Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-06-30
THE EVENING STORY.
A COMPLICATED CASE.


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A COMPLICATED CASE.
BY Donald Allen.
Copyright, 1910, by Associated Liter
airy PRESS
IF you can come and behave your
self shall be glad to have you with
us for month"; wrote Miss Helen
George. of "The Sycamores," to Miss
Fanny Lisle, of the city.
Miss Fanny Lisle arrived. It was
necessary only to look at her to know
that she had never behaved herself
since she was ten years old, and
didn't mean to begin at nineteen
She had never been arrested and sent
to JAIL Her misbehavior wasn't bad
enough for that. 1t was mere mis-
chief. 1t was in doing such daring
things as dressing up in suit of her
brothers clothes and then ringing
the front door bell ard asking the
mothers consent to court her own
self with a view to matrinony. She
had driven two young men-not to
suicide or a lunatic asylum, but into
the moving picture business. She had
once pretended to lose her memory
while shopping, and had the whole
police force hot-footing around to
discover her identity and abiding
place.
Miss Fanny arrived, and for one
whole day she was very demure.
Then she got sight of DR.. Harper,
who had just graduated and set up
practice in the village half mile
away. She learned that he had had
only one patient in three months, and
that there seemed no possible chance
of his having another in three more
to come She felt sorry for him. She
wished she had some way of spread
ing malaria over the neighborhood, or
of having all the children come down
with the measles. Then came the
idea.
Miss Helen George was twenty, and
staid. Her mother was almost sol
emn. Neither would countenance any
deception. Therefore, in the plan
that was laid they were left out. Miss
Fanny awoke one morning to declare
that she felt strange in the head.
There were offers to make catnip tea
and all that, .out she thought DR.. Har-
per ought to be sent for. He came at
once. He questioned for half an hour
before he was satisfied that 1t was a
coIu in the head He left remedy
and would call again.
Next day the head was better, but
there was trouble with her right foot
1t seemed to be asleep. Did the doc
NV +, SvNIx 40 rs I'M
palsy? He pursed his lips and looked
wise ard said he must have two or
three days to watch Developments
It might be nothing but twinge Of
rheumatism. He would have thought
so had he seen Miss Fanny climbing
an apple tree in the orchard that af-
ternoon, but he was half mile away.
Don't you 60 flirting with Dr..
Harper for | won't stand it, and
mother would be Mortified" warned
Helen.
why, Nellie. how can you think
of such q thing! It's just that II I
am going crazy in my head want
to know it, and if I'm to have party
sis | want to write to father. You
are cruel to talk that way"
On his next visit, DR.. Harper found
his patient with a pain in her side
1t was pain that moved up and down
Sometimes it gave an awful twinge,
and then again 1t ceased and was
good Was it something dangerous?
Had she better return to town and
consult specialist?
Moo, hardly" the doctor said.
Probably flying pain. A mustard
plaster will draw it out."
Her tongue was looked at and her
appetite questioned and some changes
were suggested in diet. Sour apples
were not among the suggestions, but
Miss Fanny ate six of them that day.
A mustard plaster was made for her
side. but instead of putting it on she
dropped it out of the window of her
room. In dropping it fell on the head
of the gardner, but his swearing
was done below his breath. Aside
from the sour apples, there was GRO
quet and other racing around and a
long walk.
That evening Miss Helen observed
to her guest:
'You are looking as blooming as a
rose, and I'm sure nothing will all
you when you get up in the morning. ;"
But alas, who can tell what a night
may bring forth? The doctor came
to see about the pain in the right side,
to be told that it had jumped over
into the left. 1t now surrounded the
heart. He used his stethoscope, and
found the heart beating as regularly
as the tick of a clock, but even as he
was saying so the pain disappeared
and the patient complained of roar
ing in the right ear. 1t reared and
roared and roared, and Miss Fanny
almost haSS ears in her eyes as she