The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-01-31
CHAPTER !.

When II was all over Mr.. sam came
out to the spring-hou to say good-by
to me before he and Mrs. Sam left
i hated to see him go, after all we
had been through together. and | sup
pose he saw it in my face. for he
came over close and stood looking
down at me, and smiling You
saved US, Minnie" he said, land
needn't tell you we're grateful; but dc
you know what / Think" he asked
pointing his long forefinger at me. 81
think you've enjoyed 1t even when you
were suffering most. Red-haired WON
en- are born to intrigue, as the sparks
dy upward"
Enjoyed it," / snapped. I'm an
Old woman before my time. Mr.. Sam
What with trailing back and forward
through the snow to the shelter-house,
and not getting to bed at all some
nigl $, and my heart going by fits and
starts, as you may say, and half the
time my spinal marrow fairly chilled.
not to mention putting on my over
shoes every morning from force OF
habit and having to take them on
again. I'm about all in"
It's been the making Of you. Min
ME-" he said, cycling me, with his
hands in his pockets. Look at your
cheeks! Look at your disposition!
don't believe you'd stab anybody In
the back now!"
(Which was q joke, Of course; i
never stabbed anybody in the back
He opened the door and blast OF
February wind ratified the window
frames. Mr.. Sam threw out his chest
under his sweater and waved me an
other good-by.
well. I'm on, Minnie" he said
Take care OF yourself and don't sit
too tight on the job; learn to rise
bit in the saddle"
'Good-by, Mr.. Sam!" called. put
ting down Miss Patty's dolly and fol-
lowing him to the door; "good-by; bet
ter have something before you start to
ksep you warm"
He turned at the corner Of the path
and grinned back at me.
All right" he called. "I1l go down
to the bar and get a lettuce sand
wich!"
Then he was gone. and happy as I
Waa, ! knew I would miss him terribly.
II began when the old doctor died
4 suppose you have heard Of Hope San
atorium and the mineral spring that
made 1t famous.
I have been spring house girl at
Hope Sanatorium for fourteen years.
For the first year or SO nearly went
crazy. Then found things we're COM
ing my way. I've got the kind of mind
that never forgets a name or face and
can combine them properly. which
isn't common. And when folks came
back I could call them at once. The
old doctor used to say my memory was
IN asset to the sanatorium.
He was In the habit of coming to
the spring house every day to get his
morning glass Of water and read the
papers. For q good many years It had
been his custom to sit there. in the
winter by the wood IRE and In summer
just inside the open door. and to read
OF the headings aloud while l cleaned
around the spring and polished
glasses.
All that winter. with the papers
full Of rumors that Miss Patty Jen-
ntnss was going to marry a prince,
we'd followed 1t by the spring house
s6re. the old doctor and I. getting an
Hry At the Austrian emperor for oppos-
ling II when we knew how much too
good Miss Patty was for any foreign
or. and then getting nervous and
;fussed when we read that the princes
mother was in favor of the match and
ht might go through. Miss Patty and
her father came every winter to Hope
Springs and couldn't have been more
anxious about 1t II she had been my
own sister.
Well. as say. 1t all began the very
day the old doctor died. He stamped
out to the spring-house with the morn
ing paper about nine o'clock, and the
wedding seemed to be all of. The
paper said the emperor had definitely
refused his consent and had sent the
prince, who was his cousin, for a JAP
anese cruise. while the Jennings fam
lily was going to Mexico in their pri
vate car. The old doctor was indig
lnant, and l remember how he tramped
up and down the spring house. NUT
ltering that the girl had had a lucky
escape. and what did the emperor
expect IL beauty and youth and wealth
weren't enough. But he Gained down.
and soon he was reading that the pa.
,pers were predicting an early spring.
and he said we'd better begin to in.
crease our sulphur percentage in the
water.
by the way" he remarked. "Mr
Richard will be along in a day or SO
Minnie. You'd better break 1t to Mrs
Virgins"
Since the summer before we'd had
to break Mr.. Dicks coming to Mrs
Virgins. the housekeeper, owing to
his finding her false front where It
had blown out Of the window. having
been hung up to dry. and his wearing
1t to luncheon as whiskers. Mr.. Dick
was the old doctors grandson.
"Humph!" | said. and he turned
around and looked square at me.
He's good boy at heart, Minnie"
he said. We've had our troubles with
him. you and l. but everything has
been quiet lately"