Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1913-12-26
CHAPTER |.


l hated to see him go, after all we
had been through together, and l sup
pose he saw it in my face, for he
came over close and stood looking
down at me, and smiling. "You
saved us, Minnie" he said, land !
needn't tell you we're grateful; but do
you know what think?" he asked.
pointing his long forefinger at me. Il
think you've enjoyed 1t even when you
were suffering most. Red-haired wom-
en- are born to intrigue, as the sparks
ny upward"
Enjoyed It'll" / snapped. I'm an
oi0 woman before my time, Mr.. Sam.
What with trailing back and forward
\ through the snow to the shelter-house,
! and not getting to bed at all some
| nights, and my heart going by fits and
\starts, as you may say, and half the
(time my spinal marrow fairly chilled
mot to mention putting on my over
bhoes every morning from force Of
/. habit and having to take them off
again, I'm about all in"
Its been the making of you, Min
ME-" he said, eyeing me, with his
hands in his pockets. Look at your
cheeks! Look at your disposition!
don't believe you'd stab anybody IN
the back now!"
(Which was joke, of course; /
never stabbed anybody in the back.)
He opened the door and blast Of
February wind ratified the window
frames. Mr. Sam threw out his chest
under his sweater and waved me an
other good-by
oil nfP a
''Take care of yourself and don't sit
too tight on the job; learn to rise a
bit in the saddle"
"Good-by, Mr. Sam!" / called, put
ting down Miss Patty's dolly and fol-
lowing him to the door; "good-by; bet
ter have something before you start to
keep you warm"
He turned at the corner of the path
and grinned back at me-
"All right" he called. "I'll go down
to the bar and get a lettuce sand
wich!"
Then he was gone, and happy as
was, knew would miss him terribly
1t began when the old doctor died.
suppose you have heard of Hope San
atorium and the mineral spring that
made 1t famous.
have been spring-house girl at
Hope Sanatorium for fourteen years
For the first year or SO | nearly went
crazy Then found things were CON-
ing my way. I've got the kind OF mind
that never forgets name or face and
can combine them properly, which
isn't common. And when folks came
back l could call them at once. The
old doctor used to say my memory was
an asset to the sanatorium.
He was in the habit of coming to
the springhouse every day to get his
morning glass of water and read the
papers. For good many years it had
been his custom to sit there, in the
winter by tho wood fire and in summer
Just inside the open door, and to read
off the headings aloud while cleaned
around the spring and polished
glasses.
All that winter, with the papers
full of rumors that Miss Patty Jen-
nings was going to marry a prince,
we'd followed 1t by the spring-house
fire, the old doctor and l, getting an
cry at the Austrian emperor for oppos-
ing 1t when we knew how much too
good Miss Patty was for any foreign
er, and then getting nervous and
fused when we read that the princes
mother was In favor of the match and
1t might go through. Miss Patty and
her father came every winter to Hope
Springs and l couldn't have been more
anxious about it IL she had been my
own sister.
Well, as say, 1t all began the very
day the old doctor died. He stamped
out to the spring-house with the morn
ing paper about nine o'clock. and the
wedding seemed to be all off. The
paper said the emperor had definitely
refused his consent and had sent the
prince, who was his cousin, for Jap
anese cruise, while the Jennings fam
fly was going to Mexico In their pri
vate car. The old doctor was indig
nant, and remember how he trampet
up and down the spring-house. NUT
tering that the girl had had a lucky
escape. and what did the emperor
expect II beauty and youth and wealth
weren't enough. But he Gained down
and soon he was reading that the pa
pers were predicting an early spring
and he said we'd better begin to In
crease our sulphur percentage In the
water.
"By the way" he remarked, "Mr
Richard will be along In a day or so
Minnie. You'd better break 1t to Mrs
Virgins"
Since the summer before we'd hat
to break Mr.. Dicks coming to Mrs
Virgins. the housekeeper. owing te
his finding her false front where Il
had blown out Of the window, having
been hung up to dry. and his wearing
Vt to luncheon as whiskers. Mr.. Dicl
Fwas the old doctors grandson.
"Humph!" said, and he turned
around and looked square at me.