Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-11-18
CHAPTER XIII.
THE CUP is FULL.

Jabez Carr sat outside his cottage on
a warm. spring afternoon a fortnight
after the trial of Eric Midthorne. There
had been six funerals at the Seaman's
home during the past two days, and
JabeZ was reflective. Something GER
tainly was wrong at headquarters. He
could not understand why the grim
reaper had been allowed such privi-
leges. Gross neglect on somebody's
part: that "a quite clear. Six in two
days! Why, said he to himself, it must
have been downright criminal care
lessness on the part of the COMPOUNDED
ships surgeon. letting able bodied.
healthy people die like that. Not one of
them was a day over Is, he calculated
not a single II of them There had
been no epidemic that he was aware of
no cholera, no small poX, no any
thing that you could put your finser
on. Then. what the dickens did they
mean down there, letting people die be-
fore their time? There ought to be an
Investigation. a very rigid one. said
Jabez firmly. Some to think of it. Jack
Beason. bo's'n, was nigh onto so, but
he was as spry as a rabbit the last
time he came up to the gate. What
business had he to be dying?
Somehow, without really giving a
thought to it, the ancient gate keeper
sought out the only spot where the
sunshine struck brightly through the
tree TOPS, ana LleTe he piaceu MS SlCOl.
1t occurred to him that the warm sun
| was unusually grateful to his bones.
| No doubt, it was the gloom of those
six funerals that had got INTO his mar
row, but there was no getting around
| the fact that the sunshine had a most
pleasing effect.
The suns rays struck the corner of
the cottage where the rain barrel stood.
So it was there that he put his stool.
| With rare inconsistency he leaned his
back against the damp slaves Of the
barrel, and smoked his pipe in blissful
contempt of the rheumatism and other
ills that lay behind him. Sunshine! No
one ever came to grief by getting too
much sunshine; that is, If one didn't
overdo 1t. The days seemed shorter
than they used to be anyway, thought
| Jabez. You could get up at sunrise,
attend to a.few things here and there.
and the first thing you knew the sun
was setting. And the nights, too,
seemed shorter of late. Better get what
little sunshine there was, a he.
But six in two days! Yes, sir. there
was something radically wrong some
where. He sat up suddenly, confronted
by an uncanny question: would there
be more funerals on the morrow?
The squirrels frisked about him un-
noticed. They sat up or their tails and
waited with admirable patience for him
to hurl sticks at them. They listened
i Tor the milo epllneLS Will WHICH ie
hectored them.
But he puffed on at his cold pipe. and
his thoughts were far away.
A strong voice called o u a greeting
to him. He awoke from his long
reverie with a start. The sun haC
moved away from the rain barrel ane
cleaned warm against the cottage wall
q dozen PAGES to the left.
-Four young people We're standing be.
fore him. He rubbed his eyes,, blinket
and then shook the tobacco from hi:
pipe.
coming to his feet.
SUNDAY. Uncle Jabe," said Eric.
He looked relieved. There won't be
any today he said. .They never have
'em on Sundays" With which. ths
thought OF funerals passed away. Hi
face Frightened. The jolly twinkle re.
turned into his eyes. A vast politeness
seized him.
Glad to see you, glad to see you" h
exclaimed. "Eere, Eric, and you, Jack
trundle out them rockers for the youns
ladies. Be spry about II. Scat! Yo,
squirrels. Ppm uncommon pleased I,
see you, Miss Joan. It's a great honor.
He carefully wiped his hand Ion his
trousers Leg and extended 1t to NEE
hers. He then shook hands with Mary
going farther, however. to pat the little
fingers with His free hand. q feat which
compelled him to- restore the pipe t.
deprived OF Its usual support. Some
one has, been tallins me OF the wedding.
that ID to be. For the life Of me,
cent tell who It was.
cit was /, Uncle Jabe." said Eric
coming up with one Of the chairs.
.So@tt was;n said Jabez, visibly re
lieved. I'm gettin. > DANCED forget
II full. Well. Jack. how liz Adam today?