Smyrna times., 1905-11-22
The Cup of
Water
By HONORE WILLsIE
Copyright, 1905, by Ruby Douglas


with his feverish hands, tossed his
long legs about until the bedclothes
were a hopeless tangle and then lay
still. The little room was deadly close
with the air that smelled of long sick
ness and of the cooking of bacon and
corn cake in the adjoining kitchen.
Outside, through the tightly closed
window, he could see shreds of white
clouds scudding across the blue. For
days it had been a matter Of vital i'm
portance to him lest the green branches
that tossed so continuously across the
lower sash catch and hold the wisps of
white as the upper twigs scratched
against the blue, but now, as he tossed
in the misery of his fever, not even the
scud of the clouds mattered. He want
ed water-just a drink, single half
cup, just drop ON his swollen tongue.
Again and again he struggled to pull
himself from the bed. At each whin-
ing shrek of the corded four poster
old Mrs. Frazee came to the door, corn-
cob pipe in mouth, and tucked him
kindly but firmly back
"You sure can't have no water-not
till the fever breaks. It's the only way
to break up one Of these long runs"
Esterly looked up into the kind old
face with his fever sick eyes.
Il know you are trying to be good to
a stranger, but if only you would send
for a doctor! And, for heavens sake,
Just a little waterr'
The old woman looked at ESterly
with all the horror in her face that the
suggestion of a physician brings to
backwoodsman LAWS" she said, Its
thirty miles to a doctor, and we'll have
you all cured by the time one could
get here! You have nothing but a run
of fever. Me and my old man are glad
to take care of you"
Again she tucked the coverings about
him. My" she said, ''ain't you a fine
big young fellow?"
Esterly, like q child in his weakness
and semidelirium, lay quietly till the
old woman left the room. Then again
the scudding clouds caught his eye.
He wondered weakly how many days
it had been since he had come into
these Tennessee mountains to hunt
Old Frazee had found him crazy with
fever and had brought him to his back
woods cabin, thousand miles from
anywhere, and with the insistent hos
| pitality of their kind the old man and
his wife were nursing him in their own
primeval way. And in all this time Nc
| f,,Ie of
wort tea, black and bitter as quinine
and at mealtime corn cakes with more
thorowOrt tea.
With difficulty he turned and looked
out the door into the kitchen. Old Mrs
Frazee was tying on her sunbOnnet
After she had finished and relighteC
her pipe she came in to Esterly's bed
side and looked down at him, leisurel!
putting the pipe as she felt his fore
head with a hand hard and knotted a
mans. Then, seeing that his eye
seemed clear. she said:
1--WE got to go over to Jacksonville t
meet my girl. She's been to school 1
Nashville for four years, and haven
seen her in that time. But now she
home for good. I'll bring some NOR
this vert back. Your fever's wors
than ever Remember, now, it's no us
for you to try to get the water. Ain
any nearer n the spring. And remen
Der if you do drink any it'll sett
you."
Then with a motherly gesture 81
smoothed the covers about his shou
ders and he heard her heavy boo
dumping out over the back stoo
Then again he went off into deliriur
tossed and turned and called for W
ter After awhile he was conscio'
that the sunset was lighting up Il
tops Of the trees and that the clou'
were no longer white fecks, but lol
a streamers of purple and gold. He i
| tened intently. No sound came fro
the kitchen. Mrs. Frazee had not y
returned. With a supreme effort
threw off the 'bedclothes and stagger
toward the kitchen door.
''The spring." he thought, ''the sprir
the spring., And then black m
enveloped him and he fell.
After a long time he felt himself Ii
Mt ed and put into bed. Then he heard
IN womans voice, a young, soft vol
re saying:
Il poor fellow, poor fellow! Heave
r. mother, what air! Open the windc
re father" II
10 Then Mrs. Frazee's voice protest
n ''No, no, Rose; no drafts. He'll ca
'e, cold on top Of it all"
ed Then there was the sound of W
,ar dow opening, and with the sound
,re 'opened his eyes. The candle was
eat The shelf, just as usual, but instead
ne burning straight upward, with 10
ely yellow tiame, it spluttered and fiicl
is ed In a wave of air that EsterlY oil
rs, into his lungs as though he never co
ali stop. He looked up. Bending over b
soft and dim in the uncertain liz
IA was a woman's face, with the sw
| Of n