The Harlowton news., 1912-10-11
VIVA I AILS
NANCY,
BY M. QUAD
By M. QUAD /
Copyright, 1912. BY Associated Lit
erary Press.

forty and dWelt il the village Of Char
lotte She was thirty years old when
her parents died, and then she and
her brother Ben kept house together
for seven or eight years Then he
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. 1t was a peaceful
village. with nothing to make her
afraid, and for several years things
went on without break. Then, all
OF a sudden. an aunt in town thirty
mites away was brought to her dying
bed ana sent for Nancy. The spinster
was absent two weeks. She snoothed
the pillow Of the dying woman and
brought home a feather bed and half a
barrel of pickles. No one noticed any
thing strange about her until she had
been home about week. She fed
js'I ilttUH ultu SWCll lloNfNC A1
The first one to discover that Miss
Nancy Ice was in trouble was Deacon
Huslsns He called at the house one
evening to borrow a rat trap. and he
noticed that she was very nervous
She k'pt Struggling her shoulders and
hit:!.iny about, and now and then her
mouth would give twitcb at the cor
ncrs He solicitously inquired if she
had stepped on carpet tack, and she
replied IL the negative, and he went
homo to say to his wife:
"prudcnce. Nancy Lee is acting very
queer tonight
Good Iands''
"1Iitched around all the time l was
| in the house,
"You don't say!"
"Acted as If she wanted to back up
| to q tree and rub"
| "neacon Haskins! I'll run right
over, Mebhe she's been taken with
spell"
"Oh, I guess it don't amount to any
thing. Been eating a green apple like
MS not If she gets w1lss she'll holer
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
ing out to eyclaim:
MA, Miss Lee was crying when l
went jnr'
Ills it possible?'
eyes; caught her at it."
"Was she just crying or boohooing?"
''She was crying and rubbing her
back agin the edge of a door"
''Heaven save us! can understand
that she might be crying over SO many
deaths in the family, but what on
earth was she rubbing her back for?"
ut itched probably" replied her hus-
band.
ut 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 ii 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
cy, I've known you for fifteen years
, and if yo1l are in trouble l want K
help you OUT
''But I'm not in trouble. One feel
lonely once in awhile, and then thu
tears come"
I "Yes: know how it is, and I'm glat
/ It's no worse for you. Run into N.
y house any time. You know you're al
5 ways welcome"
: Miss Lee had denied things, but sh
{ hadn't fooled Mrs. Partridge littl
+ bit. The caller left the house ostens1
bly, for home, but slipped into til
: house of Mrs. Goodhue and greete
4 her with:
ruth Goodhue there's somethln
/! going on in this town."
II "Anybody's clothesline been robbed
II .sNo, but Nancy, Lee is crying an
hitching around and rubbing her bac
III on the edges of DOORS"
"But what ails herr"
/ "Thats to be found out. That's th
mystery She says it hain't nothin
tall, but of course we know bette
We must make her tell"
.Yes, she's got to-"
The two women started out and cal
ed on nine or ten other women, an
before night Nancy Lee was the tai
II Of the village. She had been cryin
Ii and hitching1 and rubbing and yet ha
\ refused to explain. The good Wife
/ Deacon Haskins had dropped in
borrow a nutmeg and then had mac
| opportunity to say:
II ..Nancy. your mother and me use
/ : to play together as children Wh
| don't you tell me what ails you?
| .I-can't-tellp was walled out
II "Nancy Lee, are you in lovey wt
sternly asked.
No"
4.Have you been jilted?" s-.