The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1915-03-04
CHAPTER x-contInued.

Il told yer never could stand II
here amongst all these drafted women.
folks,' Abe would declare. Ute all
your fault that didn't go to the poor.
house In peace"
Il 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:
It's Brother Abe this an
Brother Abe that, as eff l had thirty
wives pesterin' me instid OF one. |
can't kill fly but it's Brother Abe,
femme bury him fer yew.' Do yer all
think | be baby?" demanded the old
gentleman with glaring eye. Il guess
I'm able ter do somethin' fer myself
once In while. hain't so old as some
folks might think" he continued with
superb inconsistence. Il 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
leetle 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 tea! 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 a pompous
idiot. was called to attend him. The
doctor, determined at the start to
make severe case of the old mans
afiliction in order that he might have
the greater glory in the end, be it 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
hCSHhi6 bhO Pdlltill III O6Q.
"Humbugl" growled the secretly
terrified invalid, and in an excess of
bravado took his black silk necktie
from where 1t 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 were
on gentle tiptoe too, although not so
gentle but that he could hear them ad
vising: One, good. stiff mustard
plaster" one. an onion poultice;" an
other. Spanish blister" while Aunt
Nancy stopped short of nothing less
than "old-fashioned bleeding" Aba
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 surrounded vet
alone. the old man fought his secret
terror until mercifully he went to
sleep.
When he awoke there were the sio-
tiers egein; and day after day they
spent their combined efforts in keeping
him on his back and forcing him 10
lake his medicine. the only appreciable
good resulting therefrom being the
fact that with his tax upon their deyo-
ton the old ladies came once more to
regard Abe as the most precious DOS
session of the Home.
what eff he should die?" they whis-
pered among themselves, repentant
enough of their late condemnation of
him and already desolate at the
thought OF his leaving this little haven
with them for the great haven" over
there; and the whisper reaching the
sickroom, Abe's fever would rise. while
ne could never lift his lashes except to
see the specter of helpless old age on
one side OF the bed and death upon the
other.
What's the matter with me?'S he
demanded of the doctor, as one who
would say: "Poohl poohl You're a
humbugl What do you mean by keep
ing me In bed?" Yet the old man was
trembling with that inner fear. The
physician, a feminine kind OF a beard
ed creature himself. took Abe's hand
in his-an engaging trick he had with
the old ladies'.
Now, my friend. do not distress
yourself or course. you are a very
sick man; l cannot deceive you as to
that; but during my professional ca
reer, l have seen some remarkable
cases of recovery and"
But what's the matter with met"
broke in Abe. by this time fairly white
with fear. The doctor had assured
him that all his organs we're sound. so
he could only conclude that he must
have one OF those unusual diseases
such as Miss Abigail was reading
about In the paper yesterday. Maybe,