Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-07-24

Kerpr,rnK IN the mud on his stomach.
Then l drive up an put i'm in my
cart"
Mrs. Fanshaw was always a calm
woman; she went out at the gate,
waddled up to the cart, and shook the
human heap on the straw.
'Looky heer, what's a-ailin' of you,
Jade?' she asked, seeing his eyes open.
Fanshaw sat up slowly, but he
looked like a man with only a shadow
of soul in him; his eyes glared in
CHASTITY sockets and their whites had
turned red. AS he looked round at
the group he seemed to recognize
them, but a, shifting look of terror
was in his glance. He began to work
mis- lips, to the edge of which his
stubbly beard grew, but only unin-
telligible sounds issued
Ellis tongue is paralyzed," COM
mented, his wife; look how that side
is drawed down to his neck l de-
clare he's got wad O. tobacco be-
twixt his jaws clampcd thar as tight
as cider press. Jade, spit that thar
truck out! Spit it out, l tell you'll"
And as he paid no heed to her COM
mands, she thrust her forefinger be-
tween his almost toothless gums as if
he were a child and pried out the
brown mass. "Well!" she said, re-
signedly, well have to git i'm in the
house, Bud will want his cart. Come.
you boys" Ito Ronald and David)
help lift i'm OUT
Dave sprang into the cart, and Ron
aid was about to do the same, when
Fanshaw's distended eyes fell on him.
The old man raised his hands as if to
ward off blow and cried in words
now easily understood: take i'm
away; he wants to kill mel''
Ronald paused, but Fanshaw's ter
ror did not abate. He got to his feet
quickly and springing from the cart
he ran. his knees knocking together,
across the road towards the woods,
stop i'm, he's tryin' to kill me! He
wants me to tell i'm who he is, an
whar t'other is buried!"
A remarkable change came over Mrs.
Fanshaw; she turned quickly to Ron
aid, and with an uneasy smirl, said:
Don't you go nigh i'm, Ron; he's
clean out'n his senses, an thar ain't
no tellin' what quar- notion might strike
i'm"
Ronald stood wondering. as Tarbell
and Dave ran after the old man. They
caught him by his arms and began to
half carry, half drag him towards the
house. But Fanshaw's distended eyes
werestillfiXed on Ronald in alright and
he struggled and fought his captors like
= wild man.
I'm not agoin' to have I'm put me in
JAIL" he snorted. Hes done reported II
to Reddin', an together they are agoin
to have me swing for what l never
donel"
Again Mrs. Fanshaw faced Ronald;
this time she stood between him and
his father. A frightened look of Gun.
ming lay in her heavy-browed eyes
"If was you, Rom" she said, hurried
ly, I'D go upstairs; he's tuck quar-
notion somehow that you are ag'in i'm
an wouldn't aggravatc i'm"
Glad of an excuse to get away from
the narrowing scene our hero went ur
to his room. Presently he heard the
clatter of hob-nailed boots on the porch
The old man, now pacifed, was being lee
like dumb animal to his room. Their
all was quiet below. The silence LASTED
Till he heard Dawes voice outsid
speaking through a broken window
pane to his mother.
"I'm a-goin' to ride fur DOCTOR" b,
was saying.
The floor complained Of Its burden
as Mrs. Fanshaw went out on the porch
WELL" she replied, "you might a:
well, 1 reckon; but I wouldn't git Sloan
he'll charge two prices, an dun us tt
death. 1t hain't nothin' but strok,
nohow, an his drugs nor nobody else'
can reach it. It's jest question @
time. DR.. Wade will do as we'll as any
body"
Later in the afternoon Ronald hae
come down and was sitting before tn,
fire in the living room. The man hat
fallen asleep, watched by Bud Tarbell
who had sent his cart home and Offered
his services according TO the custom
among neighbors in that vicinity. Mrs
Fanshaw came in and began to look fol
a bottle of liniment on the mantel
piece.
DIR. Wade's jest gone off," she tolt
Ronald, "he says it's the second stroke
he's had, an that the next one will
carry i'm off as sure as preachin'. i
was you I wouldn't go nigh i'm, Ron
it's best to humor pussons like he is
| Our hero made no reply. Dave came
from the sick room and stood on the
stone hearth warming his toes at the
flames. Mrs. Fanshaw had found the
bottle for which she was searching, and
turned to go.
| HE won't last long," she said tc
Dave; seems to me heerd yore pa say
he left off payin' on his life Insurance.
1.-TWO yeer ago he did," said David
despondently. II had put good money
of my own into that, thinkin' if he dice
the insurance would help US buy farm
of our own out west, whar Uncle JOE
says they are so cheap, but in thai
hard-time season when all the crop.
was burnt pa let it lapse, an it's gon.
to the devil"
| tits jest our usual luck" grumblet
the old woman; some n would "a hap
pened to a-kept all that money from
reachin' us anyhow. We never wa.
born under a good STAR
/ Ronald looked up. you needn't lie,
hnf I, 81