Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1915-05-07
CHAPTER x-Contlnued.

Il told yer | never could stand 1t
here amongst all these drafted women
folks" Abe would declare. lite all
your fault that l didn't go to the poor
house in peace"
II notice yew didn't raise no objec-
lions until yew'd lived here a year"
Angy would retort; but ignoring this
remark, he would go on;
tits 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 a baby?" demanded the old
gentleman with glaring eye. 81 guess
I'm able ter do somethin' fer myself
once In a while. l haint so old as some
folks might think" he continued with
superb inconsistence. II 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 fatherl Don't git ex-
cited now. Seems ter me We re a
ieetle bit feverish. Eff 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 womenl Old
women an tansy teal 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, little whiffet of pompous
idiot, was called to attend him. The
doctor, determined ct the start to
make a severe case of the old mans
affliction in order that he might have
the greater glory in the end, be 1t 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.
terrified invalid, and In an excess Of
bravado took his black silk necktie
from where it hung on the bedpost and
tied 1t 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 tip
toeing in and out. Their tongues we're
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 poultioe;" an.
other, Spanish blister" while Aunt
Nancy stopped short of nothing less
than "old-fashioned bleeding" Abe
lay very still and wondered If they
meant to kill 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 so surroundedAye
alone, the old man fought his secret
terror until mercifully he went tc
sleep.
When he awoke there we're the sis
tiers again; and day after day they
spent their combined efforts in keeping
him on his back and forcing him t
take his medicine, the only appreciate,
good resulting therefrom being th'
fact that with his tax upon their devo
ton the old ladies came once more Il
regard Abe as the most precious pos
session Of the Home.
What eff he should die7" they whis
pered among themselves, repentan
enough of their late condemnation O
him and already desolate at thu
thought of his leaving this little havel
with them for the great haven" owe
there; and the whisper reaching th'
Bickroom, Abe's fever would rise, while
he could never lift his lashes except Il