The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-02-16
trembled so that he broke one of the button
holes.
"Now it's done, sir said she.
Pm afraid | am"

II mean I'm afraid it isn'
Then he took up another, and, out Of com
passion, she said:
"Let me button it for you. All men arr
death on buttons and buttOn-holcs-l know
by poor Thorn"
Then she fitted on the collar, and the bach
elor was ccstatlC. As she handed him In
change she said:
You're the gentleman that plays Sucl
sweet, dreary tunes on the horn, arnt you"
"Yes play little But it's dreadful lone
lily, playing all by myself
isn't there airy one with you?' she asked
"No I'm curscd-lm IL bachelor"
"Dcary me- that is bad I'd ask you Over
to play, Sir"
"O!" he interrupted.
But I'm afraid the doctor next door would
come in and ask if anybody was hurt sht
continucd.
90" he said again in quite different tone
and left. Five minutes after he was moaning
out "The Last Link is Brokcn,n as if that link
had in its soundncss held heaven and earth
together The doctor needed lot of snuff
the baker was clearly smoking himself into
the grave with his Maria; and the bachelor
used so many paper collars that the little wild
low ordered rs many boxes of his as she did OF
al the other sizes put together But at last one
bounding up the Widow Thorn, telling her to
come in for the doctor was i'll and didn't know
anybody. Hastily throwing on her dress, in
she went, and saw him lying there in a state OF
collapse with his wig over one eye.
"Gingcr and cayenne pepper and brandy.
ordered the little widow, while she held his
head. Then, forcing the frey dose down his
throat, she held him tight while he spluttered
and gaspcd for breath.
Whatever is the matter with him ?" asked
the frightened servant
"Cucumbcrs," remarked the widow--tor she
had seen the doctor march home that afternoon
with two fine specimens OF that proverblally
cool vegetable in his hand. Then the doctor
becoming better, she went home as cheerful as
ever, and slept the dreamless sleep of the limo
cent and Of the non-dyspepuc
Early next morning the baker called.
II hea. hat DR.. Ash was sick last night, and
that you went I'M" said he, almost as though
! he had right to ask.
| yes" she answered "Thc girl came for
me and did the little could Poor old chap ,
| It's Il pity he never married. He might have
had II wife and family around him, instead of
IA poor ignorant servant girl, who calls up the
neighbors in triiling causes
"Widow. that's what always say. a lone
man is the devils delight-if you Will excuse
profanity. Everything conspires to make his
life unbcarablc. What allied the doctor?'
! "Oh, he'd eaten too freely of cucumbcrs.'
widow Thorn, you know Pm AS much
alone as he is
| "Why-bless me, sir--what are you driving
?" asked she.
| Nothing" he said with melancholy smile,
and left the shop.
Ten minutes later she saw him 90 home
az,
she knew how many, tor she pulled box in
the window aside to count them. She smooth.
ed her apron down and shook her head She
expected rs much and more. Just at that
moment in came the bachelor from over the
way.
is there anybody sick next door, ma'am?"
he asked
Yes, sir, Dr. Ash was taken i'll last night
Why"
Il was playing, we met, TWAS in crowd,
late, feeling miserable, and | saw his servant
come here, and saw you 90 in with her What
i allied him?'
"Now, sir, can't tell you. I'm afraid I've
been the innocent cause of future agony to the
baker at the corner by telling him; so if you'll
excuse me, we'll say the doctor had been i'm
prudent
"l'm afraid I'm that, myself, ma'am," he
Sau' w" SpIltull anu ldtcly lNC SOl 10
feeling pain here" and he pointed in the re-
gion of his hcart-that is his left side where
nobodys heart is, you know
"Oh, you play too vigorous, sir" she said
Il once knew gentleman who played the fife
lovely; but he died suddenly, sir, and the doc
tor who opened him told me he was rs clear
las II whistle, sir-hiS own identical words us
clear as "A whistle Everything had gone"
But dare say he was married man ?"
"IcS, indeed! A blessed wife and twins
"Ah. That's the reason. I'll never die
that way ma'am-iOr there's no one to mourn
for me. I'll keep on blowing till after II
while, you'll hear the echoes rolling IN me,
and I'll play the tune twice at once, and one
bar behind the other"
ooh! goodness, gracious me-" she said
you'd better see doctor"
Then he shook his head sadly, and wen, out
She sat in the little shop for an hour or more,
writing long letter She linked her fingers,
said "bother!' to the pen for sputtering, fold.
led the letter Crookcdly, rcfoldcd it traightly,
directed the envelope, put stamp on the lett
hand corner, went out, dropped it in the box
and came To DIR. Ash's door, knocked, inquired
how he did, and came home again. Then, |
think, she was quite busy for some time, a.
all such arc
Soon in popped the doctor with a huge bou
quct in his hand
You have saved my life, ma'am," said he
Nonsense" she exclaimed, but she smiled
in a pleasant way, too.
Then he put the flowers beside her, pressed
her hand, and went to see his patients.
The little widow hummed tune tapping
her foot on the floor late in the afternoon
when the bachelor from over the way rushed
To her
i've done it, maam" said he shivcring
Lord bless The man What have you
DONE
I've been impyudcnt"
How"
1--WE poured cold water down my spine TIL
Pm nearly paralylcd, and want you to treat
me rs you did the doctor"
You do: then wait, I'll mix the dose for
YOU"
And She did $50. She brought it to him
made him take gnlp, and he Immediately
sat down ON the floor, white and choking
There was quite the look of heroine about
the little widow then.