The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1899-12-07
THREE WARNINGS.

controlled nlmSelI. IL was q very serl-
Gus case. And he knew that men and
women had died of fright.
Everybody in Torbett township knew
Just what was the matter.
Miss Saline Jones, a very estimable
lady in middle age, had lain down on
her bed knowing that she would soon
die. She had received three mysterious
warnings. Wherever the case was dis
cussed-and it was talked of now
throughout the township and the great
er portion Of the county-nobody could
be found who had ever heard of an in
stance where a person forewarned had
ever received more than three warn
ings. One was the rule. Cases where
two warnings were given the doomed
were cited, but they were not so well
authenticated.
Miss Jones had lain in bed now three
days. Everybody could see her failing.
She had a hunted look; her face was
pale, sometimes clammy with persp1ra-
ton. She had not slept now in three
nights. DR.. Townly's first resolve was
that she should sleep that night-but
kept his own counsel.
He really feared the poor lady would
die of fright.
After examining her carefully with a
puzzled expression he entered the little
parlor, which was darkened to keep the
flies and the light out, and conVersed
with Miss Jones' niece, a bright and
fairly well-educated girl. The niece
had beer sent for in haste. She had
no patience with the story Of the
warnings" but she admitted that she
had not had much time to investigate
the matter.
She had the forethought, however, to
call in the neighbor who had tele-
graphed her that her presence was re-
quired in Torbett.
The neighbor was a member Of the
leading church in Torbett, who an
nounced herself as the mother of a
large family, therefore very consci-
entious. Miss Jones had not said any
thing to her until she had slept over
the first warning.
"She told me it looked like an angel
with wings. She could see the angels
head better than the wings. But the
wings were there"
The doctor knew the story, but he
asked Mrs. Bennett gruffiy: "Where?"
''They were on a melon-a water
melon. 1t was a melon grown in a
the little bench of land very near the
ravine."
"Well?" growled the doctor.
"I did see the second warning my
self"
What was it like?"
cit was on a melon, too. 1t looked
Just like Miss Jones told me. 1t was
just like the branches of a weeping
willow"
did anybody else see it?"
my son John saw it, and a half
dozen of the neighbors saw it,"
"How big was the tree-the branches
I mean?"
"They covered the breadth of your
hand, I am sure"
did Miss Jones say she regarded il
as a sign she was going to die? Sup.
pose the melon hadn't been pulled-ol
somebody else had picked it up?"
That's just it. She didn't get the
melons-her little nephew, Tommy
he's about 6 years old-he brought thu
melons in to her. There was an OLE
patch back there once-she never goe
into it. Tommy, he was chasing tn
hens-and run there and found tn,
melons,"
''Then she went to bed, did she?"
"No. She wondered what it meant
asked me what 1 thought. And
daren't say what I thought. 1t wa
the first sign I ever saw. And I hop
may never see another"
"Did she show any signs of fright
did she lose her appetite or cry? Wa
she nervous? Or did she talk much?
Neither of the three. She just sa
dow and rocked herself. If anybod
spoke she just looked at us, as muc,
as to say: 'Yo don't know anythin
about it. 1t can't be helped Wouldn'
be coaxed to eat. We couldn't get he
to swallow a cup Of tea"
"Well-and then?"
"She got the third warning"
"What was it?"
"It was on another melon. It's nc
as plain as the others. But hundred
have seen it. 1t was an overripe melol
Kind of faded away now. She sal
when Tommy brought it in that sh
did not need such a plain warnin.
said she ought to be thankful she q
three. And then she laid out he
cbroyd and oOt into hnd Of norrs