The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-06-13

| apt as d1lda
"The pain''-Uncle Robert struck
in with disconcerting abruptness, as
il the subject had never travelled away
from rheumatism-'' took me just
about the knee this morning, and fol-
lowed this muscle'-he pointed
"down to my ankle. Now that is a
new spot, and I'm going up to the
city tomorrow morning to see Doctor
Welch. There isn't doctor in this
town that knows thing about rheu-
matism." He picked up his cane
pounded on the floor for emphasis.
''Not onel They're all alike and
woefully ignorant.
Hilda, realizing that he was fully
laupched on his favorite theme, left
the room. Mrs. Upper picked up
white waist she was making for Anne,
and busted herself, but Anne basted
seams and listened.
ST believe" Uncle Robert went
on, loudly, "that nowadays the sub
iect of rheumatism is left out of the
medical curriculum. The more I'm
treated the worse get"
"I'm sorry" responded Anne,
alphabetically.
"Now tomorrow I'll try Welch,
and if he doesn't do me any good, /
shall give up and stay at home and
suffer in silence. 1 shall know that
doctoring is no good"
Uncle Robert reached out absent
minded1y with the crook of his cane
and drew to his side the chair on
which lay the lavender. Putting the
dress on the seat of the chair, he
rested his elbow on the back, all the
time talking.
"Doctoring is no good anyway.
Look at Mrs. Greenleaf. She's al
ways doctoring and always ailing. l
don't see how she can stop taking
patent medicines long enough to make
dresses, scornfu1ly poking the laven-
der gown. "She thinks she's worse
off than anyone else, but she isn't and
won't be until she gets the rheuma-
tism."
"It must be very painful" MUIR
INJURED Anne.
Hilda returned with white skirt
and sat down at the sewing machine.
"What must be painfull" she ask
ed in bored tone.
1.-The rheumatism !" groaned Uncle
Robert. "Wait until you have all
the kinds at once-articular, muscu-
lar and touch of infammatory and
you'll think so, too. Doctor Brown"
he added, looking about with an in
curing eye, "advises me to drink
water-drink it by the quart and gal
lon. Now L"
Anne rose with alacrity and left
the room. Hilda ran the machine at
Uncle Robert would find something
else to talk about Mrs. Tupper
turned tucks placidly and ran them
neatly.
Presently Anne reappeared with a
pitcher and glass. Uncle Robert re-
lieved her of both, and poured glass
full of water, setting the pitcher on
the edge of the sewing table. Then
he slipped water and detailed the symp-
toms to Anne, going over the sleep
lessness of the night before and the
reasons which induced him to consult
a city physician.
Anne listened patiently as she basted
the sleeve of her waist, endeavoring
conscientiously to confne her thought
to rheumatism and keep them away
from the lavender dress.
Presently Uncle Robert began to
take his leave. 1t was tedious pro-
cess. He groared and lifted his rheu-
matte leg down from the chair. Anne
at once hastened to hold his cane,
while he lifted himself up slowly with
a hand on each chair-arm. Once on
his feet, he groaned again, and reach
ed for the cane.
Then something unexpected hap
pened-that is, it was unexpected to
the Tuppers. No one ever was told
whether or not 1t was unexpected to
Uncle Robert. But somehow, as he
turned, his cane became mixed up
with the pitcher, which instantly dis
charged its contents over the laven-
der dress.
"Now see what I've done p cried
Uncle Robert, in tone intended to
be rueful.
Promptly dropping his cane, with
movements surprisingly quick for one
afflicted with three varieties of rheu-
matism, he seized the lavender and
bundled it together, muttering some
thing about water on the carpet"
Hilda few away from the sewing
machine, and seizing the limp bundle
from Uncle Roberts arms, shook it
out, crying in tone ringing with
triumph:
"Anne. you can never put it on
again It's ruined p
"Oh |" cried Anne. "Oh" In
voluntarily her face lighted with joy.
Uncle Robert picked up the pitcher.
otis broken" he grumbled, "and I
wager it's your best one ]"
Hilda made no reply. She was
gloating over the ruined dress but
Anne took the china fragments from
Uncle Roberts hand, saying earnest
ly, "Never mind, uncle-accidents
will happen.
Over Anne's head Uncle Roberts
eyes met Mrs. Tupper's in sly twin
kle, but he only cleared his throat
grufly and thumped the floor with
his cane.
81 hope" Anne began, shade of
anxiety creeping into her voice, that
Aunt Margaret won't be hurt"
"You leave AuEt Margaret to me ~
grumbled Uncle Robert. "I'll go
over now and explain what I've done.
Hope she won't expect me to listen
to an account of her neuralgia, though.
Once get her started on that subject,
-