The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-09-01
IIIEGATE CITY
From Cbamber's Journal.
Eleanaa.a MixturA.

t.You may swallow worse things ihs
opinions. Mr. Aloes, said the parson goo
naturally. | vas called on this morning by
certain well-kncwn gem collector, who Va
80 good - to show TO me the contents Of hi
cabinet. After the FIRST kali-dozen specimens
nv attention began to wander: for yer
/ little OF that sort of thing goes great wa
with me.
..What is that little bottle you keep among
your gems?' inquired !.
ssThat is my Queen Eleanor's mixture,
said ht, laughing "But fox \ should no
| BE- ID possession g. ysnisrsrudy, the value Q
vhieh i6ov9 stbousand ppusds.'
.sWhati'' cried /. .Do yon mean to sal
| it is artificial thought that the notion o
| manufacturing gems was popular superstI
! ton"
| $50 il is, psrson, said he; but, never
theless am indebted to the mixture for thai
| ruby. The fact is this: my collection is toe
| we'll known; by half Idon't mind showing
It to an old friend like you, and OF course
am proud of eli these things; but have, in
general way, to keep too sharp an eye upon
my visitors TO make the exhibition pleasant.
People whom | know nothing about call upon
me andspresent card OF some trend Of
mine, and say: "Mr So-and-so assured me
gems. Two men came together upon one
occasion with the purpose Gas afterwards APP
peared OF what they called putting the jug
on me-that means garrotte and robbery but
did not like their looks, and declined to
show them anything without letter of intro
ductlon. They had, Is it afterwards turned
out, stolen the card OF Professor of Min.
eraloky. am not, however, afraid OF q
single visitor, because | always keep this
handy'-and my friend produced pretty
little pistol, cooked, and, / have no doubt
loaded.
''But the bottle" said I, what is the use
of THAR
sThat is the supplement to the pistol.
Tins, only yesterday, q very ill~looking Tel.
low, a foreigner, all hanr and false jewelry-
and very foolish thing Of him It was to come
to me with paste diamonds IN his shirt front
brought letter of introduction with him
from friend of mine at Dresden. The lets
ter was genuine; but had my doubts from
the first, a. to whether this was the gentle
man to whom itreferred. However, ! brought
hin. in here and sho owed him the gems. He
made some very common place observations
which convinced me he knew nothing OF the
subject, and after thanking mo, in q some
what servile manner, for my courtesy. took
up MS nat 10 60 sHppeu between MIN ana
the door. and locked it IN a second. My
ruby, said l. if you please, or you're a dead
man. And put the pistol to his forehead
That little stone, which have said is valued
1t about thousand pounds, was missing. In
stead Of being indignant, my gentleman
merely answered. elndeed you are mistab en-
,ir. You may call your servant, and examins
every pocket
u know that, you scoundrel." returned |.
I You have swaltored that ruby now drink
his, or de- / held the weapon in one |
land, and the mixture, which is an emetic, |
n the other. The situation was very dis |
greeabls for him, | have no doubt, but did |
lot seem to be at all embarrassing. He |
hrank from the pistol Cor at least the police
tation, which was its alternative,l and took
he physic like lamb, while stood over
i'm with the weapon aud the bowl that little
shite basin yonder,) exactly AS Queen Elean-
II stood over Fair Rosamond. That's why
call it Eleanor's Mixture decoration,
'ithout which no gem cabinet, of any value,
an be pronounced complete. When miss o
pecimen, always know At once that some
isitor has swallowed it, and then, you know,
Q has to swallow Mas.
"And | call that worse than swallowing
pinions, Mr.. Bitter Aloes, concluded Par
on Grey.