Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-07-14
The Force Of Imagination.

ers, or haugefs-on about places where liquors
are dispensed /; and the case holds good in a
thriving town in the District of Coluhgbia:-
NV loafer, or hauger-on, will style Bob Bray
He was the bane of Johnny Hemlock's ex>
istence, for Johnny kept ''corncr grocery"
where not only eatables but drinkables were
dispensed over the counter Bob had q
weakness for the ardent but labored un-
der disease of the pocket which Hemlock
facetiously styled-"chronic impecuuiosity.
He would saunter in through Johnnys open
door half dozen times diurnally, and, with
admirable diplomacy, manage to abstract a
tumbler of old rye from the barrel branded
s'pure uuadulterated Monongahela," without
Attracting the attention ofNJohnny's other
customers but not the Argus eyes of johnny
himself.
One afternoon Hemlocl concocted palat-
able fancy drink, and just as he was about to
place it to his lips, a lady customer entered,
and he was compelled to forego the pleasure
of imbibing until she had been waited upon.
The lady had number of purchases to make;
and, in the meantime, some half dozen inch
came into the store, and among them Bob
Bray. He soon exercised his accustomed
strategy, and found himself, face toface, with
Johns fancy drink. His eyes sparkled, and
without thought he 'down with it" and,
smacking his lips, took seat on keg of
ten penny nails, and, with refreshing GOODNESS
commenced to light his pipe. johnny had
witnessed the operation, aud with mental
VOW, determined to have some fun, and at the
same time to rid himself of this thirsty and
"impecunious" friend.
So soon as his customer had been attended
to, and her arms loaded with brown paper
parcels, johnny gave a sly wink to tho half
4 -, in all nj
positions about the store, and appeared in no
hurry to be waited upon, and commenced
drawing some old Bourbon for q seedy, but
paying customer, but no sooner did his eye
fall upon the empty glass, than he gave
theatrical start, and dropping the pint meas
ure, exclaimed in loud and excited touo to
his errand boy. who had entered at the back
door just in the nick of time:
"For Gods sake, Dick, did you drink this?"
and he held up the empty glass.
sNo, sir you know L never drink. replied
the boy in somewhat crusty manner.
Bob Bray pricked up his ears, dropped
his jack-knife, and with half dozen customers
surrounded Johnny.
"In the name of heaten, Bob, have you
did you drink this p' and Hemlock glared
wildly at the glass and leaned against u mo-
lasses barrel, the image of despair.
"Why yes. Anything wrong about it!"
Bob looked green with underlined terror. He
changed color from white to red, from scar
let to sea water, and knocking the ashes from
his pipe, looked from Hemlock to the fatal
glass
Wrong" cried Johnny, sit was rank,
deadly poison! l mixed it to kill rats with.
I was to soak some crackers with it, and scat
ter them about the crevices and no
s:My God, Hemlock, what am to do
Il believe I am dyingp and Bob made
rush for the conl-scuttle, and leaning over it
paid tie penalty for his ternerity.
After some few agonizing throes he looked
up with q scared aud woe begonc face, ard
said in heart-rendihg voice:
"Do you think will die? My God!
feel it burning my heart out What was it!'
and visions of prussic lcd, corIo'ivc subli-
mate, aud arsenic foated through his brain.
''Ratsbane, strychnine, and the deadIlest
Of all posons, saIdordtic dctd!' exclaimed
Johnny, calling npon his imagination for the
long word, pointing with a shaking finger to
the sediment of sugar and nutmeg at the bot
tom of the tumbler.
"God help me, them" cried Bob, sinking
to the 1oor.
The other bystauders understood the joke,
and made the most of it.
''Run for the DOCTOR" cried one.
"Seud for carriage" said another.
"Croton oil is good antidote," exclaimed
a third.
And the long and short oft was, that after
some delay, during which Bob's fears wer e
worked up to such pitch that he actually
had every symptom Of being poisoned, ply
sician was summoned, who of course, was en-
lighteued as to the true state of affairs, and
poor Bob was pumped as dry as last years
cider-barrel. A carriage was then sent for,
it is fact that he did not recover from his
sickness for several days When the story
leaked out, as johnny took good care to have
it, it is needless to say that Bob's rage knew
no bounds. But he never entered Hemlock's
grocery again, much to that gentleman's sat-
isfaction.