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

HlilVN' III LltEuhl.
"CryInH Oh, I swan, he's erwin
Darby gave n short laugh pregnant
with scoTn. Abe Rose, dew yow know
what uiis ycw?" he demanded, fixing
his eyes herccly upon the invalid.
"Dew yow know whatll happen tow
We" n yow don't git out o. this bed NJ
this here house? Either yer beard il
fall ont an yewll dwindlc d"Own ter
'he size o. a baby or ynwll turn into
l downright old woman--Aunt Abra.
ham, wont that sound nice? or
ycw'lI die or yewll go crazy. Git out
err bed"
Tho patient shook his head and sank
back, closing his eyes. more exhausted
than ever And he himself had heard
Angy warn this man in a whisper not
to "rilc him up!" Rcmorselessly went
on the rcjuvenated Darby:
"1iain't a.goin' ter cit up, heh? Yew
old mollycoddle! Ycw baby! Old
Lady 81! Kifry calf! But | hain't
a-bamn' yew; ef had lived in this
here place year an a half, I'd be
stark, starin' mad. Leetle tootsie-
wootslc! Git up!"
Abe had opened his eyes and was
once more staring ut the other, his
mind slowly coming TO the light Of the
realization that Samuel might be more
sane than himself.
That's What told Angy all along"
he ventured. Il told her. says, says
|, 'Humbug! Foolshness Ye're q.
maxim a regular baby Of me- Why
] says, what's the difference between
me an these here womenfolks except
that wear beard an smoke a pipc?"
Then why don't yew git up?" de-
mandrd the inexorable Samuel. Cit
up an fool 'em; or, gosh all hcmlockl
they'll be measurin' ycw fer yer coffin
next week. When ] come inter the
hall, what dew yew think these here
sisters o yourn was adiscussin'? They
was aarguin' the pint as TO whether
they'd bury yew in Il Bhroud or yer
Sunday suit"
Abraham put one foot out of bed
Samuel took hold of his arm and with
this assistance the old man managed
to get up entirely and stand, though
shaking as IL with the palsy, upon the
floor.
Feel pooty good don't yew?" de-
manded Samuel, but with less sever.
Ity.
"A lootlc soft a iectle soft" NUT.
tered the other Gimme my cane.
Thar, ~ che o them women comes in
l. door IN nj" Abraham raised
his stick ana shook It nj the innocent
air, "Whar's my pipe? Mis- IIoman.
she went an hid It last week"
After some searching, Samuel found
the pipe In Abc's hatbux underneath
the old mans beaver, and produced
from his own pocket a package of to.
| bacCo, whcreupon the two sat down
| for quiet smoke, Samuel ChucklinS
to himself every now and again, Abe
| mode5tly seeking from time 10 time to
cover his bare legs with the skirt Of
his pInkstriped nightrobe, not daring
.
should call him names again. With
the very first pun Of his pipe. the light
had come back into the inyalid's eyes;
with the second, the ashen hue com.
plctely left his cheek; and when he
had pulled the tenth time on the pipe
Abe was ready TO laugh At the sisters,
the whole world, and even himself
"IIy.guy. but it's splendid to feel
like a man ag'in!"
The witch of Hnwthorne8 story
never ga2ed more fondly at her
"Fcathertop" than Samuel now Eascd
at Abraham pulling away on his pipe;
bat he determined that Abrahams
fate should not be AS poor Feather,
tops" Abe must remain man.
"Naow look a.h"rc, Abe" he began
after q while, laying his hand on the
others knee, dew ycw l,uaow that
yew come put nigh gittin swamped in
the big breakers? Er hadn't come
along an throWed out the lifeline,
/ ypv-"
'@lmI." interrupted the now Abra.
ham, not without touch Of asperity,
"Wbur yew been these six months?
| AIrav!n' mo ter die of apron strings
an doctors! Of course didn't 'sp,ct
ruthin' o. ycw when ycw was jist q
bachelor, an we'd sort o. lost sight or
each other fer many year, but artrr
ycw got connected with the Hum by