The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-06-06
AMANDA'S
TOOTHACHE
By NJ. QUAD
copyright, 1911. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

was his wife, and there was the daugh'
ter, Amanda. The latter had come TO
be twenty-five years old. She wasn't
an angel or a sylph. She didn't have
n high school education, and she
couldn't sing and play. She was just
good hearted, affectionate country
girl who could make the incest kind
of buckwheat cakes in winter and
turn out the finest soft soap In the
spring.
Amanda had a beau. She might
have had half dozen. but she dis
Outraged all young men except PHO
Brown. and Philo had been counting
her for two years and had never ap-
proached the subject Of matrimony
He was the hired man on the next
farm. and he had tidy sum saved up,
and when he was with men he had no
lack of CAB. 1t was when in the pres
ence of women. and more particularly
IN that of Amanda Jones, that words
failed him. 1t was his bashfulness.
Some young woman would have
brought that young man to time with
in six months, but Amanda Jones was
also little bashful, and she was pa
tient and kind Farmer Jones had
nothing to say. and all that Mrs. Jones
had to relate was;
We'll, / hain't saying nothing ex'
cept that an earthquake may come
along some day and stir Philo up"
The earthquake came. It's name
was Mary Skinner, sister to Mrs
Jones and a widow. She saw Philo
and approved Of him. She saw the sit
uation and didn't approve Of it at all.
She watched and waited for couple
OF weeks, and then one June morning
she said:
Amanda, come out into the orchard
with me. / want to have talk with
you"
And under the white and pink apple
blossoms they talked-that is, the
aunt did most of the talking, and
Amanda did all the blushing. =
That evening when Philo Jest drop
ped In for a minute" he found Aman-
da suffering from the toothaehe He
wanted to swim across Lake Erie to
show her how he sympathized with
her, but Lake Erie was 400 miles
away. The Widow Skinner was right
on the spot, however. and she took
Philo outdoors and said:
"Im nightly concerned about Aman-
da and that toothache."
But it's only toothache." he replied.
only Only! Why, man, don't you
know that she may have lockjaw or
brain fever or get paralyzed all overT
But what can / dor he anxiously
asked.
HIN! You come, in tomorrow night
and I'll tell you. I'm hoping she won't
die. but | dunno-I dunno. saw a
star fall last night, and that's sure
sign of death in the family"
IL hope not was the trembling
reply. and Philo went home to toss
about on his bed all night without a
moments sleep. The next day seemed
hundred hours long to him, and as
soon as he had finished the milking he
set out ON the run for the house of
Jones. 1t was Mrs. Skinner who met
him and said:
THAT toothache is worse tonight.
Philo. I'm afraid it's striking into
Amandas system"
You don't tell mer, he gasped.
There's only one thing to be done
she must go to TIVE dentist over at
Charlotte tomorrow She must be drlv-
en- over in buggy She must be
driven by somebody who is sympa-
thetic. Her father hain't sympathetic,
her mother is too nearsighted to drive,
and | feel one of my old fashioned
headaches coming on. Philo, you may
have to go"
And Phiio didn't go to bed at all
that night. He just roamed around
the farm and prayed for daylight &c
come. He was at the Jones farm as
soon as he had finished breakfast, ano
the Widow Skinner was at the door {
meet him and say:
Go home and dress up and come
back, and by that time the horse ano
buggy will be ready. You have go'
TO drive Amanda over to Charlotte"
Philo was back In half an hour
Amanda and the rig were ready
Amanda had her good clothes on ant
a rag over her jaw.
aT,ook here, Philo," said the widow
as he was ready to get into the buggy
you must let Amanda rest her heaC
on your shoulder, and you must drive
with one hand and keep an arm
around her Talk to her and keep he
from thinking of the pain. Her life 1
In your hands"
Philo was shaking like leaf, bu
he rose to the occasion. To bis amaze
ment.. the more he talked the~highe