Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-09-28
THREE WARNINGS

DR.. Townly's lips twltched, bnt nc
controlled himself. II vas avery seri:
GUS case. And he kpeWsthat men and
women had died ofIrisht. wv
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
Observation-Disclosures mysterious
parpipgs, wherevey the case was dis;
cnss6a i6 was TALKED OF now
throdghout the township and the great
81 portion of the county-nobody could
q found who had ever hesrd1ot IN In
4tance where a person forewarned had
Eyer received more than three warn
Spss. One was the rule. Cases where
SFo warnings were given the doomed
Nrre cited. but they were not SO well
shthentiested.-,T 20 S-y-'f-
Mfss Jones had lain in bed now three
Gays. Everybody, could see. her failing.
She had a hunted look; her. face was
fnle. sometimes ciammy with perspIra-
Non. She had not slept nov In three
Nights. DR.. Towniy's first resolve was
that she should sleep that nlsht-but
kept MS own counsel.
He really feared the poor lady would
die OF fright.
After examining her carefully with
puzzled expression he entered the little
parlor. which was darkened TO keep the
f!es and the light out and eonrersed
with Miss Jones niece. a bright aud
sairly well-educatea girl. Tho niece
md been sen; for In haste. She had
no patience with the story Of the
.narn!nEs." but she admitted that she
sad not had much time TO Investigate
ySe matter. I..I .4.s...sI mn
kshc had the fo-c,housh;. however. to
call ia-ihn- ne.Ehbor- who shad--tsis-'
sraphed her that he. presence vas re-
qulrcd In TorSct;.
The neishsor was a member os tho
leading church In Torbe;t. who, an
nouneed, herself as the mother o: "a
large family. therefore very cousei-
en;!oua Msss Joats had no, ss!a any
thing TO hsr until abe had slept owe.
the hrSt warning. n ...;E.,.l rI
s.s.shc told me it looked like an angel
With w!ass. shc could eco tho angela
bsad better than the wings. Hut tho
v!nss were there" It..-,r,y fE.. ..-rD
The doc;o. knew the story. bu; he
asked Mrs Bennc;t Erufiiy: ',whercf-
"They were on fnslon--a water
melon. I; was n melon crown in a
patch Just back OF tho hsnhouse-on
the little bench OF land very near the
rasine." EH 80 ~ agla -
s"woiiy' sro~isa the doctor. -
N''f did SEQ tho seeond warning my
self"
'Sha, vas IL iikef"
III vas Qua melon. TOO. I, looked
Jus; like Miss Joncu told nc. !; vas
3ua; iIks the braashs. o. a weeping
willow ,.-, ....l.. -..lI
"Did anybody else sec ne
My soa John saw IL. and = half
sorea OF tho neishboFs saS it, ..
Hos big Sas tho ,rcc--iho branches.
mean7- .......
"Taey covered III. breadth o, your
hand. am sure .i.1N o..
"Dla Miss Jones say shc regarded Il
as sign she was going 10 IdIe7 Sup
pose the melon hadn't been paiied-or
somebody else had picked Il up7'' 70
That's Just IL. She didn't got the
ulcions-her little nephew. Tommy
he's asou, years old-hc brough, the
melons In TO her. There was an old
patch back there ones-she never Eoas
into t. Tommy. he was chasing the
hsns---and run there and found the
melons, .... . #-.rf .
Then she went TO bed. did shc7"
NO. She wondered what II meant
asked me what thought. And I
dsren't say what thought. Il was
the flrss sign ever saw. And I hope
may never see another E#.. "
did she show any signs OF fright
did ishe lose her appetite or cryf Was
shc nervous7 Or did she talk much 70
Neither of the three. She just sat
down and rocked herself. II anybody
spoke she just looked at us. as much
as TO say: You don't know anything
about It. Il can't be helped Wouldn't
be coaxcd TO cat We couldn't sc; her
to swallow cup of tea | .Haa
"well-and thon?r I'D r..Ha..
"She got the third warning"
"wha. was IT." r .t
II. was on another melon. It's not
as plain as the others but hundreds
have seen It I, was an oserripc melon.
Kind OF faded away now. She said
when Tommy brought, it in tha, she
did NOT need such a plain warning.
said she ought to be thankful she got
three. And then she laid out her
shroud and got into bed. or course
dozens OF us were in and out" u
YES" thought the doctor. ''and
hundreds more. bigger fools. were tell
ing the story and adding to It," l.,
What was on the last melon7"
Just an urn-thc same as you see
any piace.''s - .laA '.'Ht."'a i"
''Humph!" au iHH HfTa p
.-shc came over to my house that
afternoon. I'd Just got the parior
closed and was going to lie down when
che sAIked In Without raprinE A