The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1912-01-11
AMANDA'S
.TOOTHACHE
By NJ QUAD
Copyright. 1911. by Associated Lit
erarY Press
By NJ QUAD

4
was his wife. and there was the daugh
ter. Amanda. The latter had come t1
be twenty 1.-TWO years old. She WASH :,
an angel or a sylph. She didn't have
high school education. and she
couldn't sing and play. She was just
a good hearted. affectionate country
girl who could make the incest kind
of buckwheat cakes In winter and
turn out the finest soft soap in tn.
spring.
Amanda had a beau. She might
have had half a dozen. but she dis
couraged all young men except Phllo
| Brown, and Philo had been counting
her for two years and had never ap-
preached the subject Of matrimony
He was the hired man on the next
farm. and he had a tidy sum saved up,
| and when be was with men be 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 d little bashful. and she was pa
tent and kind. Farmer Jones had
nothing to say. and all that Mrs. Jones
had 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. 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 a couple
Of weeks. and then one June morning
she said:
Amanda. come out into the orchard
with me. I want to have q 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 lest drop
ped In for a Ilinute" be found Aman.
da suffering from the toothache 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:
I'm nightly concerned about Aman
da 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 over?'
But what can I do?" 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 a sure
sign Of death In the family"
II 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 be
set out on the run for the house of
Jones. Ii was Mrs. Skinner who met
him and said:
That toothache is worse tonight.
Philo. I'm afraid it's striking into
Amanda's system"
You don't tell mev' be 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 a 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 60"
And Philo didn't 90 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
to drive Amanda over to Charlotte"
Philo was back In half an hour.
and the rig were ready.
Amanda had her good clothes on and
a rag over her jaw.
Look here. Phiio," said the widow
as be was ready to get into the buggy.
you must let Amanda rest her head |
on your shoulder. and you must drive
with one hand and keep an arm
around her. Talk to her and keep her
from 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
ment the more he talked the higher
be arose. He had hardly got through
with the weather. the crops and Farm
sr Scott losing q COW when all OF a
sudden be found himself saying:
Mandy. I'm going to drive straight
% the preachers arstw
Amanda pressed his arm.
Yes. durn my buttons II don't
Then as your husband ! can punch the
read OF that dentist If be hurts you"
At the preachers the rag came Oh.
IL the dentists small cavity was
ound In q tooth and hlled A. tho