Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1899-11-25
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"a UeeRIy Storyette.t
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upon The chances of a comfortable
that is, a reasonably clean place to
live The fewer billetted together, of
course the smaller the chance of in
lection, and Hunt, who knew the
town wen, purposed that they rent an
Isolated cottage, use camp-stools and
cots, and with a liberal amount of
Nhitewash and quicklime, would be
reasonably secure from infection, for
time ut least They could secure an
old NANNY to cook and clean for
them, enforcing perfect cleanliness
and standing a chance of having, pos
sibly, well-cooked food, without a SUI
perfluity OF germs.
Everything worked well for time.
The three men stuck to their keys,
doing double duty and relieving each
other at regular intervals. Then the
bookkeeper of the little office died He
had filled the combined position of
bookkeeper and delivery clerk; two
out of the five operators followed, and
Hunt had to fill the vacancies in his
own person the best he could. To ag-
gravate matters the infection boldly
entered the little home camp and old
Lotta. the general factorum, fell i'll.
For two days she was desperately,
miserably i'll, then all was over.
A few days later the force in the
companys office was reduced to two
Hum and one of the young country
boys who had journeyed south with
him but the latter, in very bad
state of fright, disappeared suddenly,
travelling frantically northward until
stopped by quarantine. Left alone,
Hunt said many uncomfortable things
aud teIegrarhed the state of affairs
to the main office. They would send
relief as early as possible, meantime
he must hold on, which he did.
One hot, misty day Hunt locked the
door of the Office and started toward
a restaurant where he now took what
ever meals he ate. He did not feel
we'll; his head burned and throbbed
and reeled with dizziness.
He knew very well that the thing
started that way, but thinking, per
haps, he was oyerbilious, and a tonic
would put a new ''kink" into him he
stopped at the one drug shop in the
town. But the apothecary, an old
friend, was not there; the place was
closed. Inquiring of the Chinese laun-
Gry-man next door he learned that the
old man had "deaded'-passed away
in the night.
Unable to eat the steaming corn
pone and becoming still sicker at sight
of the strips of bacon curled up IN
their own oozy fat that was served to
him by the shiny black son of Ham,
with head spinning, Hunt started
back toward the Office.
Down the street group of people
were coming A little nearer and be
made out they were darkies carrying
8 corpse The odor of disinfeCtants
reached him, and the darkies shouted,
for it is deadly to pass a corpse I'M
cased that has died of the plague. He
turned into a side street that was
quiet and deserted, the hot weather
grass growing rank and lush against
the fences and by the roadside. AS
he went along the street became more
familiar to his fast numbing senses,
until he came to a house, a small cot
tage set far back in lawn and screen
ed from prying eyes by hedges of
giant cannas and huge dropping cal
ady runs. A few lemon and rose
bushes grew struggling and unkenp,
and a few moonflower vines hung
crafty to the sagging piazza trellis. 1t
looked cool, though, and familiar. and