find work, per
haps. Some ones father, or son, or
husband, no doubt"
yes, it is pity" said Aunt En-
ma; but | can't help thinking of Ted"
Martha pondered for while.
Is black jim going to run away?"
she asked
No" said Aunt Emma He had
small pox once, and he is not afraid
of it. O dear, Maatha. can't keep it
out of my mind that Ted catches ev
erything so easy, and will be SO likely
to take it,"
Yes" said Martha, "a mother is
naturally anxious; but Ill tell you
what I'll do-I'n go over and settle
matters. You stay here with ma, and
telegraph to uncle to come straight
here, instead of going home. You see
I'm never afraid of any disease, how
over contagious, and I've been vacci
mated SO lately"
"You? What an idea-a young
unmarried wor1an! Suppose you're
marked with it?' cried Aunt Emma
Il sha'n't allow it. All for straggler
tCo-a poor. miserable creature in
red shirt! If it was friend, or even
II nei ghbor, or anybody of Importance,
it would be different. But strag
glerw
"A human being all the same, said
Martha.
What will your ma say?''
Ma always allows me to do AS |
please" said Martha Tell her |
may not, probably shall not, be back
for several days. I've had experience
with sick people, and l know that a
Journey in an ambulance, over miles
of rough road, and all the delay con
sequent on the proceedings of charity
may kill this poor man. Your house
is quite isolated. The kitchen and
kitchen chamber are scarcely a part of
the house; and if Jim will help me,
III do my part. It's nothing to what
| did at the hospital
'Oh, dear" said Aunt Emma, Il
know you went to the hospital after
the war, but wounds amt catching;
and being engaged to William Price.
| suppose You felt romantic about
soldiers; but small pox and a straggler
IL very different sort of thing"
Martha's eyes filled with tears.
II loved all the soldiers for Viii
liams sake" she said; that is very
true. But 1t is partly because of my
loss that | feel it my duty to go now.
l never knew whether any woman was
with my Will, when he died, nor how
he died, nor where If some one could
tell me that they nursed him we'll IN
his last hours, my heart would be
lighter And this man who is suffer
ing, and within my reach, shall not
be neglected, If he dies, some other
woman may know that the best was
done for her dead and if he lives.
may help to save him for wife and
children, or poor I'D mother" And
Martha hurried out of the room, and
returned With her hat and shawl.
The war between North and South
had not long been over; and Martha,
whose betrothed husband was among
the missing when the troops returned
to that quiet place in the Granite
state, had been an active nurse in the
hospital for several months. Aunt
Emma knew that she might as we'll
hope to keep the tide from coming in,
as to keep Martha from what she
thought her duty, and said no more
Martha knows what to do. She is
a sensible gal" was all the mother
said when she came in from the pea
patch with her apron full of peas.
She'll manage finely. and I'm SO
glad to have you and your folks here,
SlSteT Eli uld.
So Aunt Emma telegraphed for her
husband and son, and with many self
reproaches awaited the result of what
she called "Martha's ridiculous caper."
The straggler' was man with
full beard that seemed to cover half
his face, and he was In state of high
delirium when Martha reached the
house. As for his features, they were
swollen and spotted almost out of hu,
man likeness, and his shabby clothes
were very coarse and scanty.
He lay in what was known as the
odd hands bedroom" and with him
were the doctor and black jim.
"lou're brave girl" said the doc
tor, when Maitha told him of her in
tention; and I've no doubt you'll be