The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-09-18

Il told yer | never could stand II
here amongst all these drafted women.
folks" Abe would declare tie all
your fault that didn't go to the poor.
house In peace"
81 notice yew didn't raise no objec.
tons until yew'd lived here a year"
Angy would retort; but ignoring this
remark. he would go on:
IT'S Brother Abe this an
Brother Abe that, as ef | had thirty
wives a-pesterin me instid of one |
cant kill fly but it's Brother Abe
lemme bury him fer yew.' DO yer all
think be baby2" demanded the old
gentleman with glazing eye. Il guess
I'm able ter do somethn' fer myself
once In a while. hain't so old as some
folks might think, he continued with
superb inconslBtence. Il be u mere
child compared with that air plagued
Nancy Smith"
1t took very little to exhaust Angys
ability for this style OF repartee, and
she would rejoin with tender but mis-.
him.
Thar, thar. father Don't git ex.
cited now Seems ter me Sc re n
leetle bit feverish Ef only yew'd take
this here tansy tea"
Abraham would give one exasper.
ated glance Mt the tin cup and mutter
into the depths Of his beard;
"Tansy tea an old women! Old
women an tansy tea Tansy tea be
durned!"
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 whiflet of a pompous
idiot. was called to attend him The
doctor, determined at the start to
make n severe case OF the old man
aflliCtion in order that he might have
the greater glory in the end, be 1t 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.
"Humbug!" growled tho secretly
terrified invalid, and In an excess OF
bravado took his black silk necktie
from where it hung on the bedpost and
tied IL in a bOw.knot around the collar
of his pink-striped nightshirt, SO that
he would be in proper shape to receive
g.F h. atsrs l.. L.
still, his eyes closed as they came tip
toeing in and out. Their tongues we're
on gentle tiptoe too, although not 80
gentle but that he could hear them ad.
vising: One. good, stir mustard
plaster" one, an onion poultice;" an.
other, a Spanish blister" while Aunt
Nancy stopped short OF nothing less
than 'old,fashioned bleeding" Abe
lay very still and wondered II they
meant to kill him. lie was probably
going to die anyhow, SO why torment
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.
When he nwoke there we're the sis.
ters 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 appreciable
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 ef he should dio?" they whis-
pered among themselves. Tepentaut
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, Abe's fever would rice, while
he could never lift his lashes except to
see the specter OF helpless old age on
one side OF the bed and death upon the
other
whats the matter with me?" he
demanded Of the doctor, as one who
would say: Pooh! pooh! You're a
humbug 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 Abe's hand
In his-an engaging trick he had with
the old ladies'.
Now. my friend. do not distress
yourself. OF course. you are a very
sick man; cannot deceive you as to
that; but during my professional ca
reer. have seen some remarkable
cases of recovery and"
But whats De- matter with me?"
broke in Abe. BY this time fairly white
with fear. The doctor had assured
him that all 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,
although his legs were so thin today.
he was on the verge OF an attack OF
eiephantiasis!
Whats the matter with me?" he
| IL, a