The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1909-07-27
ALABOR OF LOVH
By JULIE N. tIpMANN. \
Copyright. 1904
1rHERE! it's stopped" announced

Ircnbrious echo of the meeting mouse
he'll frayed off into the quiet Oh tne
,erene summer air and the dismal toll
ing ceased ou
daughter, lowering her voice TO an un-
dertone, as if in Difference to the dead,
whomsoever it might be. Il counted
ST."
$50 did ]. And warrant it's Amelia
Tbacker. She was SO last May. re-
member because her and Brother Setn
was lust of an age, and Seth he came
~ the 1st of June. Well, if it's Amella,
her passing beyond is in some ways a
blessed release. She's been dread
full sufferer of late years, and Thomas
he's been sufferer, too-ln conse-
quence, you might say"
Mother" said Elizabeth, rising and
folding the napkin she had been darn
ing into an accurate square, "Dr.
Bradley told me Amelia Thacker hadn't
a living thing the matter with her eX-
cepting whimsey. He said she was as
sound as a nut, but that her magma
ton had dropsy and she'd ought to be
tapped-hard. He said if Thomas
would do it just once-real thorough
it would be better for all concerned"
Mrs Field drew her eyebrows togeth-
err in frown of disapproval.
Il don't want you should talk like
that, Elizabeth" she said. DR. Brad
ley hadn't ought to say such things to
you, even if you are engaged to him.
1t amt professional. And don't you
repeat it. l wouldn't like you should
have circulated such a report when
| Amelia was alive, and now she's dead
| it would be twice as bad"
"Oh, Willard didn't mean anything.
He was always as patient and kind as
| could be to Mrs. Thacker, and never
complained no matter how often she
had him routed out of bed nights to
come and pacify her when she'd
dreamed new symptom. But he does
feel awfully sorry for Mr.. Thackcr.
He says his ailment is genuine. A real
case of modification. Willard says it
Amela's broken Thomas spirit, and
now he has psychic gangrene.' She
laughed softly as she spoke, and laid
the folded napkin neatly beneath the
others in its pile in the linen press,
going thereafter to her own room 10
make ready for her lover, who was to
call and take her with him on his round
of afternoon visits. 1t was diversion
whereof she was very fond; the doctor
called it playing hitching post"
She was glad to get out into the fra
grant country air; glad to be in the
light top buggy with Willard beside
her. Death seemed far off and vague
and impersonal, like the distant clouds
that she saw shelving the horizon and
that carried no threat of storm in their
placid bosoms. The things that seemed
near and real were the calmness and
serenity of the summer day--the soft.
ness OF the air. the Pickering of the
shadows, the wistful sound of the bird
notes from meadow and branch and
the sense of her own immediate happi
ness-so close, so complete, so Gas il
seemed to herr immutable. Her deli
cate prettiness was illuminated by hel
inner content until she glowed like 9
beautiful, sunlit flower.
AS they passed the prim, fast-shut
tered Thacker place she lowered he1
voice and her face grew grave, but
when they had been carried out of sight
and hearing her eyes began to shine
again, and she could not keep her Inns
from smiling.
Poor Thomas!" she said: "ver
never see him again sitting at the sew.
ing machine with Amelia standing owe,
MN to see that he stitched her seams
straight. How she used to make hin
run that machine! l never passed tho
house but there he was sitting, tread
ing away as if his life depended on it
| always used to want to stop and say
something cheerful to him, he looked
SO down-hearted and sad. But of course
knew better. Don't you suppose h.
would have broken down and cried
willard, II anyone had let on thew saw
him?"
Inc young doctor fourished his whir
over the horses back to scatter tn.
flies before he replied.
i don't know; I'm afraid so. He !,
very highly-organized, and the inces
SAINT humiliation of his position ha,
worked on his mind until he is scarcely
IN a normal state. l suppose no mar
would relish being turned into semn
stress because his wife bad freak N q
she couldn't run a sewing machine
But a robuster nature would perhan,
, nave taken it with better grace anf
2 put laughing face on it. Thomas ma j.,
De aware that he's not very yirile n
best, and when Amelia put him at III.
sewing machine, and, what's more ken
MIN at it, | presume he felt it was ,
! scorching reflection on his etfeminao,
"a public testimony to his inferioritv
They drove on between fraora,,
!, hedges, down leafy arcades nm,
. through shaded lanes, stopping her,
: and there before this trim garden g,
! mat, until, at last, the list CT visi,s w,
complete and the doctors dailv au,,
done. 0u'.
me sun was setting as they passe,
the Ihacker house on their homewor,
way, and though Elizabeth peened car;
ously back as they went by She did no