The Washington herald., 1913-03-16

everybody. And they used to go over
and set with her and give her silent
| treatment they called 1t, and try to
think the dyspepsia out Of her: but one
Of EN- got q fsh-bone in her throat and
they had to come to me to pull it out
| with a pair OF tweezers. That sorter
| dampened 'em for a while and Mrs. Dar-
| ter says, Why didn't you think it out p
I And then Ann-shes the oldest-says they
wasn't far enough advanced yet. Mrs.
| Darter told 'em then they wasn't far
enough advanced to doctor her. And I
guess they amt been there sense"
"AH the same" insisted Miss Keith,
smiling. Il think Mrs. Darter needs men
tai healing or Christian Science. don't
care which"
Emmy put her mother to bed. She gave
her the soothing drops which the van
ished but still reverenced healer had
left-droops which she was almost GER
tain owed their potency to some alias of
opium. In the morning Mrs. Darter came
out of her drugged sleep with a deadly
nausea that swathed her muscles and
laid her rigid In its limp, ydevil-fish clutch
The roof of her mouth was like leather.
her head seemed to be pounded with
hammers; she was burning with fever.
and malign twitchings and itchings tor
merted her to rub her nose necessarily,
when the least motion was fearsome to
her. She had much more cause than or
dinary to moan. and moan she did at
every breath. jimmy had rushed away to
a small chum the moment the dishes
for her own breakfast had been washed:
but Emmy couldn't run. She drank a
cup OF coffee: she had no heart to eat.
Jimmy. however, had eaten the dainty
little meal that Emmy had prepared-a
forlorn hope to tempt the invalid.
"Oh. my nose! my nose" walled Mrs.
Darter Emmy, you've got to leave of
staring out Of that window at the
Glenns.' and come and scratch my nose!
Ah-uh, Ah-u-h!"
Emmy silently sat down by the bed
side. II Albert passed the yard on his
wheel. as he did every morning at half
past seven, he would not find her. Emmy
had used no one knows how many de-
vices to always be in the yard when Al
bert passed. or at least, in sight by a
window. Bert used to say that glimpse
Of Emmy was a bracer for the whole
day" Thursday night was his night TO
visit her. but last night he hadn't come.
Emmy. you amt any account at all
as scratcher-' fretted her mother. You
scratch where it amt itching. and You
don't scratch where II itches. and you're
so mincingi Rub II hard! Oh-h! why
must I suffer so? It's hard enough TO
have a ungrateful child without having
your nose itch!'
Emmy adventured a sentence long lurk-
ing in her mind. but which she never
had the courage to push out into the
air: Mother, i think I'm sure II is
the soothing drops which make your
nose itch SO. There's opium"
There isn't a grain of opium in
them sobbed Mrs. Darter. You know
/ always hated opium or morphine or
anything Of the sort; and doctor told me
she wouldn't give the wicked drug. That's
what Ida Glenn much as told me: much
as told me. too. that ! was putting on
and wasn't real sick. and I told her
h-h-h,-I told her-if she considered me
that sort OF woman she must feel aw-
full bad to-o-h-h-h!-to have her only
child marry my daughter: and-I-thought
-oh-h. wuh-h. how awful sick I am"
You told Mrs. Glenn" prompted
Emmy, a fame in either cheek.
Il told her that-sss" sss.-1
thought the sooner that engagement
was broke the better it would be
u-r-r-r,-all concerned-e-hee, ee-e!
ee-e-e-e. oh my head. my head! Oh.
/ got a scratch on my nose again. You
amt rubbing the right place
And what did Mrs. Green say'?"
asked Emmy. A ripple ran over her
face, and she swallowed before she
spoke.
she said you wouldn't give Albert
up. real spiteful. Ah-r-r-! Oh. I am so
sick! l said you would ruther than
have your mother so insulted-and il
you don't 1 guess I'll give up trying to
live. She was so topping. Much as
telling me it would be better for my
own child If l died. oh dear: oh dear!
oh dear. And Albert looked as cross
last night
Did Albert come last night"
Yes. he did. You needn't jump out