The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1875-08-03
A BOY AT THE SODA FOUNTAIN.
The Startling Tale that ne Told
to a Poor Old Indy who was
Thirsty.
From the Detroit Free Press.l


He was rinsing the glasses when the
old lady entered the store. 1t was hot
weather, aud the soda fountain looked
SO tempting that she conquered her
avarice aud walked over and told the
boy that she would take glass.
, Do you wish for fly i'll it?" he
inquired in a whisper.
"A fly? erasmus! mol" she replied, a
look OF disgust on her face.
"Just AS you say. madam" he went
on AS he drew some lemon syrup.
People are SO different in tastes, you
know. Some object to flies, and some
don't. I'll mix some pineapple syrup
with Shis lemon. and now will yon have
u great deal of gas and u little water, or
q great deal of water and a little gas?"
I'm purity thirsty" she said.
Well, then you want more water
than gas, and there won't be SO much
danger of an explosion"
Explosion?" she querried.
That was the word, madam, We
have had but few such accidents here
this summer, and truly hope that We
may have no more"
:" docs soda water blow up fo!ks?"
THAT depends on the state of their
health. Some people conld stand here
and drink all day. while others might
get the glass tipped up this way, and
boom! they'd go!"
/" Bust?''
Yes 'm--fy into thousand pieces.
You never saw human being explode,
did your"
Mercy, mol"
"Well, you don't have the least
warning. They may be laughing or
talking, and all at once the store is
filled with false hair, monogram gar
tiers, bustles. corsets, feet. teeth, and
rolled plate jewelry. 1t makes great
muss around here, and if we hadn't
three of the smartest nes roes to pick
up and sweep out we'd have to shut up
the store for a whole afternoon after an
explosion.
He stood with the glass in his hand
agitating the syrup and waiting, and
she said
Well, as told you, it depends on
the state of the system. If your liver
is torpid and your digestion impaired.
one glass of soda water would blow you
higher than Gilderoy's kite. and the
coroner would be lucky to find as much
as your spectacles to hold an inquest
on. If your system is all right, you
might drink n hundred glasses and feel
no disastrous effects. Now, then,
You'll have a good deal of water and
but little gas, eh?"
She made deprecatory motion and
asked:
"How's the stuff made?'
"Well, ! can't go aud explain all the
process. There's marble dust, acid,
gas. sugar-coate6 pills. giant powder.
cologne water and kerosene all mixed
together and then distilled. The dis
titled liquid is placed in retort, where
a chemical action separates it, and the
gas forces it mp separate pipes"
Kerosene and pills!" she gasped.
That's what said, madam. You
look innocent and honest, and / hope
you won't say anything about it. i
tend this fountain in order to support
y widowed mother and seven fatherless
children. If you should say anything
I'd be discharged. and If l were dis
charged / shonld commit suicide.
You'll have plenty of ws1er, eh?"
No. sir. I won't" she replied.
" Do yen suppose I'd drink acids and
kerosenA2"
mot in their crude state, madam,
but this process"
~ don't care for the process!' she
snapped; wouldn't touch the stuff"
1T is a mild beverage, madam, and
the doc"
"Well, don't want any. When / go
to swallowing tar and lard and kerO-
sene you'll know it! S'posen I drank
some and exploded!'
Don't mention i'll" he whispered.
Don't speak of it!'
I'm sorry for yon. young man, but
there's constable living right in sight
of our house. and think LIP
you'll drive me TO a suicides grave,
you meant
She lowered her spectacles. took a
long look at him, and went out with
out replying.
TEE great spiritualist. Robert Dale
Owen, is in the Indiana State Hospital
fov kha Tooa~a t. xuao -