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Updated: May 8, 2025
Hiram White was only twenty-seven years old, but he was already in local repute as a "character." As a boy he was thought to be half-witted or "natural," and, as is the case with such unfortunates in small country towns where everybody knows everybody, he was made a common sport and jest for the keener, crueler wits of the neighborhood.
"Boy fool," said the half-witted lad, pointing at him. "Why go in if wolf not there?" "Well," said Wilbur, on the defensive, "I should think it a whole lot safer to go in that is, if I was going in at all sometime when I'd be sure the mother wolf wouldn't be there." But the other, still holding the cubs in his hands, negatived this reasoning with a vigorous shake of the head.
The ghastly, callous fiendishness that lured an old, half-witted man to his death had Jimmie Dale in that grip of cold, merciless anger again, and there was a dull flush now upon his cheeks. Whatever it meant, whatever was behind it, one thing at least was certain HE WOULD GET CONNIE MYERS! He was close to the Sanctuary now it was down the next cross street.
The minister, all astonished that the Queen should have heard of Madame Panache, wrote word that she was a little and very old creature, with lips and eyes so disfigured that they were painful to look upon; a species of beggar who had obtained a footing at Court from being half-witted, who was now at the supper of the King, now at the dinner of Monseigneur, or at other places, where everybody amused themselves by tormenting her: She in turn abused the company at these parties, in order to cause diversion, but sometimes rated them very seriously and with strong words, which delighted still more those princes and princesses, who emptied into her pockets meat and ragouts, the sauces of which ran all down her petticoats: at these parties some gave her a pistole or a crown, and others a filip or a smack in the face, which put her in a fury, because with her bleared eyes not being able to see the end of her nose, she could not tell who had struck her; she was, in a word, the pastime of the Court!
Now they were close upon him and their swords were aloft. Then, sooner than know the kiss of steel, the liar leapt from the cliffs and was crushed, dying miserably on the rocks below. This was the end of Koll the Half-witted, Groa's thrall. Swanhild sat in Straumey for a while, and took all Atli's heritage into her keeping, for he had no male kin; nor did any say her nay.
'I might have got clear off, if I'd split upon her; mightn't I, Fagin? angrily pursued the poor half-witted dupe. 'A word from me would have done it; wouldn't it, Fagin? 'To be sure it would, my dear, replied the Jew. 'But I didn't blab it; did I, Fagin? demanded Tom, pouring question upon question with great volubility.
McAndrew rose and began pacing the veranda. "Richards said it was a poor, half-witted creature," he murmured, as though thinking aloud. "But, dear," interposed his wife, "half-witted creatures can be killed!" Aunt Em's thoughts seemed to be keeping pace with those of the man marching up and down the piazza floor. "Oh, she won't die. That sort o' folks don't," her husband answered.
"Dear," asked Elizabeth, clasping her hand, and too deeply moved to heed observation, "who was that man? Who was that man?" The chaperone raised her eyebrows. She spoke in a clear, audible voice. "Some half-witted creature. I have never set eyes on him before." "Never?" "Never, dear. Do not trouble your mind about a thing like this."
She would be hungry, possibly faint in the heat and dust, when she arrived. He returned to McAlpin: "Where can I get a good cup of coffee when the stage comes in?" "Go right down to the inn, sir. It's a new chap running it a half-witted man from Texas. My wife is cooking there off and on. She'll fix you up a sandwich and a cup of good coffee."
VI. It is objected that we should be left with a considerable residuum of half-witted, helpless people. Doubtless this would be a real difficulty, and we should have to prepare for it. We certainly, at the outset, should have to guard against too many of this class being left upon our hands, although we should not be compelled to keep anyone.
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