THE MACON BEACON, MACON, MISS.
Old Lady
Number
31
LOUISB FORSSLUND
Author of
"Tbs Story ol Sanh"
Ths Ship of Drams"
Etc.
Copyright by The Century Co.
SYNOPSIS.
10
Captain Abraham Rosa and Ang-ellne,
tils wife, have lost their little home
through Abe's unlucky purchase of Tsna
fly Oold mining stock. Their household
aroods sold, the flOO auction money, all
they have left, will place Abe In the Old
Man' home, or Angy In the Old Lady's
home. Both are self-sacrificing but Abe
decides: "My dear, this Is the fust time
I've had a chance to take the wust of It."
The old couple bid good-by to the little
house. Terror of "what folks will say"
ends them along by-paths to the gate of
ne mi Lymes' home. Miss APigan, ma
tron of the Old Ladles' home, hears of
the 111 fortune of the old couple. She tells
the other old ladies, and Blossy, who has
paid a double fee for the only double bed
chamber, voices the unanimous verdict
that Abe must be taken In with his wife.
Abe awakens next morning to find that
he la "Old Lady No. SI." The old ladles
eve him such a warm welcome that he
made to feel at home at once. "Brother
Abe" expands under the warm reception
of the sisters, and a reign of peace begins
In the Old Ladles' home. Abe Is the cen
ter of the community. The semi-annual
visit of Blossy' aged lover, Capt. Samuel
Ps.rby.ls due. Abe advise her to marry
Mm. For the first time the captain falls
to appear. Blossy consults Abe so often
Kgardlng Darby, his old captain In the
e-savlng service, that gossip begin to
huzz. Aunt Nancy takes Abe to task for
flirting with. Blossy. He la much con
cerned when he learns that Angy Is jeal-
8 us. Blossy drive away with Darby to
e married. Abe loses popularity. The
change reacts on him and the doctor or
ders him to bed. Then he Is at the mercy
of the old ladles. Darby comes to see him.
The old captain suggests a week' harden
ing up at the old llfesaving station, and
the two old cronies make plans for the
trip. Angy plans to visit Blossy while
they are gone.
CHAPTER X(M Continued.
She perched herself on her little
horsehair trunk, which she had packed
to take to Blossy's, looking In her
time-worn silk gown like a rusty
blackbird, and, like a bird, she bent
her head first to one side and then
the other, surveying Abe in hia "bar
rel clothes" with a critical but com
plimentary eye.
"Wonder who made that necktie?"
she questioned. "I'll bet yer twas
Aunt Nancy; she's got a sharp tongue,
but a lot of silk pieces an' a tender
pot In her heart fer yew, Abe. Ruby
liee says she never thought yew'd
bring her around; yew're dretfur
takln' In yer ways, father, thars no
use a-talkin'."
Abraham glanced at himself in the
glass, and pulled at his heard, his
countenance not altogether free from
eelf-conacious vanity.
"I hain't sech a bad-lookin' feller
when I'm dressed up, be I, mother?
I dunno ez It's so much fer folks ter
ay I look like Abe Lincoln, after all;
lie was dretful humbly."
"Father," Angy said coazingly,
"why don't yer put some o' that air
'sweet stuff' Miss Abigail give yer on
yer hair? She'll feel real hurt ef she
don't smell it on yer when yew go
down stairs."
Abe made a wry face, took up the
tiny bottle of "Jockey Club," and
rubbed a few drops on his hands. His
hands would wash, and so he could
-find some way of removing the odor
before he reached the station and
Hie men.
"Ill be some glad ter git away from
these here fussy old hens fer a spell,"
lie grumbled, as he slammed the vial
back on the bureau; but Angy looked
eo reproachful and grieved that he
felt ashamed of his ingratitude, and
asked with more gentleness:
"Yew goin' ter miss me, mother?"
Then the old wife was ashamed to
And herself shaking of a sudden, and
grown wretchedly afraid afraid of
the separation, afraid of the "harden
ing" process, afraid of she knew not
what. .
"I'm glad 'tain't goin' ter be fer all
winter this time," she said simply;
then arose to open the door In order
that he might not see the rush of tears
to her foolish old eyes.
According to the arrangement, Cap
tain Darby was to drive, over from
Twin Coves with his hired man, and
Ezra, after taking the two old men to
the bay, was to return to the Home
for Angy and her little trunk.
When Samuel drove up to the front
door, he found Abe pacing the porch,
his coat collar turned up about his
neck, his shabby fur cap pulled over
bis brow, his carpetbag on the step,
and, plied on the bench at the side of
the door, an assortment of woolen
articles fully six feet high, which aft
erward developed to be shawls, capes,
hoods, comforters, wristlets, leggings,
nubias, fascinators, guernseys, blank
ets and coats. .
Abe was fuming and ' Indignant,
scornful of the contributions, and vow
ing that, though the sisters might re
gard a scooter as a freight ocean
liner, he would carry nothing with him
but what he wore and hie carpetbag.
"An' right yer be," pronounced
Samuel, with a glance at the laden
bench and a shake of his head which
said as plainly as words, "Brother,
from what am I not delivering thee?"
The sisters came bustling out of the
door, Mrs. Homan In the lead, Angy
submerged In the crowd, and from
thai j&oment there was such a fuss, so
much excitement, so many Instruc
tion and directions for the two ad
venturers, that Abraham found him
self in the carrlaga before he had
kissed Angy good-by. r
He had shaken' hands, perhaps not
altogether graciously, with every one
else, even with the deaf-and-dumb gar
dener, who came out of his hiding
place to witness the setting-out Be
ing dared to by all the younger sisters,
he had waggishly brushed his board
against Aunt Nancy Smith's cheek,
and then he had taken his place be
side Samuel without a touch or word
of parting to his wife.
He turned in his seat to wave to
the group on the porch, his eyes rest
ing In a sudden hunger upon Ange
lina' frail, slender figure, as he re
membered. She knew that he had
forgotten in the flurry of his leave-
taking, and she would have hastened
down the steps to stop the carriage;
but all the old ladles were there to
see, and she simply stood, and gazed
after fhe vehicle as it rolled away
slowly behind the jog trot of Samuel's
safe old calico horse. She stood and
looked, holding her chin very high,
and trying to check its unsteadiness.
A sense of loneliness and desolation
fell over the Home. Piece by piece
the sisters put away all the clothing
they had offered In vain to Abe. They
said that the house was already dull
without bis presence. Miss Abigail
began to plan what she should have
for dinner the day of his return.
No one seemed to notice Angy. She
felt that her own departure would
create scarcely a stir; for, without
Abraham, she was only one of a group
of poor old women In a semi-charity
home.
Slowly she started up the stairs for
her bonnet and the old broche shawl.
When she reached the landing, where
lay the knitted mat of the thxee-etar
pattern, the matron called up to her
In tragic tones:
"Angy Rose, I Jest thought of It,
He never kissed yew good-by I"
Angy turned, her small, slender feet
sinking deep Into one of the woolly
stars, her slim figure encircled by the
light from the upper hall window. She
saw a dozen faces uplifted to her, and
she answered with quiet dignity:
"Abe wouldn't think of kissin' me
afore folks."
Then quickly she turned again, and
went to her room their room where
ehe seated herself at the window, and
pressed her band against her heart,
which hurt with a new, strange, un
familiar pain, a pain that she could
not have shown "afore folks."
CHAPTER XIV.
Cutting the Apron Strings.
The usual hardy pleasure-seekers
that gather at the foot of Shore Lane
whenever the bay becomes a field
of ice and a field of sport as well were
there to see the old men arrive, and
as they stepped out of the carriage
there came forward from among the
group gathered about the fire on the
beach the editor of the ShorevlUe Her
ald. Ever since hie entrance into the Old
Ladles' home Abe had never stopped
chafing In secret over the fact that
until he died, and no doubt received
worthy obituary, he might never again
"have his name In the paper.".
In former days the successive edi
tors of the local sheet had been wil
ling, nay, eager, to chronicle his do
ings and Angy's, whether Abe's old
enemy, rheumatism, won a new vic
tory over him or Angy's second cousin
Ruth came from Roverhead to spend
the day, or wonder Indeed to relate!
the old man mended his roof or
painted the front fence. No matter
what happened of consequence to Cap
tain and Mrs. Rose, Mr. Editor had
always been zealous to retail the news
before the auction sale of their
household effects marked the death of
the old couple, and of Abe especially,
to the social world of Shoreville. What
man would care to read his name be
tween the lines of such a news item
as this?
The Old Ladles' Home Is making prep
arations for Its annual quilting bee. Dona
tions of worsted, cotton batting, and lin
ing will be gratefully received.
Mr. Editor touched his cap to the
two old men. He was a keen-faced,
boyish little man with a laugh bigger
than himself, but he always wore a
worried air the day before his paper,
a weekly, went to pres. and he wore
that worried look now. Touching his
hand to his fur cap, he Informed Sam
uel and Abe that news was "as
scarce as hen's teeth;" then added:
"What's doing?"
"Oh, nawthln', nawthln'," hastily re
plied Samuel, who believed that he
hated publicity, as he gave Abe's foot
a sly kick. "We was jest a-gwlne
ter take a leetle scooter sail." He ad
Justed the skirt of his coat In an
effort to hide Abe's carpetbag, his own
canvas satchel, and a huge market
basket of good things which Blossy
had cooked for the life-savers. "Seen
any think of that air Eph Seaman?"
Samuel added, shading his eyes with
his hand and peering out upon the
gleaming surface of the bay, over
which the white sails of scooters were
darting like a flock of huge, single
winged birds.
"Eph's racing with Captain Bill
Green," replied the newspaper man.
"Captain ' Bill's got an extra set of
new runners at the side of his scooter
and wants to test them. Say, boys,"
looking from one to the other of the
old fellows, "so you're going scooter
lng, eh? Lively sport I Cold kind of
sport for men of your age. Do you
know, I've a good mind to run In to
morrow an article on 'Long Island and
Longevity;' Taking headline, eh?
Captain Rose," turning to Abe as Sam
uel would do no more than glower at
him, "to what do yo attribute yon
good health at your time of life?"
Abe grinned all over his face, and
cleared his throat importantly, but
before he could answer, Samuel
growled: . . ,
. "Ter met , His health an' his Ufa
both. I dragged him up out cf a death
bed only a week ago." -
The editor took out his notebook
and began sorlbbllng.
"What brought you so low, Captain
Rose?" he inquired without glancing
up. Again, before Abe could answer,
Samuel trod on his toe.
"Thirty mollycoddling women-folks."
Abe found his voice and slammed
the fist of one hand against the palm
of the other.
"If you go an' put tfeat In the pa
per, I'll I'll '
Words failed bim. He could see the
sisters fairly fighting for. the posses'
sion of the Shoreville Herald tomor
row, evening, as they always scram
bled, each for the first glance at the
only copy taken at the home, and he
could hear one reading his name aloud
reading of the black Ingratitude of
their brother member. i
"Jest say," he added eagorly, "that
the time ter old folks ter stick home
under the cellar door has passed, an'
nobody Is tew old ter go a-galllvantln
nowadays. An' then yew might men
tion" the old man's face was shining
now as he imagined Angy's pleasure
"that Mis' Rose Is gone deown ter
Twin Coves ter visit Mis' Samuel Dar
by fer a week, an' , Cap'n Darby an'
Cap'n Abraham Rose," his breast
swelling out, "la a-goin'ter spend a
week at Bleak Hill. Thar, hain't that
Cap'n Eph a-scootin' in naow? I
guess them air new runners o' Bill
Green's didn't work. He hain't no
where In sight He "
"Le's be a-gwine, Abe," interrupted
Samuel, and leaving the editor still
scribbling, he led the way down the
bank with a determined trudge, hia
market basket In one hand, his grrp
in the other, and his lips muttering1
that "a feller couldn't dew nuthhV In
Shoreville without gettln' his name
in the paper." But a moment later,
when the two were walking gingerly
over the ice to the spot where Eph
had drawn his scooter to a standstill,
Samuel fell into a self-congratulatory
chuckle.
"He didn't find out, though, that 1
had my reasons for leavln' home tew.
Women-folks, be It only one, hain't
good all the time fer nobody. I come
ter see Blossy twict a year afore we
was married, reg'Iar; an' naow, I
cak'late ter leave her twlct a year
fer a spell. A week onct every six
months separate an' apart" proceeded
the recently made benedict, "is what
makes a man an' his wife learn haow
ter put up with one another in be
tween times."
"Why, me an' Angy," began Abe,
"have lived tergether year in an' year
out fer
"All aboard!" Interrupted Captain
Eph with a shout "It's a fair wind.
I bet on making it in five minutes and
fifty seconds."
eleven minutes had been the record
time for the five-mile sail over the ice
to Bleak Hill, but Samuel and Abe,
both vowing delightedly that the skip
per couldn't go too fast for them,
stepped into the body of the boat and
squatted down on the hard boards.
They grinned at each other as the
scooter started and Eph jumped
aboard grinned and waved to the
people on the shore, their proud old
thoughts crying:
"I guess folks will see now that
we're as young as we ever was!"
They continued to grin as the boat
spun into full flight and went whizzing
over the Ice, whizzing and bumping
and bouncing. Both their faces grew
red, their two pairs of eyes began to
water, their teeth began to chattel1;
but Samuel shouted at the top of his
voice in defiance of the gale:
"Abe, we've cut the apron strings!"
"Hy-guy!" Abe shouted in return,
his heart flying as fast as the sail,
back to youth and manhood again,
back to truant days and the vacation
time of boyhood. "Hy-guy, Sam'l!
Hain't we a-gwine ter have a reg'Iar
A No. 1 spree!"
(TO BH CONTINUED.)
BADLY AFFECTED BY WIND
Prodigious Speed of Projectile In
Warfare Has Been Known to
Overcome soldier.
That the wind of projectiles causes
the death of soldiers Ib a theory ad
vanced by Professor Laurent of Brus
sels, who read a paper on this subject
before the French Acadamy of Science.
During the Balkan war, Professor Law
rent said he had noticed soldiers who,
seemingly, were troubled from cerebro
spinal disturbances, although having
escaped a bullet Sometimes the vie
Urns became cataleptic and In less
serious cases there were symptoms of
fainting, tingling sensations and par
tial paralysis. , . . .
In instances where this mysterious
Infliction caused death, autopsies were
held and these invariably revealed no
nervous lesions. Then It occurred to
Professor Laurent that the variations
of atmospherlo pressure caused by the
passing of the projectile had an effect
upon the nerve cells, causing Inhibi
tion.
Dr. Matlgon, during the Russia-Japan
war, reported similar cases, particu
larly after a severe bombardment As
projectiles gain not only in size but In
speed, as the years go on, Just what
the toll from wind will be In the next
great conflict is hard to forecast
Once Over. ; '
Some men attract more attention
than a thermometer on a pleasant day.
Chicago News.
ERECTING SWEET POTATO STORAGE HOUSE
jJc--T yj l r.
Cross Section of a Sweet Potato Storage House.
(Prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
With a home garden to furnish him
fresh vegetables and a well managed
poultry flock to provide meat and eggs
for his own table as well as a surplus
for the market, the farmer will have
the satisfaction of feeling that he has
very considerably reduced hia cost of
living. He can therefore turn with
a freer mind to the production of a
money crop.
As a crop of this kind the sweet po
tato is yearly becoming of greater im
portance throughout the South. With
in the last ten years the value of this
crop has increased 80 per cent, and
with better methods of storing and
marketing it Is estimated that even
this Increased value could be doubled.
Such Improved methods, moreover,
should make It possible for the south
ern family to Btore sweet potatoes for
Its own use throughout the entire year,
and this, indeed, is a matter of prime
Importance to the housewife. In other
sections of the country the Irish po
tato forms an Important part of the
meal three times a day; in the South
climatic conditions have made this Im
practicable and some other substitute
has to be found. Hitherto there have
been difficulties In the way of using
sweet potatoes for this purpose, but
now that the problems In connection
with their Btorage have been solved
these difficulties are to a great meas-
Details of Construction of a Sweet
Potato Storage House.
ure removed. In a new Farmers' Bul
letin No. 648 published by the United
States department of agriculture un
der the title of "Storing and Market
ing Sweet Potatoes," an account will
be found of the latest discoveries In
this field.
Sweet potatoes have always been
abundant enough in the South. The
difficulty has been to distribute the
supply throughout the year. Growers
have either rushed them out for sale
at digging time, flooding the market
with ungraded, badly packed, and un
attractive stock or else stored them in
outdoor pits or banks where a large
portion decayed. The result has been
the loss of a large percentage of the
crop and low prices for that portion
which did reach the market.
The remedy for this situation, say
experts In the department of agricul
ture. Is the marketing of crops from
Btorage houses. To keep sweet pota
toes in good condition they must be
well matured before digging, carefully
handled, well dried or cured, and kept
at a uniform temperature after they
are cured. The storage house Is de
signed to make possible the last two
requirements. Detailed plans tor the
construction of such storage houses
will be found In Farmers' Bulletin
No. 648 which has been already men
tioned. On many farms in the South
buildings such as abandoned tenant
houses, which with a few alterations,
could be used for this purpose, are
already In existence. The cost of the
necessary alterations or of erecting a
new house, varies, of course, too much
with local conditions to be stated with
any accuracy, but In general It Is
thought the outlay need not bt very
heavy.
When the potatoes are first stored
in these houses a temperature of 80
degrees to bit degrees Fahrenheit with
plenty of ventilation is maintained for
from ten days to two weeks in order
to drive off the moisture. After the
potatoes have been thoroughly cured
in this way, the temperature is grad
ually reduced to 66 degrees Fahrenheit
and kept as near that point as possi
ble during the remainder of the stor-
I SiMbp paper
i if f
I K I ,.
j i 1
1 8x8Ver?fiaor ovscfe
age period. Although this may seem
to involve considerable expense, It has
been calculated that for a well-built
house, one good stove will provide
heat enough to cure from ten thousand
to twenty-five thousand bushels of po
tatoes. By careful storage In this way grow
ers will find it possible to put their
product on the market when the de
mand Is at the greatest, usually from
the middle of December to the middle
of March. Careful grading and pack
ing will lessen loss from decay and
secure better prices., In fact to quote
from the bulletin already mentioned,
"With the growing demand for sweet
potatoes there is every inducement for
the southern farmer to adopt better
methods for growing and marketing so
as to make the sweet potato a more
Important money crop." It is as a
money crop that the southern farmer
should regard the sweet potato. A few
early plants, however, should find a
place in his home garden for home
consumption. Even, moreover, if it Is
not desired to grow sweet potatoes on
a commercial scale, by a little atten
tion to the principles of storage which
have already been discussed, the farm
er will find it quite easy to keep a
sufficient supply in good condition
throughout the year for the use of hif
own family.
COTTONSEED AS FERTILIZER
Contains Nitrogen, Phosphoric Aclr"
and Potash, and Has Value of
$14.96 Per Ton.
The following answer was given to
an inquiry concerning the value ol
cottonseed as a fertilizer and as feed
by G. S. Fraps, state chemist ol
Texas:
The average composition of cotton
seed is as follows: Nitrogen 3.13 per
cent, phosphoric acid 1.27 per cent,
potash 1.17 per cent With nitrogen
at 20c a pound, phosphoric acid at
6c a pound and potash at 6c a pound
a ton of cottonseed would have a
fertilizer valuation of $14.96 per ton.
I am unable to tell you, however,
whether or not this fertilizer would
give profitable results on your black
hog wallow land. Land of this char
acter usually needs vegetable matter
more than it does fertilizers. That is
to say, it needs applications of stable
manure or a rotation of crops in which
a legume, such as cowpeas, clover,
etc., Is grown to be turned under or
grazed off. Sometimes it reacts to
fertilizers and sometimes it does not
If cottonseed meal gives good results
then the cottonseed ought likewise
to give good results. Whether you
should exchange for meal or not de
pends upon the basis of exchange.
Good cottonseed meal has something
more than twice the fertilizing value
of cottonseed. It is also of good feed
ing value, and it would probably pay
you to use two pounds per day ol
cottonseed meal for your horses and
mules to take the place of the mor
expensive corn.
CULTIVATION OF SOY BEANS
When Early Varieties Are Used Good
Crop of Forage May Be Obtained
Methods of Seeding.
In a general way, soy beans should
receive the same culture as the or
dinary field bean. Prepare the land
so that a good root bed will be pro
vided and have it smooth and free
from clods. Seed may be put into the
ground as early In the season as
practicable, but the best results will
be obtained If seeding is postponed
until the soil Is well warmed. When
early varieties are used, a fairly good
crop of forage may be obtained, if
planted after some of the earlier
small grains, such as rye and barley,
have been harvested. In this way,
two crops may be secured from the
same field in a single season, one of
small grain and the other of soy
beans. Another practice is to drill the
beans in between the rows of corn
after the last cultivation. The meth
od of seeding will depend, of course,
upon the kind of crop which it is de
sired to harvest. If it is wanted for
hay or green fodder, sow either
broadcast or with a grain drill, but
if beans are desired,- plant in drills
only, having the rows three to foui
feet apart.
There Is considerable variation as
to the amount of seed sown per acre
In the different parts of the country,
Some farmers use only half a bushel,
while ethers prefer trice as inuci
or even more.
Cstarrh of Kidneys
Cured By Peruasa
"I had Ca- d$mrffMar&
tarrn or me
Kidneys and
Bladder. I
Am Very
Thankful
For Peruna.
I Feel Well.
My tongue
is clear, I
have no bitter taste in my
mouth. I am glad to say I
do not need Peruna any
longer, I am perfectly welL
I have Peruna in the house
all the time. When I have
a cold or when I do not feel
well I take Peruna. We
were all sick with the grip
last winter. We took Peru
na and it helped us. Peruna
is the best medicine for grip
or colds."
Mrs. Gas. H. CarlsoB. BttK SOI- Owm
tomvuie. .
Safety First
John Sharp Williams stepped out of
the senate chamber in response to the
card of Bob Gates, who Is a Washing
ton correspondent of distinguished ap
pearance and much political sapience.
Bob asked him a number of ques
tions and then, in parting, he asked:
"By the way. Senator, have you got
a good cigar about you?" putting the
request under the head of unfinished
business.
"No, I haven't but one left and I
just now bit the end off it preparatory
to lighting it" replied John Sharp.
"If I'd just been a minute or two
sooner " suggested Bob.
"Not exactly," said the senator. 'The
act Is, when I started out here I bit
the end off the cigar just for fear you
might ask for It"
Time it! Pape's Diapepsin ends
all Stomach misery in five
minutes.
Do some foods you eat hit back-
taste good, hut work badly; ferment
Into stubborn lumps and cause a sick,
sour, gassy stomach? Now, Mr. or
Mrs. Dyspeptic, jot this down: Pape's
Diapepsin digests everything, leaving
nothing to sour and upset you. There
never was anything so safely quick, so
certainly effective. No difference how
badly your stomach is disordered you
will get happy relief in five minutes,
but what pleases you most is that it
strengthens and regulates your stom
ach so you can eat your favorite food
without fear.
You feel different as soon as "Pape's
Diapepsin" comes in contact with the
stomach distress just vanishes your
stomach gets sweet, no pi''' no belch
ing, no eructations of u.. ted food.
Go now, make the best, .avestment
you ever made by getting a large fifty
cent case of Pape's Diapepsin from any
store. You realize in five minutes how
needless it Is to suffer from indiges
tion, dyspepsia or bad stomach. Adr.
Smallpox Stamped Out.
Of 3,164 deaths in the great epi
demic In Montreal 85 per cent were
of children undor ten years. It is es
timated that 60,000,000 persons died
of smallpox in Europe in the eight
eenth century. The disease is prac
tically stamped out now in civilized
countries. Doctor Rotch reports that
In Boston in 15 years there has been,
no death from smallpox in children
vaccinated.
His Point of View.
"What is your idea of matrimony?"
asked the fair maid who was still oc
cupying the anxious seat.
"Well," rejoined the wise chap who
had balked at the hurdle, it's probably
all right for those who haven't enouglr
worry."
For Every
Kind of
Lameness
Q
HAN FORD'S
Balsam of llyrrfi
For Cut. Barns,
Bruises, Sprains,
Strains, Stiff Neck,
Chilblains, Lame Back,
Old Sores, Open Wounds, XjH
and all External Injuries. y
Kadi Since 1845. D0K
Price 25c, 50c and $1.00
AIlDealersSvi
u - '
D "4
INDIGESTION, GAS
OR SICKSTOMACH
19 1
X k. Rub ft en and) mT '