The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-05-29
AMANDA'S
|TOOTHACHE
BY Nj QUAD
Copyright, 1s11, by Associated Lit
eTary Press.
b. NJ QUAD


ter. Amanda. The latter had come e
lie twenty-five years old. She WASH
In angel or d sylph. She didn't have
ii high school education, and she
couldn't sing and play. She was JUS
good hearted. affectionate country
Iirl who could make the incest kind
of buckwheat cakes In winter and
turn out the finest soft soap in the
spring.
Amanda hau beau. She might
rave had half dozen. bat she dis
outraged all young EAen except PhiiC
lsroIn, and Phiio had been counting
Ter FOR two years and had never ar
lroached the subject Of mntrim6ny
Ire was the hired man on the next
farm, and he had d tidy sum eared up
md when be was with men ne had no
mex OF CAB. 1t was when In the pres
nee Of women, and more particularly
III that Of Amanda Jones. that words
rallied him. 1t was his 6ashfulness.
Some young woman would have
brought that young man 10 time with,
in six months. bat Amanda Jones was
lso Il little bashful, and she was pa
lent and kind. Farmer Jones had
aothing to say. and all that Mrs. Jones
mad to relate was:
well. hain't saying nothing ex.
cept that an earthquake may come
along some day and stir Philo up"
The earthquake came. IFS name
was Mary Skinner. sister to Mrs.
Jones and 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
unit did most of the talking, and
manda did all the blushing.
That evening when Philo 'jest drop
led In for minute he found Aman-
~ suffering from the toothache. He
anted to swim across Lake Erie to
SLOW her how he sympathized with
har. but Lake Erie was 400 miles
assay. The Widow Skinner was right
on the spot. however, and she took
ailo outdoors and said:
SIN nightly concerned about Aman.
Ga and that toothache."
but It's only toothache," be 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 I do?" he anxiousIy
asked.
HIN! You come in tomorrow night
and I'll tell you. I'm hoping she won't
die, but l dunno-I dunno. / saw a
star fall last night, and that's sure
sign Of death In the family"
I'll hope mott was the trembling
reply, and Philo went home to toss
about on his bed all night without n
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 les striking into
Amanda's system"
you don't tell mew he gasped.
There's only one thing to be done
she must go to the dentist over at
Charlotte tomorrow. She must be driv-
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 l feel one Of my old fashioned
headaches coming on. Philo. you, may
have to co."
And Phiio didn't 60 to bed at all
that night. He just roamed around
the farm and prayed for daylight to
come. He was at the Jones farm as
soon as he had finished breakfast, and
the Widow Skinner was at the door to
meet him and say:
go home and dress up and come
back, and By that time the horse and
buggy will be ready. You have got
70 drive Amanda over to Charlotte"
Philo was back in half an hour.
.tmanda and the rig were ready.
Amanda had her good clothes on and
II rag over her jaw.
Look here, Phiio," said the widow
N; he was ready to get into the buggy
on must let Amanda rest her head
your shoulder, and you must drive
ssith one hand and keep an arm
ground her. Talk to her and keep heI
i'um thinking of the pain. Her life is
IN your hands"
Philo was shaking like a leaf, but
he rose to the occasion To his amaze
ils at, the more he talked the higher
lli' arose. He had hardly got through
th the weather, the crops and Farm
~ Scott losing a cow when all Of Q
sudden he found himself saying
Mandy, I'm going to drive straight
to the preachers first.
Amanda pressed his arm.
Yes, durn my buttonsiK l don't
Then as your husband can punch tbs
head Of that dentist If he hurts you"
At the preachers the rag came or
Az tho dentists small cavity wa.
found In tooth and filed AT til,
zones farmhouse, when the newlywedi
returned the Widow Skinner NOR vfharY