Smyrna times., 1927-05-04
Calamus Tea Was
Served
BY MARTHA M. WILLIAMS

eagerly.
Eve Nelson tried to answer casu
ally: "Oh! Nothin' much! Just ask
in if we had stray red yearlin in
our pasture" But in spite of her
self her eyes fell.
Whereat Mrs. Main said: "Humpn
You're sleazy liar. He brung you
a somethin' of some sort. Whut wus
it? Answer me straightr'
'Nothin' but a bunch of calamus.
root" Eve stammered.
"Calamus!" Words cannot express
Mrs. Mains scorn. Are We goin' ter
learn ter chaw it? I'll warn Sam
Birdsong he better look sharp. With
this calamuS-dope a-workin', you might
say yes ter the wrong feller."
Eve stiffened. You'll please let
me and my concerns be-" she said.
Remember, I'm your boarder-and
the best part of your nYin'. Also,
! don't have to stay on here any
longer than suits me. can marry
If choose, and l don't have to take
Sam Birtsong."
"Ye can, Ell! OF all the ongrati-
tude ever l heard tell of, you're the
beat" Mrs. Mann flung back. "When
you'd aided in yer cradle, after yer
mamma went hadn't a-been l taken
and raised ye up ter real human size. =
Sure you did," Eve scoffed. paid
your rent that way. The place is
mine. You agreed to raise me right,
feed, cloth and school me, If l was let
stay until | married. And [ didn't
know word about it until a month
back-thought you paid money rent
and got it back and more for keepin'
me-"
How come you ter git so wise,
missy?" Mrs. Main demanded angrlIy.
Eve tossed her head. 81 went to
Judge Johnson" she said. ''Told him
how you nagged and complained of
my appetite, and how / wore out
shoes, and asked him to find me an
other guardian. Then he told me
about the bargain-says he CANT go
back on it-but the minute / show
him husband worth havin' he'll put
me in possession. How'd you like
that?"
In answer came volcanic eruption
-reproaches, appeals to high heaven,
torrents of abuse, at last violent hys-
terics. Then Mrs. Main collapsed
fell to the floor in a dead faint. Eve
tried dashing cold water In the un-
conscious face. Desperately she ran
to the kitchen adjoining, and to her
JOY found teakettle boiling. Sudden
ly she struck something hard in the
pocket of her house frock-the despised
calamus. In a wink she had a potful
brewing. Three minutes later she was
pouring tiny spoOnfuls of it through
her patients lips. But an angel
couldn't have been welcomer than
Billy Bellamy, who came in without
ceremony after a glance through the
window. Billy was reading medicine
with old Doctor Ware. He was also
fathoms deep in love with Eve, but
had never until now had the ghost of
a chance to say so.
THE Lord sent you, do believe"
she said fervently to Billy. Il was
scared poor Nanny Main would die
with only me to help her."
You're doin' just the right thing"
Billy assured her. Now Well lift her
to the lounge"
wait. l must do somethin' be-
fore she comes to- Eve said with half
a giggle.
She nodded. Its only this: Pro-
pose to you-in dead earnest-while
1 have the chance"
Billy all but staggered. Perhaps
that was why he had to prop himself
with both arms around Eve. Warned
by grOan, they sprang apart-and
spent the next half hour trying
breathlessly to do all the things Nam
my Main insisted must be done at
once.
The first was to bring forth black
quired two for fulillment Even at
that it was tedious. At last Billy
found the right jug. Eve, peering be-
yOnd him, reached for something odd
"a canvas-wrapped parcel so heavy
she could not move it with Cne hand.
Billy drew it to the light. Both
scanned it narrowly, then laid it back
and hurried to Mrs. Main, trying hard
TO look as though they had not seen it.
They found her shaky, but she
shifted the pungent odor gratefully,
saying in a weak voice: Eve l got
my come uppance fer-fer talkin'
mean ter you. do believe I'd aided
hadn't Of been fer that caIamus tea"
Il won't forget" Billy said gaily.
"When l want to bring the dead to
life-try calamus tea. But here's
even better, handing her a
glass of the thick spicy peach brandy,
at least twenty years old.
at does put heart in ye," Mrs Main
said almost dreaming. after a swig
and several sips. Suddenly she looked
hard at both the young folk-some-