Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-12-14

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knows how to ride and-he did not
recognize me-that pleases me-"
few more miles of hard riding
and Miss West reached a farmhouse
Of the old Acadian type, with fifty
year mosses on its implanted roof and
we'll sweep Of Anticipated pattern
picturesquely adjoining the yard. An
other horse was picketcd there, and 1t
saluted her with whinny-it was the
animal Peter Grant so vigorously be-
| strobe
OH she cried out in sudden
alarm, "can it be possible that Aunt
Maggie is the very sick woman he
was coming to visit? l pray that
may not be too late.'
AS she hurried into the kitchen she
found it filled with women of the type
of many Of Aunt Maggie's neighbors,
and murmur of strange unmusical
voices saluted her unwilling ears.
They had never in their lives had
chance to peer into the cupboard Of
this house before; Aunt Maggie was
not Of their sort, and to Evangeline
their presence savOred of sacrilege.
They all started at the stylish figure
in the tailOr-made costume, and they
failed to recognize Vangie West.
How is she? My Aunt Maggie-is
she very ill?"
Jest alive-that's ALL The preacher
he's up there now-be you her sis
fa,.'s nj hat 1,, I,
YES yes. What room is she in?
Oh. takes me to her. 1t is so long
since l was here | feel like stran-
ger"
What Rendered We from comm
sooner miss?" asked a raspng voice,
which Evangeline remembered as be-
longing to layer-Out of the commun-
ity. Threading her way through the
crowd. the girl sought the room where
her sick relative lay, Il strange sound
of mOnotonous singing leading her
thither. There, tossing and deiriOus,
lay the sick woman. burning with fe-
yer. The room was crowded with
neighbors-women who gathered at a
death with the scent of hawks, vet
who felt-each Of them-that theirs
was a religious duty. There, too, was
Peter Grant lining out a hymn, which
was only sung to the dying AS Evan
geline entered they We're chanting mo-
notonously these hopeful lines:
For while the lamp holds out to
burn,
The vilest sinner may return"
Women with corrugated brows and
nasal tones sang the words In weird
discOrd, to which the preacher added
robust and melOdiOus bass.
Evangeline held up u vigorous hand
and babe them stop.
Don't you see that she Is far too
i'll for this sort of thing? All leave
the room. please. and let her have air.
| will take care Of her now"
"She should be permitted to make
her peace with God" the Rev. Peter
Grant spoke, partly from habit and
partly from conviction. He knew who
this young woman was now, and dared
to combat her aggressive action.
.'She never had any falling out with
but now that you know who l am
and why am here, you will leave her
to me. l am her nearest relative, but
more than that am trained nurse
and thoroughly familiar with fever
case. Where Is the dOctor-she surely
has medical care?"
HE has given her up" said one Of
the retreating women, with a sly salts
faction.
"Given her up! How dared he? And
why do you speak of such possibility
before herr"
oh she doesn't sense anything
that Is said now" complained one Of
the cronies, taking a reluctant depart
ure
The preacher took himself off with
the others, but he gained reluctant
consent to call the next day to learn
how the sick woman was doing. He
did not really expect to find her alive,
and his slow. wcllregulated faculties
received a healthy shock when Vangie,