THE WEST SHORE.
359
The minister's wife, the moat intelligent of them
all, stepped forward and said: "I know a little bit
about it, deaoon, for when I was over at Spearstown,
jaflt before we came here, there was some of the same
kind of doctors there, and my very next door neigh
bor was treating with them. I used to heat her say
a lot about ' beliefs in disease ' and such expressions,
and when her youngest was taken down with the soar,
letina she kept calling it his 'chemicalization.' I re
membered that, it being snob a queer word, and we've
bad lots of arguments on that very thing. But I
know that when her Johnnie got real bad her hus
band jaflt up and said his wife might go experiment
ing and fooling around, but he wasn't going to sit by
and see his boy killed. They always say you're hav
ing your chemicalization if you have a sot back, and
they're great for having all the big words in and out
of the dictionary for their use."
" Deacon Tibbits, it's 'most dark now, and ef ye
want to find yer Betsy ye'd better be a-gittin," spoke
np one woman, jealous of the prolonged monologue
the preacher's wife had heretofore maintained.
" Reckon I had," said Hozia, " I have stopped too
long already," and amid a general farewell, each one
trying to get in the last word, and some natural em
barraBsment on Hozia's part, he started off.
He muttered, " Them was curious things she told
about, an' no mistake, but I won't go fer to believe
Betsy Cornelia hev been imposed onto that fur."
He hastened briskly down the street, around the
corner and up the steps of a stone howe, directly even
with the street He lifted the iron knocker and
brought it down with considerable force on the pan
elling. It was answered by his cousin Ebenezer
Hinks, who lifted an astonished face to Hozia's per
plexed one.
"Eb, is Betsy here?"
" No, ain't my wife to your house? "
The two deserted husbands stood looking at one
another for fully two minutes, Ebenezor being the
first to speak.
" Marier, she went over to your house about half
past three, with her new perle8e an' bunnit on. Them
two women has been oonfabbin', an' where do ye sup
pose they're gone to?" . .. ,
" Pears to me, Eb, we'uns hed better be a-findin
out; it air most dark now, an' I don't like to Lavo
thorn two women galavantin' around so late at niKbt
Besides that, I hain't bed no supper yet to-night
" Well, Hozia, ef you be so worrited about your
Botsy I'll go along, but I'm about thinkin Mner
about equal match fer any coke-burnm UK e
that's what ye mean. Ef they meet, her lfc , rf
they meets her, an' ef they sarcs up
my sympathies air with the men," and Ut
chuckled to himsolf in very much the same manner
that a sly and posted better backs the winning filly.
The two men started off in tho same direction.
They passed Mr. Tibbits' bouso, but all was dark and
comfortless, for the lato August twilight had deep
ened into night
" Hozia, this is the biggest wild goose chase I ever
hearn toll of. Botsy is with Marier, an' trust Marier
fer a-pilotin' of hor home safe."
" As fur as that's oonoornod, Ebenezer, Betsy kin
take care of herself, ef she ain't in one of her spells,
an' they air like to oome on most any time."
While they had boon talking they had reached a
square whore four roads diverged, and Ebenezer
stopped.
" Hozia, which way are ye goin' ? " he demanded,
when, suddenly, a brilliant thought struck Hozia,
judging from his faco, which shone as if inspired.
" Ebenezor, I hov it; mam's got a now disease
mam's took an' there's my hand on it"
Ebenezer Hinks looked knowing, assented, but
still did not seem to think the theory throw much
light upon the subject He waited for Uczla to
speak, for he never rushed matters. Maria was the
motive power, Hinks was the machinery, and be knew
it Habit, thon, made him always look to others for
the initiative.
" Eb, do ye want to know where Betsy Cornelia
is, surer 'n shootin'? She's down to them Christian
doctors. There was some sense In what thorn chat
term' women said-more sense than usual."
Christian doctors! Ef Betsy hain't the liveliest
case to hunt np thorn doctoral But I call that a down
right blasphemy, I da Er be they anything like
ministers of the gospil, a-curin' of souls an' the like? "
' Tain't that Ebenezer, 'tain't that but they're
a prayin' institution though. I've heard as how they
was come to town, an' ye mark my words, Betsy halu't
(t no time a-findin' of 'em out"
As there was only one main street the doctor's
house must be somewhere on that street and, guided
by that certain knowledge, they hastened down toward
town. Just as they had reached the vicinity of the
big hotel, Hozia, who was oonsldorably in the lead,
stopped suddenly and began to scratch a match, with
great reverenoe, upon his pantaloons. Ebenezer has
tened to join him, and by the tiny light of the matob,
pawed backward and forward over a small wooden
lign nailed to the front of the houie, they were able
to make out this inscription, painted In rather small
characters
( IIIU.xTlAX M IKXCK JKKTOH.
(iftliu tp. FfMHmtll.
Coin J tlil r ll'lf"1. n,l d '" " "'