The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07

charge Of a company of New York poor
children Miss Talford and Miss Page Wis
Iied ozone Island. In another storm Van
Brunt and Hartley narrowly escaped be-
ing wrecked, having aboard chickens,
DIES ETC., with which they were to start
"a farm. Eureka Sparrow, q country girl.
was engaged as q cook and Van Brunt
anu liartley paid 2 visit to her father,
who for years had been claiming con-
sumption as an excuse for not working.
CHAPTER xi.-Continued.
Washington Sparrow was there.
There want but one comfortable
rocking chair in sight and he was in
that, with his stocking feet resting on
the ruins of a haircloth sofa. He was
pretty husky looking, seemed to me,
for a man complicated with consump-
ton and nervous ~dyspepsy, but his
face was as doleful as a Grape bonnet,
and twas plain that he could see no
hope, and was satisfied with his eye
sight. He had a clay pipe In his
mouth and. was smoking like a peal
fire.
How are you, Mr.. Sparrow" says
Martin, bright and clipper. "How's
the health this morning?"
The invalid rolled his eyes around,
but he didn't get out of the rocker.
Neither did he take them blue yarn
socks off the sofa.
OH" says he, ~groaning something
awful. I'm miserable, thank you. Set
down and make yourselves to home"
There was only three settable pieces
of furniture in the room. He was
using two of 'em, and t'other was a
-Aht1If, Gs.l NI4s- c. 4.
stand up.
Don't you find yourself improving
this beautiful weather." asks Hartley,
sympathetic.
Washy fetched another groan, so
deep that | judged 1t started way
down in the blue socks.
mo-" says he. I'm past improving.
Just lingering round now and suffer.
dng waiting for the end. 1 s'pose Reky
told you what had, didn't she?"
Hartley looked troubled. "Why," he
says, "she did say that you feared
tuberculosis, but"
"Tuber-nothing! That's Just like
her! making fun of her poor sick ia
Their. What I've got is old-fashioned
consumption" Here he fetched a cough
that was hollerer than the grooming.
"Old-fashioned consumption and nerv-
GUS d~yspepsy. Can't eat a meals Wit
ties in comfort. But there! I'll be
through pretty soon. The sooner the
quicker say. Everybody II be glad
when I'm gone. Don't l says to 'em,
don't rag out in no mourning for me.
Don't put no dollhouse wreaths on my
grave. l know how you feel and.
Get off my feet, you everlasting young
.one! Think I'm a ladder?"
The last part was to Dewey, who
had come in from the kitchen, and
was trying to climb onto the sofa.
Martin looked like he didn't know
what to say. BY and by he cleared his
throat and threw out a hint concerning
Eureka's coming to Ozone. The sick
man shook his head.
NO." he says. I'm self-sacrifcing,
and all that, but somehow l can't make
up my mind to let her 60. 1 can't
bear to have her out OF my sight a
minute. You can't begin to think, Mr..
W~hat's-Your Name, what a comfort
tits to me, agonizing here and suffer-
ing, to have Reky setting down along
side of me day after day, the way she
does. You can't begin to think it, mis-.
ter"
I couldn't begin to think it-not
without what the doctor calls "stimu-
iants." The amount of setting down
that poor, Woodworking Eureka got
time for wouldn't comforts anybody
much, 1t seemed to me,
"She's my favorite child" went on
Washy, swabbing his eyes. "She al
ways was, too. Even when she was O
baby thought more of her than /
done of all the Others"
Eureka must have been listening,
for she called from the kitchen:
why, pal" she says. when l was
q baby there want any others. I'm
the Oldest
The invalid bounced up straight In
the rocker. That's it," he hollers. !
MAKE fun Of your helpless, poor old
father! Go ahead! pick at me and
contradict me! I s'pose when I'm
dead and in my grave you'll contradict
me every time I speak"
He blew or steam for much as Ave
minutes. Didn't we remember to
stop and get his cough going. Hartley
turned to the door. l could see he was
disappointed.
Very we'll" he says. 'T'm sorry.
I'm sure she Is Just the girl we need.
Good day. Mr.. Sparrow"
callate Washy want expecting
that He hitched around In his chair.
- had bust~d cane seat ne chair