The Topeka state journal., 1905-08-26
THE EVENING STORY
The school for saints.

The school for Saints.
Mrs. Hoover was awakened in the
middle of the night by loud groans of
anguish.
do something quick, Ellen" her
husband was saying. TITS a terrible |
pain under my left shoulder blade and |
it runs around to the front sometimes. |
It's going to kill me unless I get help.
Let me have a mustard plaster right
away"
wouldn't rubbing help it, Martin %
suggested his wife, deeply sympathetic,
but at the same time mindful of the
darkness and lonesomeness of down.
stairs.
Rubbing! Great Scott! What are
you thinking of? You can't rub away
mortal agony like this. A mustard
plaster first, and then we'n probably
have to telephone the doctor!" Then
he fell to groaning again.
But I'm sure camphor would do 1t
good, dear" persisted Mrs. Hoover,
hurrying to the medicine cabinet and
returning with the bottle. Just let
you to lie here and suffer all the time
I'm making the poultice, and this
might relieve you Instantly"
"All the time you're making the
poulticei" repeated her husband. 1T
doesn't take a minute to throw a
mustard plaster together, and you
know it. 1 shouldn't think you'd want
| to deny me the only thing that can
possibly do me any good at a Tune nke
this. You might have been back here
with it by now if you hadn't argued
so long. Take your camphor away!
It's like offering me baby food Oh!
There it goes-gripping me like death
again! Perhaps it's angina pectoris.
I'm glad my Wills made, for your
sake! Oh! OH"
Mrs. Hoover is tinid. but she
'angina pectoris'' chilled her with
sudden fear and, flying into dressing
gown and slippers, she seized gas
lighter and made her way down the
stairs. That poultice, she reflected on
the way, must of course be made with
white of egg so it would not blister,
and the eggs were in the refrigerator,
and the refrigerator was in the back
entry. The thought of going out there
alone at dead of night was like facing
the guillotine to her, but she did not
hesitate.
Having lighted up the kitchen, she
was heroically preparing to unlock the
door into the entry when a shrie king
whistle behind her startled her almost
out of her slippers. She gave
scream of terror before she realized
that it was only her husband at the
speaking tube.
"I never realized before what E
noise that makes down here,' she saie
to herself. Then, in a voice that still
trembled. she called up the tube
''What is it, Martin %
''I want to know when you're com.
ing" was the answer. 81 can't hold
on to myself much longer. Say
don't want ruff1es or drawnwork or
that plaster, Ellen. Just a plain. ho
mustard plaster in hurry. I tell yoI
I'm in awful agony
"I know. dear" she told him, sooth
ingly. III come as quick as 1 pos
sibly can. Lie down and cover up
won't you, please? You'll surely cater
cold out there in the hall.
Lie down. / couldn't hold still two
minutes to save my life. I never hac
anything like this, I tell you. Make
that plaster long and narrow, EIief
and hurry 1t isn't safe to leave me
alone so long when I'm in this state
With nervous haste Mrs. Hoover
pulled open the kitchen door ano
/ plunged into the dark entry. The eggs
secured, she snatched UP the square
piece of cloth she had laid out on the
) table for the plaster and dived into the
storeroom for a long, narrow strip
Then she few for the mustard and II
d. less time than she would have be
2 lieved possible, she was running
: breathlessly up the stairs with the
: poultice IN her hands.
5 AS she hurried along the hall thu
2 dead silence in the bedroom strucl
I terror to her heart. She paused
/ Then she entered There lay he,
, husband, peacefully sleeping!
For full minute Mrs. Hoover stoot
and gazed, quite forgetting to b.
2 thankful for her husbands releas'
! from pain, and strongly tempted t.
5 apply the poultice directly to the up
turned, innocent looking face. Thel
e she spoke.
Martin Hooveri'
His eyes opened slowly.
/, 'sYou went to sleep!" she said, in
dignantly.
Y He half lifted his head from the pill
v low. ST know. my DEAR" he acknowl
3 edged. "I had tor die. The pail
was so bad!"
S'well." coldly, where do you wan
this plaster now ?'
"Plaster? Oh. the plaster!" H
n turned comfortably on his side an
V drew the covers under his chin. g
r won't bother you to put that on. now
d Ellen, I'm so easy! If you'll just turl
: out the light and not talk to me at al
: think 1 can go right off to Sleep
: Chicago News.
- 0rrAHER 2F-ET E(vTVfYN9