Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1914-10-21
CHAPTER X-Continued.

Il told yer l never could stand 1t
here amongst all these drafted women
folks Abe would declare It's all
your fault that | didn't go to the poor
house in peace"
1 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 eff | had thirty
wives a-pesterin' me instid of one. |
can't kill fly but it's Brother Abe.
femme bury him fer yew.' Do yer all
think be baby" demanded the old
gentleman with glaring eye Il guess
I'm able ter do somethin' fer myself
once in while. 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"
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. IF 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
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 whiffet of pompous
IDIOT, was called to attend him. The
doctor. determined at the start to
make severe case of the old man g
afiliction I'm 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.
"Humbugi" growled the secretly
terrified invalid. and in an excess OF
bravado took his black silk necktie
from where it hung on the bedpost and
tied 1t r. a bow.kuot around the collar
of his pIuk-striped nightshIrt. $50 that
he would be in proper shape TO receive
any Of the sisters Then he Law very
still, his eyes closed. as they came tip
roeing in and out Their tongues were
on gentle tiptoe too. although not so
pguf1a hrrf that he
yising One. a good stiff mustard
plaster" one. an onion poulHce." an.
other. Spanish blister" while Aunt
Nancy stopped short OF nothing less
than "old-fashioned bleeding" Abe
lay very still and wondered If fhev
meant 10 kill him lie was probably
going 20 die anyhow. so why torment
him only when he was dead te
hoped that they would think more
kindly of him. And so surrounded vet
alone. the old man fought his secret
terror until mercifully he went TO
sleep.
when he awoke there were the Sis
tors again; and day after day they
spent their combined efforts in forD.nq
him ON bis back and forcing him te
take his medicine. the only appreciable
good resulting therefrom being the
fact that with bis tax upon their dcyo
ton the old ladies came once more tc
regard Abe ass the most precious pos
session Of the Home
what ef he should die?" they whis
pered among themselves. repentant
enough OF their late condemnation o.
him and already desolate az tho
thought OF his leaving this little haven
with them for the great haven" ovei
here. and the whisper reaching the
sickroom. Abe's fever would rise. Will,
ne could never lift his lashes except e