All-Story Weekly, March 1, 1919 — page 162: what you’re looking at

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

Vai 4N ice lads HOLM Migr t 7S ¢) fe 5 yy" y ) PLY ' at of Ld albeit) Hue iy eT Fp Witte ] ay TEENY ayy : ty 1 Labs) a } | ) / 4 “ ~\ 4 us - * thd ‘ % il ad & (yy 9 qr 4 Raval AA NY i nih Une / , Pre oh ‘ ely thy AT ie Lp salt ys tre SPAM ks 8 Js i! oe ' } } Via Th a el ot yA WA eaty boli —_ ~~ —, Ss = ** ae -—— os . iT ak NG HEHE ANS fwroDr i hia ‘ Me v ary 7 Se eb at 1 the farm a small medicinal kit. She set off to the lake at a breathless pace, praying that she might find the fisherman at his post. 3 Her prayer was answered. Higgins was sitting in front of his shack, staring moodily at the lake. “Mr. March is terrible sick,” she gasped. “Can’t you gimme something for him?” ‘“What’s the matter with him?” asked Higgins, indifferently. ‘““ He’s poisoned.” “ He’s entitled to be.” “Oh, Mr. Higgins! What a thing for you to say! Can’t you give me some medi- cine for him?” “Sure. You'll find a lot of bottles on the shelf inside. Help yourself.” ‘““T—I don’t know which to take.” “Take any of ’em. Take ’em all. They’re all good.” The callousness of he usually good- natured fisherman shocked her. Neverthe- less, she ran into the shack, gathered up all the bottles she could find, wrapped them in her apron and started back for the cabin. It was dark when she reached there and Mame’s first act was to light the lamp. From the bed there was an angry exclama- tion as the light flashed into the Grouch’s ~ eyes. ‘You back?” he demanded. “T’ve brought a lot of medicine for you,” said Mame, reassuringly. © “Won't take a drop.” “You feelin’ better?” she asked, ap- proaching the bed. “Tm dying;*declared the Grouch, hotly. “Get cway from me.’ She sighed and went back to the table, where she began examining Higgins’s minia- ture pharmacy. There was one large bottle containing a dark liquid. The label said: “A tablespoonful at bedtime.” Mame _ drew the cork and sniffed. “T’ve got something here that smells real good,” she said. “‘ I’ll give you some.” “ No! ) “Then maybe you’d sooner have some _ pills. There’s some white ones here, about the size the doctor give me when I was down to Hurleyville, and in my case they ye Ael vole 2 were very beneficial.” -ALL-STORY WEEKLY. “Leave me alone. Go away. Shut up!” was the answer she received. Mame shook her head with patient res- ignation and compromised by bringing him a glass of water. He accepted that, drank it at a gulp and asked for more. _ For the Grouch, along with his devour- ing headache, had a fever of high degree and his throat was parched and burning. After the second glass of water, he sub- sided limply on the pillow and lay still for such a long time that Mame’s alarm returned. ‘“‘ How are~-you feelin’ now?” she asked, approaching the bed. He merely groaned. . “Is the pain better?” Another groan. She walked back to the chair and sat down to watch. After a while he became restless again, grinding his teeth as the pain stabbed at his temples and now and then making noises that were fearsome. ~ At last she could endure the strain no longer. She rushed from the cabin and set off at a run in the direction of the cottage, thoughtless of kidnapers and utterly reck- less of her own safety. Perhaps Miss Dean could help; she knew so many things, Mame reflected—particu- larly about men. Miss Dean was about to go to undress for bed when Mame burst into the cottage and hastily told the adverse news. ““He’s been poisoned and I think he’s dyin’,” she said, in conclusion. Miss Dean gave a start of surprise, but did not lose her poise. “What sort of symptoms has he?’’ she asked. Mame was too bewildered to recollect and Miss Dean was compelled to cross- examine. Having asked .all the questions that seemed necessary, she nodded, went into the bedroom, slipped a few articles hastily into the pockets of her sweater and returned to Mame. “All right; we'll start,” she said. Mame looked surprised, and hesitated. She had not bargained for this; she was not at all sure that it was necessary. | “Tf you could just give me somethin’,’ she began, “I think maybe—”