Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-12-28
CHAPTER XXI.
A SHOCK TO GREENvALE.


Aunt Comfort was pairing apples,
Hannah putting away the breakfast
dishes, Angie, with sleeves up, disclos-
ing rounded arms, was washing a pan
full of green pickles Meier had just
brought in, when Aunt Lorey burst
into the kitchen. David Curtis was
took with fit last night" she gasped,
en- he's gone ravin' crazy. Some on
'em heered him hollerin' like a loon
bout midnight, n the next, he rushed
into the house screamin,' o Lord, Lord,
save mel They had to tie him hand
and foot n DR.. Sol says he's gone clean
daft" And having delivered this
astonishing message, she sank into
chair, tanning herself with her apron
For the lands sake!" exclaimed
Aunt Comfort, dropping her pairing
open mouth, while Angie turned in
mute establishment, her hands full of
wet pickles. No one observed that
Meier suddenly vanished.
And what was the cause on IT,"
continued Aunt Comfort, eagerly, en-
is he likely to die?'
Nobody seems to know" responded
Aunt Lorey, 'he was just took, that
was all, n what he was doin' out O.
the house that time O. night is a mys-
try. They found the grist-mill goin'
an the men say faint the fust time
that somebody's been prowlin' round
there nights for weeks back"
And this was fair sample Of the
recital that spread like wild-fire over
Greenvale that August morn 1t had
been known that strange happenings
had occurred up at the Curtis place,
that some enemy had made nightly
visits there, stealing and destroying
with evident malice, but who, and for
what special reason, no one knew.
Some said it was just compensation
for his many Well-known acts of mean
ness, few ascribed it to supernatural
causes, and one or two limited that
AMI, half demented, might have es-
capped from some asylum and returned
to thus avenge himself This latter
surmise, however, seemed SO unreason-
able that no one believed it.
HE has brain fever" was the ex-
plicit information DR.. Sol had impaired
that afternoon. when he called at Aunt
Comforts, "and his mind is deranged.
1t was brought on, no doubt, by some
sudden fright while out watching for
this night visitor. He may recover
and he may not. His age is against
him"
Il s'pose We oughter go there and
try to do somethin,' Aunt Comfort
asserted to Angie later on. Hes been
Twin like hyena all these years. with
that wench dom the cookin', n
'twon't do to let him die that way. He's
your uncle, in spite O. his meanness."
And in thus rising above all sense
OF injury and personal feeling, Aunt
Comfort showed her broad and truly
Christian charity.
But Angie was not so ready to re-
spond. Her own early sorrow, the hui
initiation she had endured, the long
continued self-denials, the many times
she had met her uncle well wrapDed
in buffalo robe when she had to step
out into the deep snow and let him
pass, the countless times she had
watched mis- hypocritical face in
church, knowing he had been and was
robbing her of her heritage, had sunk
deep into her heart, and her first
thought was, Let him die alone like
a dog; he deserves it.''
But Aunt Comfort was a beacon light
OF goodness and homely sense to her
and she made no protest, and so it came
to pass that these two angels of mercy
took themselves to the cherries home
| of David Curtis for the first time. in
many years.
And Aunt Lorey-who never missed
attending all the funerals occurring in
Greenvale, and was said to enjoy them
also accompanied these two, possibly
expecting funeral in this case.
It's only good nursing that will
save him." asserted DIR. Sol that might
to Aunt Comfort, but it's an outrage
for you and Angie to stay here. He
isn't worth it. Better let me hire some
one"
But Aunt Comfort persisted, and all
that long night and many others they
minlstered to their patient, tossing
groaning, and occasionally screamins
in feverish delirium.
And what tragic revelations OF guilt,
conscience and supernatural fear it was
to them, for the sick man, in his de
- ious mutterings. lived over and re
cited all the dread fears and the agon,