ng
remarks of her husband, who, being a little after the _Old Hunks_
order, cautioned her "not to fuss too much, as gals that run away
warn't apt to be plagued with money"

Fortunately, Aunt Betsey's heart covered a broader sphere, and the
moment the stage was gone she closed the door to shut out the dust,
dropped the green curtains, and drawing from the spare-room a large,
stuffed chair, bade 'Lena "see if she couldn't set up a minit." But
this was impossible, and all that long, sultry afternoon she lay upon
the lounge, holding her aching head, which seemed well-nigh bursting
with its weight of pain and thought. "Was it right for her to run
away? Ought she not to have stayed and bravely met the worst? Suppose
she were to die there alone, among strangers and without money, for her
scanty purse was well-nigh drained." These and similar reflections
crowded upon her, until her brain grew wild and dizzy, and when at
sunset the physician came again he was surprised to find how much her
fever had increased.

"She ought not to lie here," said he, as he saw how the loud shouts of
the school-boys made her shudder. "Isn't there some place where she
can be more quiet?"

At the head of the stairs was a small room, containing a single bed and
a window, which last looked out upon the garden and the graveyard
beyond. Its furniture was of the plainest kind, it being reserved for
more common travelers, and here the landlord said 'Lena must be taken.
His wife would far rather have given her the front chamber, which was
large, airy and light, but Uncle Tim Aldergrass said "No," squealing
out through his little peaked nose that "'twarn't an atom likely he'd
ever more'n half git his pay, anyway, and he warn't a goin' to give up
the hull house."

"How much more will it be if she has the best chamber," asked Jerry,
pulling at Uncle Tim's coattail and leading him aside. "How much will
it be, 'cause if 'taint too much, she shan't stay in that eight by nine
pen."

"A dollar a week, and cheap at that," muttered Uncle Tim, while Jerry,
going out behind the wood-house, counted over his funds, sighing as he
found them quite too small to meet the extra, dollar per week, should
she long continue ill.

"If I hadn't of fooled so much away for tobacker and things, I
shouldn't be so plaguy poor now," thought he, forgetting the many
hearts which his hard-earned gains had made glad, for no one ever
appealed in vain for help from Jerry Langl