The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1914-11-05
CHAPTER x--continued.

Il told yer | never could stand II
here amongst all these drafted women
folks" Abe would declare. 'Its all
your fault that ! didn't go to the poor.
house In peace"
Il notice yew didn't raise no objec.
tons until yew'd lived here a year"
Angy would retort: but ignoring this
remark. he would 90 on:
IT'S Brother Abe this an
Brother Abe that, as ef I had thirty
wives a-pesterin' me insiid OF one. I
can't kill q ny bu: it's Brother Abe.
femme bury him fer yew.' DO yer all
think I be a baby ?" demanded the old
gentleman with glaring eye. Il guess
I'm able ter do sonethin' fer myself
once In q while. I hain't so old as some
folks might think" he continued with
superb inconsistence. Il be a mere
child compared with that air plagued
Nancy Smith"
II took very little TO exhaust Angy's
ability for this style OF repartee, and
she would rejoin with tender but mis-.
taken efforts to seothe and comfort
him:
Thar. thar. father! Don't git ex.
cited now. Seems ter me we re a
leetle bit feverish. Ef 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 hia 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. a little whifet OF a pompous
idiot. was called 10 attend him. The
doctor, determined at the start to
make a severe case OF the old mans
afilction In order that he might have
the greater glory In the end, be il 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 the secretly
terrified invalid, and In an excess OF
hravado took his black silk necktIe
from where II hung en- 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 tin.
toeing in and out. Their tongues were
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;" TN.
other. a Spanish blister" while Aunt
Nancy stopped short Of nothing less
than "old.iashioned bleeding" Abe
lay very still and wondered II they
mean to XIII him. He 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 o. surrounded yet
alone. the old man fought his secret
terror until mercifully he went TO
sleep.
When he awoke there were the sis.
tiers again: and day after day they
spent their combined efforts Il 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.
zion the old ladies came once more 10
regard Abe as the most precious DOS.
session OF the Home.
"Whst Of he should die" they whis.
ipered among themselves. r~epentant
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
eickroom. Abs's fever would rise, while
- sgaid INT his iashes except q