Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-12-04
WHAT AlLS
NANCYp

Copyright isIz ay Associated Lit
erary Press

forty and dwelt In the village Of Char
lotte- She was thirty years cid when
her parents died. and then she and
her brother Ben kept house together
for seven or eight years. Thea be
died. and Nancy was left alone In the
world
Miss Lee could have rented or sold
her cottage and boarded. but she elect
ed to be independent By continuing to
occupy the place II was a peaceful
village. with nothing to make her
afraid. and for several years things
went on without a break Then. all
OF a sudden. an aunt In q town thirty
miles away was brought to her dying
bed and sent for Nancy. The spinster
was absent two weeks She smoothed
the pillow OF the dying woman and
brought home feather bed and bali
barrel Of pickles. No one noticed any
thing strange about Der until she had
been home about q week. She fed
her hens and swept her house az usual.
The nrst one to discover that Miss
Nancy Lee was In trouble was Deacon
Hasktna He called 1T the house one
evening to borrow Z rat trap, and be
noticed that she was very nervous
She kept Struggling bar shoulders and
hitching about. and now and then her
mouth would give q twitch at the cor.
nerx he soiicitously inquired n she
bad stepped on a carpet tack. and she
replied In the negative. and be went
home to say to his wife.
Prudence. Nancy Lee II acting very
queer tonight"
Coed iandsv.
"Hitcbed around all the time was
In the house."
You don't say-
ACTED as II she wanted to back up
to tree and rub"
Deacon Haskins. IN run right
overt Mebbe she's been taken with q
spell"
"oh. guess IT don't amount to any.
thing. Been eating a green apple like
as not II she gets wuss she'll boiler
to us from the kitchen winder.-
The deacon's wife didn't go over. but
early next morning Mrs Partridge sent
her son Willie over to borrow three
eggs for breakfast He got them. and
be returned home with bis eyes stick
ing out to exclaim:
Ma. Miss Lee was crying when l
went inr'
rs Il possibler
YES: caught her at f."
WAS she Just crying or boohooingr
she vas crying and rubbing her
back agin the edge of door"
Heaven save usl | can understand
that she might be crying over so many
deaths in the family, but what on
earth was she rubbing her back forT"
1T itched probably" replied her hus-
band
1T probably didn't do anything of
the sort There's mystery here. and
I'm going to try to get to the bottom
Of it"
After breakfast Mrs. Partridge made
an excuse to drop In and see for her
self. The spinster's eyes showed that
she had been weeping She also be-
gan to hitch about
You are like COW In fytime. Nan
CT. I've known you for fifteen years.
and II you are in trouble want TO
help you out"
But I'm not in trouble. One feels
lonely once In awhile. and then the
tears come"
Yes; know how IL Ia, and I'm glad
it's no worse for you Run into my
house any time. You know you're al.
ways welcome"
Miss Lee had denied things. but she
hadn't fooled Mrs Partridge q little
bit The caller left the house ostensi.
bly, for home. but slipped into the
house Of Mrs Goodhue and greeted
her with:
Ruth Goodhue. there's something
going on in this town"
"Anybody's clothesiine been robbed r
mo. but Nancy Lee Is crying and
hitching around and rubbing her back
on the edges OF doors"
But what ais herr"
That's to be found out That's the
mystery. She says It hain't nothing
tall. but of course we know better.
We must make her tell"
Yes. she's got to-"
! The two women started out and call.
ed on nine or ten other women, and
before night Nancy Lee was the talk
Of the village She had been crying
and hitching and rubbing and Yet had
refused to explain The good wife OF
Deacon Haskins had dropped In 70
borrow a nutmeg and then had made
opportunity TO say:
Nancy. your mother and me used
10 play together as children. Why
Z font you tell me what ails your
'T-can't--telly' was walled out.
Nancy Lee. are you in lover was
Bternly asked.
No"
Have you been jiltedT
mo"
The deacon's wife stuck and hung
b,,$ the rSfarv x.-aa not ~, ~,