Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-04-10
XII

XII.
Hiram Jones, tramp, farm laborer,
busybody, detective, or whatever he
might be, furnished for a month my
principal cause for anxiety. Lamar's
indifference to the mans doings was
more than / could explain to my own
satisfaction; for, if the owner of the
house on the knoll had reason to fear
any great peril, how was it that he
could hear SO calmly tidings which in
dicated at least that he was under sur
VIGILANCE? 1t was as if q willy old fox,
after a long run from the hunter,
should sit contentedly watching stray
hound circling about him, instead of
retreating post-haste out of danger.
There was certainly the argument that
lamar should know very well the par
ticular point from which he was men,
aced, and the character of the agents
likely to be employed against him;
but I could not find it convincing.
Greatly as I disliked him, his apathy
fretted me. Even enemies, when fate
AldAC<S tltC1h lJttl Sdll SSACluily
be counted upon to cooperate 10 win
the game. Now, here was I, quite
ready to do my best to beat our mys-
terious opponents, yet hampered, or
at least discouraged, by the indiffer-
ence of the player whose stakes were
hazarded upon the result. The situa-
ton seemed to be entirely false.
If Jones was spy, / in turn diligent-
ly played the spy upon him. No time
was lost in confirming his identity with
that of the man who had aroused Car
penter's suspicious, q result easily ac-
complished by bringing the horse-deal-
er on o pretended errand to Rodney
town and having Jones at work near
the house as he drove by. After this
preliminary, devoted many hours to
watching Mrs. Weston's retainer, with
out getting much reward for my pains.
The man went about his various tasks
in the most matter-of-fact fashion, APP
parently concerned in nothing beyond
them. I had expected that as soon
as he learned of my daily visits to the
house on the knoll he would attempt
to question me about its occupant; but
not once did he display interest in my
hermit patient. In short, the only new
ground given for my suspicious was
furnished by a habit he developed of
solitary strolls about the neighborhood
when evening put an end to his work
on the farm. A little Of his gruffness
had worn off, and, barring this liking
for lonely rambles, there was nothing
to distinguish him from the other Ia.
borers of the vicinity. Lamar listened
patiently to the reports of my obserya-
tions, which appeared to increase his
mediate alarm, though he still neglect
| ed to give the reasons for his convic-
| ton. It may be that, undisturbed rs
he was in his own mind, he was salts
| fled to have me maintain vigilance
After all, it was not to be denied thai
standing guard was part of the business
for which he paid me.
But the month was pleasant one
except for Jones and the worries he
created. Mrs. Loring was doing sur.
prisingly well. Nobody could have eS-
pected her to regard herself as any.
thing but confirmed invalid, but with
increasing frequency she was enjoying
intervals Of oblivion to the fact thai
she supposed herself to be q sufferer
She took her harmless doses with clock
| work regularity, and there was not one
| of the directions given her which wax
not carried out with scientific accuracy
Simple food, good air, undisturbed
| sleep, and tritles enough to keep her
interested were doing for her what
| they will do for most of the race. Two
or three additions had been made to hel
code of directions, with not altogether
unsel1ish motives on the part of hel
medical adviser. For one thing, she
now kept diary, in which she wrote
| her observations of her symptoms. Os
tensibly, this was to secure, for sci
| entific purposes, q record of the prog
ress Of most notable case; actually
it was to save her doctor from daily
flood Of talk. Then, too, she had beer
persuaded that it was not wise To have
her niece constantly with her, the the,
Dry followed being that Miss Gray had
been SO long her nurse that their con.
tinual association could not but REMIND
her of her impaired health. This BIZ
OF sophistry was fur more convincing
| to the elder woman than to the young
er, who, though she acquiesced in the
arrangement, left me no doubt tina,
she regarded the argument as falla
cious. Inas1nuch, however, as through
it secured great deal more of hel
society, was content, my object thus
accomplished. Moreover, to this day
| it seems clear to me that In forcing
Mrs. Loring to throw off somewhat
OF her acquired feeling of helplessness
and TO learn that she was not entirely
dependent on her companions minis
trations, did her great service. Sc
fur as the girl was concerned, there
could be no question of the benefit she
received from the lessening Of hel
hours of attendance upon her aunt
No calling, as we all know, is more no
bic, more self-sacrifcing, than that oil
the nurse; in none is there greater need
Of reasonable relaxation from the de
mands upon body, mind and spirit; ant
never is devotion more sadly misappliet
than in those cases in which the tribut.
to supposed duty and real affection j.
paid needlessly or in obedience to IN
others over-indulged caprice. TIL,
light of common sense should be strong
enough to show the flaw of usclessnes:
in many picture of uncomplainine