All-Story Weekly, March 1, 1919 — page 161: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

_ doctor! THE GROUCH. “Yl bathe your head,” she declared, venturing to touch his forehead with her palm. ‘“ My, ain’t it hot!” He shrank from the touch and ae - again. ‘“ Leave. me alowe: # weakly. 3 ‘‘ Where — where’s the pain?” asked Mante, and then held her breath at her own boldness. ‘““T?m—IlI’m poisoned!” She uttered a faint shriek and sat in a ‘chair. — “Poisoned!” she echoed. “ It’s the kid- napers! They’ve been tryin’ to kill you. Oh, merciful Heaven! They’ve been tryin’ to kill the one who—” _.. Mame checked herself at the brink of confession, but did not neglect to twist her ~ hands in an agony of despair. “Shut up!” said the Grouch. be an ass. Leave me alone.” ‘“And you poisoned? I guess not. I’m goin’ to stay right here and take care of you.” There was a truly frightful groan from the bed. “Pop knew a man who was poisoned once. was a very lingerin’ death, it seems. He took the poison in purpose; he wasn’t happy on account of something his wife done. ‘““ After he took it they sent for the doc- ‘tor, but it was too late to do anything much. Everybody said it was such a sad case. Those things make an awful impres- sion on one. ~The Grouch sat up in bed and raised his fists to the ceiling. “ For the love.of Heaven, get out!” he yelled. Mame shook her head with emphasis. ‘““T’ll have mom make you some boneset ea,” she said. “And after that I'll get aid the Grouch, ‘Don’t pop to drive down to the village for the - doctor.” “Don’t want the tea! Don’t want the If you bring a doctor here I'll shoot him!” Mame sighed, shook her head and re- mained silent for several minutes, during which the Grouch lay still and gritted his teeth. His head was aching horribly. He suffered something horrible. It. Don’t you think so? I do.” Sree : . a = ai oe Sa ny ene ie a A — St es po Ties ae re =f — — : =e =. ~ = Z = 5 ee ee ee a oo a — RS ee “Maybe you could eat a little toast,” she suggested. ‘Good Heaven! Are you here yet?” He turned and looked at her with a ter- rifying scowl. — ‘‘T take natural to nursin’,” said Mame. ‘““T’ve got a sympathetic nature. Let me get you a drink of water.” \ nes No! ? ‘‘ Maybe I’d better heat a brick for your feet. They say heat draws the poison.” “Oh, go away and die!” he moaned. But he could not offend her now, for Mame knew that he did not mean this harshness; it was simply the sickness that racked him. She did not go away, but sat near*him, watching with anxious eyes and groaning sympathetically when he groaned. Once she tried bathing his head, but he pushed her away violently. Once she brought him a glass of water; he drank half of it and flung the remainder on the floor. That was the only one of her ministrations that. he would accept. It was dusk and there had been a long silence in the cabin, when Mame ventured once more to ask him how he felt. ee Worse! »? “Tt’s the poison takin’ deeper effect,” she whispered to herself, with a shudder. Then aloud: “I’m goin’ to get you_some- thin’. I'll be back. soon.” “Stay away!” he yelled, with sudden vigor, as she passed out of the cabin. But Mame had not the slightest inten- tion ofestaying away. She was frightened and she was going for help; she did not know just where, but she felt that it was a time for consultation. The first person she met was Tilley, and. to him, in hurried sentences, she poured out the tale of the Grouch’s peril. “What ‘Il I give him, Mr. Tilley?” ‘‘ Give him poison,” advised the natural- ist, who was not deeply impressed with Mame’s narrative. She uttered a cry of horror. “Why, that’s what’s the matter with him!” she exclaimed. ‘Oh, how can you be so heartless?” Rushing away from the author of this sinister advice, Mame suddenly recalled = that Higgins usually brought with him to eae = comicbooks.c