The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-07-28

mighty sudden the women of this
town will take 1t up, and thereIl be
a b'ilin.water bee that will take skin
and bristles off'n one hog in this
town."
The selectman, who had just
bought a new sleigh off Gale, with
a crown and crossed gavels painted
on it as delicate compliment, tried
to say something about the eccen-
tricities of genius; but the women
flew at him like setting hens at a
barn rat.
Gents he said. turning to us men
folks with a sigh, 81 guess the vote
of the meetin' is in favor of what
you might call an official investiga-
ton. l will lead the way to our
genius house, and all those so mind
ed may foller me-"
The selectman had to fairly drive
back two of the women to stay and
take care of the wilder, for fear she
might try to jump off her mind-sled,
as you might say, and get into trou-
BILE. It certainly was about the most
popular excursion that was ever or
ganized in the town of Carmel.
Everyone wanted to go along.
It being an official party, headed
by law and authority, we didn't stop
to knock at Gales house, but trudg-
ed straight in on the heels of the Sc
lectman, like ducks following
leader
Gale was sitting on his bed, too.
/ have an idea that he was the most
surprised man that ever held an
evening reception in town But you
couldn't judge of his surprise by his
expression. AS a matter of fact, only
one eye was showing, and that eye
wasn't especially intelligent looking
it was mussed up too much.
guess that between the whops he got
around the tree and the sharp edges
of the crust and the attentions the
Sprague boy paid to him on the way
to rescue the wilder, Gale had been
finding life for the last hour ''melan-
choly and forlorn," as the poet says.
The selectman took his place at
the foot of the bed, and the delegates
to the convention formed behind him.
Mister Allen" said the selectman
q will call you Mister Allen, this
bein,' as you might say. an official
visit. we have just come from house
of pain and sorrow"
"And what kind of house do you
think you've come into?" said Gale
in a gruff bow-wow under his towel
ing. do look as though was
celebrating a birthday with feast and
frolic? Looks like a mighty spunky
business stramming into a mans
house in this fashion. When I want
to entertain I'll send out invitations"
Remarks are heard and duly not
ed said the selectman; "but 1t SO
happens that there wasn't time for
the usual preliminaries of polite so
ciety. We are willin' to take into ac-
count all the excuses that genius
has to offer. and you needn't take the
trouble to recapitulate 'em. You can
sanup you were thinkin' of when you
set the Wilder Sprague on that bob
sled. or whatsoever it was, and left
her to slam galley-west down through
that orchard. There are those here
that thinks it's deliberate attempt at
assassination. What have you got
to say for yourself?"
The chances are that in ordinary
circumstances Gale would have lit on
us and drove us out; but enough
things had happened to him that
evening to make him sort of supple.
Some one in the crowd limited that
1t had been found out that ne could
be licked by the Sprague boy, and
that under those circumstances it
wasn't good taste for him to ride a
high horse any longer. So Gale ran
MS eye over us. noted that we were
all looking pretty set. and he went on
to give in his statement But ne was
scornful.
Il don't suppose any of you have
read books enough to understand that
the scientists assert that there are
more cases of insanity among wom-
en- In the country districts than in
any other classes?" said he.
eff they let you run loose much
longer around here, I reckon the
point will be pretty well proved"
broke in Mis- Bangs, with sniff.
1T amt that way at ALL" snapped
Gale. Scientists say that women in
the country, bein' tied down to home
havin' nothin' special to take up their
ullHuS, get 10 UTuUuluS anu ldil lHlO
nervous prosperation and go crazy
That's the size of 1t. Now you know
that the Wilder Sprague has been
alone a good deal for the last ten
years?"
Say. is sweet apples good for bal
ancin' the mind?" inquired old Ike
Elwell.
Gale snapped that one eye pretty
hard, and showed that he understood
that we knew some things: but he
kept on. II could see that the Wild
der Sprague was gettin run down
and solemn and lonesome, and was
dwellin' on things. and was fallin'
into nervous prosperation just as fast
as she could And whilst the rest
of the hogs in this place was goin'
around with their noses held down
to their own business and not payin'
any attention to the sufferin's of
rheir neighhors, studied up on the
thing, and was bound to cure her of
her brain-fag, as the scientists call
it. The books say that in cases of that