Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1914-12-31

4
McChesney hurdled IL at q leap. 49,
Never mind" she said. Il know p
She looked at the faces OF those four
strangers sympathy--real, human
sympathy--was uppermost In each
She smiled faint and friendly little
smile at the group. And at that the
housekeeper began tucking In the GOV.
ers ut the foot Of the bed, and the lank
waitress walked to the window and
pulled down the shade, and the bell,
boy muttered something about Ice wa.
ter. The doctor patted her wrist light.
iy and reassuringly. IT,. s
You're all awfuliy good" said EN-,
ma MeChesney, her eyes glowing with
something other than fever. I've
something to say. It's Just this. II
I'm going to be sick I'd prefer to be
sick right here, unless It's something
catching. No hospital Don't ask me
why. don't know. We people on
the road are all alike. Wire T. A..
Buck, IT., of the FeatherIoom Petticoat
company, New York, You'll find plenty
OF clean nightgowns in the left.hand
tray Of my trunk, covered with white
tissue paper. Get a nurse that doesn't
sniffie, or talk about the palace she
nlirsed I'm last, where they treated her
like queen and waited on her hand
and foot. For goodness sake. put my
switch where nothing will happen TO
IL and II die and they run my pic.
ture in the Dry Goods Reyisw under
the caption, Veteran Travelling Sales
woman succumbs at Glen Rock, I'll
haunt the editor" She paused mo-
ment .. q H.,
Everything will be all right" said
the housekeeper, soothIngly. You'll
think you're right Mt home, itll be SO
comfortable, Was there anything else,
nowW
Yes" said Emma McChesney.
The most important OF all My son,
Jock McChesney, II fishing up In tho
Canadian woods. A telegram may not
reach him for three weeks. They're
shifting about from camp TO camp. Try
70 get him, but don't scare him too
much, You'll find the address under
]. In my address book in my handbag.
Poor kid. Perhaps It's Just rs we'll he
doesn't know"
Perhaps It was. At any rate Il was
true that had the tribe of McChesney
been as the leaves Of the trees, and
had II held family reunion In Emma
MeChesney's little hotel bedroom, II
would have mattered not at all 10 her.
For she was sick--doctorth
a.day.trained.nurse bottles. by.t he-bed,
side sick, her head. with its bright hair
rumpled and dry with the fever, toss.
ms from side To side on the Iumpy
hotel pillow, or lying terribly silent
and inert against the gray.white of the
bad linen. She never quite knew how
narrowly she escaped that picture in
the Dry Goods Review. p.
Then one day the fever began 10 re-
cede, slowly, whence fevers come, and
the indefnahle air OF suspense and re-
preston that fingers about sick.
room at such a crisis began to lift Inn
peroeptibY. There came a time when
Emma McChesney asked In weak
but sane voice;
"Did Jock comet Did they cut Off
my hair?"
Not yet, dear" the nurse had an.
swered TO the FIRST. "but Wen hear In
q day or so, I'm sure" And, Your
lovely hairi Well. not IL I know IT."
TO the second.
The spirit Of small.town kindness
took Emma MeChesney In it's arms.
The dingy little hotel room glowed
with flowers, The story OF the sick
woman lighting there alone In the ter.
rors OF deiirium had gone up and dewn
about the town. Housewives with q
fine contempt for hotel soup sent
broths Of chicken aud beef. The local
members OF the u, @. II. sent roses
enough 20 tax every vase and wash.
pitcher that the hotel could muster,
and asked their wives TO cali az the
hotel and see what they could do, The
wives came. obedientIy, but with sus-
picion and distrust in their eyes, and
remained to pat Emma McChesney's
arm. ask to read aloud TO her. and TO
indulge generally In that process
known an cheering her up" Every
travelling man who stopped at the Tic.
tie hotel on his way 10 Minneapolis
added To the heaped.up offerings al
Emma McChesnay's shrine, Books
and magazines assumed the proper.
tions or q library. One could see the
hand of r, A, Buck. Jr.. In the cases
OF mineral water. quarts or wine. Gun.
ming cordials and tiny bottles of
liaueur that stood in conviyiai rows on
the closet shelf and floor. There came
letters. too. and kilograms with such
phrases as 'iet nothing be left undone"
and spare no expense" under r. A,
Buck. ira, signature.
So Emma McChesnay climbed the
long. weary hin OF illness and pain,
reached the top. painting and almost
spent. rested there. and began the
easy descent on the other side that
led TO recovery and strength. But
something was lacking. That sunny
optimism that had been Emma Nc
Chesney's most valuable asset was alb
sent. The blue eyes had lost their
brave laughter. A respondent droop
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