The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-05-09

moaned the figure on the piazza.
Mrs. Conner put her arms akimbo.
She looked steadfastly at the sway
Ing and moaning shape. Mrs. Conner
was a woman who had been known to
fry fresh griddle-cakes for tramps She
drew in her breath and exhaled it ex-
plosively, as one that has been shock
ed out Of speech.
Wont she drink little beef tea?'
"Oh-h! Oh-h! U-r-r-r! Ug-h-h-h!"
shuddered the invalid.
Didn't you know she thinks meat
wicked? And milk's robbing the COW,
and eggs robbing the hen, who wants
to have a family as much as we dc"
said Emily, rather Incorrectly.
"More'n some of us do, l guess" re-
torted Mrs. Conner, land more'n folks
ought to If they amt prepared to do
their duty by them when they've got
EN-" She launched a fiery glance at
Mrs. Barter, who was now groaning
vehemently. Got it all turned on
this afternoon, amt she?"
DR.. Abbie Cruller told her that it
wasn't natural to suppress ourselves.
If you feel like grooming you ought to
groan-'
And she eats sech queer stuff she's
hungry most of the time," Mrs. Con-
ner interrupted, 80 expect she
groans lot. Say, Emmy, have you
ever had anybody come in and give
your ma good hard-blowing up?"
The blood rushed to Emmy's face;
her eyes sank. She answered, in a.
confused tone: Aunt Ida Glenn was
over yesterday. don't know what
she said to mother, but mother-moth-
er told me the one thing she wanted
on earth was to have me-send Albert
away and have everything ended be-
| tween us, for she never was so in
suited In her life as she had been by
Albert's mother"
"Albert's mother amt Albert;
though don't blame her, Emmy, and
| Mrs. Glenn is a awful nice woman.
But it amt fair to hold Albert for
her opinions, right or wrong. AS
said, she amt Albert, nor Albert amt
her"
80 told mother" said Emmy. Il
did hate to be disrespectful to her,
but I told her so; and she answered
that Mrs. Glenn said Albert thought
so too. Then when tried to question
her she was in 50 much pain and
groaned SO I hadn't the heart to both
er. She let me put hot cloths on her,
and give her a Turkish bath over the
alcohol-lamp; and l hoped she'd let
me make her some water cruel, but
she wouldn't touch a spoonful Mrs.
Conner, you don't suppose she-she
will keep 1t up much longer?" EN-
my's eyes dilated with an unspoken
fear as she lifted them to the kind
woman before her. "She said she felt
herself growing weaker this morning.
II told her l wouldn't go to the pic
mic with Bert, If she would only eat
something. But she said that she
couldn't eat anything. One time-one
time she went three days. didn't let
the neighbors know; but I was most
crazy, and poor little jimmy cried She
isn't one to cry, either"
Mrs. Conner backed off the piazza
she said she guessed she must go
and left Mrs Darter moaning and
rocking
"And to tell you the truth, Miss
Keith, she ended GREATNESS
narration to her new boarder-"I went
quick for I knew I couldn't hold in
one minnit longer! And how'd it help
poor Emmy to have her mother quar-
rel with Ida Glenn and me the same
day? There's Susy Baker making
eyes at Albert Glenn, this minnit; and
if she amt carrying Mrs. Glenn some
of her mas blueberry cake! Right
by the Darters, too; and Emmy see
ing her."
What is the matter with Mrs. OAR
ter?"
well, old Dr. Potter says she's
'neurotic,' if you know what that is.
call it jest notions. What the doc
tors in my time called hypo, that's
what she is! She's always been the
greatest hand to Dose Mr.. Conner
will have it she KEEP old Captain Oar
ter poor buying patent medicines. And
she run after every new cure-an 60
ing. 1t was electricity one year, and
mother year it was blue glass, and one
time I remember she had a woman
| come of the sort that used to call
themselves bone-doctors when I was
girl and this country wasn't much
settled, but now they're PSYCHOLOGISTS,
or some sech funny name, and give
out they can rub everything on earth
out of you. Mrs. Darter had her for
long SPELL till she got pneumonia
and nigh died, and sickened of the
PSYCHOLOGIST; and 1 give her mustard
plasters, good strong ones, myself.
All this time Emmy was engaged to
Albert Glenn; but the old captain was
real feeble, and Emmy wouldn't leave
him to git married. I will say Mrs
Darter was real devoted to him,
though Emmy done all the night work
and spared her all she could, give up
her school, and spent every cent of
the money she'd laid by school-teach-
ing and working art embroidery for
her clothes, when she'd be married.
spent every cent on her pa. Got him
a wheel chair, and if ever a man set
the world by his daughter the captain
done 1t. He liked Albert, too. I guess
if captain had lived, sick's he was,
he'd have found a way SOS Emmy and
Albert could git married. But he died.
Then you'd "a s'posed they could mar
ry, for his life was we'll insured, and