Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-12-01
CHAPTER X-Contlnued.

II told yer never could stand It
here amongst all these drafted women
d folks" Abe would declare. Its ali
your fault that didn't go to the poor
house in peace"
Il notice yew didn't raise no objec-
lions until yew'd lived here a year."
Angy would retort; but ignoring this
remark, he would go on:
TITS Brother Abe this an
Brother kbe' that, as eff I had thirty
wives a-pesterin' me instid of one. /
can't kill a fly but It's Brother Abe,
femme bury him fer yew.' Do yer all
think be baby?" demanded the old
gentleman with glazing eye. 81 guess
I'm able ter do somethin' fer myself
once in while. 1 hain't so old as some
folks might think" he continued with
superb inconsistence. 81 be a mere
child compared with that air plagued
Nancy Smith"
1t took very little to exhaust Angy's
ability for this style of repartee, and
she would rejoin with tender but mis-
taken efforts to soothe and comfort
him:
Thar, thar, father! Don't git ex-
cited now. Seems ter me We re a
leetle bit feverish. Eff only yew'd take
this here tansy tea"
Abraham would give one exasper-
ated glance at the tin cup and mutter
into the depths of his beard:
"Tansy tea an old women. Old
7 women an tansy teal Tansy tea be
burned"
Abe failed perceptibly during the
summer, grew feebler as the autumn
winds blew in, and by November he
took to his bed and the physician of
the home, little whiffet of a pompous
idiot, was called to attend him. The
doctor. determined at the start to
make a severe case of the old mans
af1iction in order that he might have
the greater glory in the end, be it good
or bad. looked very grave over Abra-
hams tongue and pulse, prescribed
medicine for every half hour. and laid
especial stress upon the necessity of
keeping the patient in bed.
"Humbugi" growled the secretly
terrified invalid, and In an excess of
bravado took his black silk necktie
from where 1t hung on the bedpost and
tied II in a bow-knot around the collar
OF his pink-striped nightshirt, so that
he would be IN proper shape to receive
any of the sisters Then he lay very
still, his eyes closed as they came tip
toeing In and out. Their tongues we're
on gentle tiptoe too, although not so
gentle but that he could hear them ad-
vising: One. a good, stiff mustard
plaster" one, an "onion poultice;" an
other, Spanish blister" while Aunt
Nancy stopped short of nothing less
than "old-fashioned bleeding" Abe
lay very still and wondered IL they
meant to kill him. He was probably
him. Only when he was dead. he
hoped that they would think more
kindly of him. And so surrounded yet
alone, the old man fought his secret
terror until mercifully he went to
sleep.
tiers again; and day after day they
spent their combined efforts In keeping
him on his back and forcing him to
take his medicine. the only appreciate
good resulting therefrom being the
fact that with his TAX upon their devo-
ton the old ladies came once more to
regard Abe as the most precious pos
session Of the Home.
what eff he should die?" they whis-
pered among themselves. repentant
enough of their late condemnation of
him and already desolate at the
thought Of his leaving this little haven
with them for the great haven" over
there: and the whisper reaching the
sickroom, Abes fever would rise, while
he could never lift his lashes except to
see The specter of helpless old age OIL
one side Of the bed and death upon the
other.
What's the matter with met" he
demanded OF the doctor, as one who
would say: "Poohl pooh! You're
humbugl What do you mean by keep
ing me In bed?" Yet the old man was
trembling with that inner fear. The
physician. feminine kind of beard
ed creature himself. took Abes hand
In his-an engaging trick he had with
the old ladies.
Nov, my friend. do not distress
yourself. or course, you are a very
sick man; l cannot deceive you as TO
that: but during my professional ca
reer, l have seen some remarkable
cases OF recovery and"
but what's the matter with met"
broke In Abe, by this time fairly white
with fear. The doctor had assured
him that sill his organs were sound. so
he could only conclude that he must
have one OF those unusual diseases
such as Miss Abigail was reading
about IN the paper yesterday. Maybe.