The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-30
B'tussa By sDss'a. Arrsass~a. ~aa O. A.ao,
A WESTERN LANDLORD.
By MARY HARTWELL CATHERWOOD,
IEtor Of Csaque Of Doom, "Od Cavern Days. ETC..
and Numerous Serials and Stories In Vide
A'cake, Lippiacoa's. Harpers, Etc.
Copyrighted 1885, by the Author-An Rights
Reserved
A S TO r Y.

Reserved.l
a young village doctor is young village doc
tor, whether ne carries medicine case In the
year 1885, or pair of pill bags in 1857. But all
young doctors are not as large ard white, and
full of vigorous blood as Brotherton was. In
stead of his usual pillbags however he held a
well-stuffed cerpet-sack in his hand as the hack
rumbled with him into Milport The whole
snowy country was stepped in moonlight, which
threw back cold, knife-like glitter from the ice
over Sugar creek. The shadow of -four mill
fell the hack as it logged across the bridge,
and no light appeared in the postoffce. where
the mailbag ought to be delivered. 1t was after
10 o'clock
The vehicle stopped midway Of the one long
street. at once the county road and Millport's
spinal column, and Brotherton alighted with
his carpet-bag, exchanging word with the hack
driver.
The halfasleep and weather hardened being
then bumped ahead over frozen mud to the
tavern which appeared to lie directly hugging
the north pole, for such timber as inclosed Mill
port opened there upon boundless white prairie.
In those railroadess days Chicago seemed nearly
as remote as China to the inland Illinoisan,
Brotherton jumped glazed mud levee and
mounted that unpaved path used by the vii
layers as a sidewalk. 1t led directly across a
drug store porch, upon which he paused, rap
ping hard at the door. In time light ap-
peared through the window, showing candy jars
and medicine bottles there dimly displayed be-
hind the fretwork of frost. then tardy hand
unfastened the door, mans voice growing all
all the time on the other side of it.
Brotherton slipped into a'druggy atmosphere
and shook hands with his red-headed, fat
partner, who, acting as if tranced by sleep, re-
fastened the door and took up tin candlestick
covered with staagmites of ancient tallow.
LEFT your folks welll"
''Yes, quite well. You didn't expect me to-
night, did your
'Yes," yawned the partner; ''Ive expected you
every night. We never know when that hack
will get in any more"
ut broke into slough this side Of the Red
Pump Tavern" said Brotherton, ''and thought
for couple of hours we'd have to leave it there
and ride the horses in"
'You look like you'd been prying hack out
OF slough" observed the partner, lowering
his candlestick toward Brotherton's muddied
and frozen trousers ''Well, old Vesuvius is red
hot"
BLESSED be the devil that tends her fires
said Brotherton.
NOW Doc, now Doc, demonstrated the red
headed man, using the Western abbreviation,
which shears away physicians dignity.
He piIoted a track betwixt clustering chairs.
left just as the town loafers were wont to leave
them when breaking up daily and nightly court
to a stove at the rear of the store. Though
muddy heel marks and the stains of many
months showed uncleansed upon its cylinder
surface, it glowed like a red rose from within
and Brotherton threw off overcoat, hat and
gloves upon a counter and abandoned himself to
its heat In a secluded corner near the stove ap-
peared the lounge bed, which his partner had
just vacated. A similar lair in the opposite cor
ner invited the doctors weary bones after a
thirty mile jolt across the sweep of prairie wind.
at argues well for our decency that we retain
little bit of it when we bunk about so likedogs,
don't it, Raishln he observed with laugh, using
village diminutive for Horatio, which Hamlet,
in all his musings, never hit upon.
you're just back from them fesh-pots of
luxury the preacher talks about" responded the
druggist. You'd turn up your nose now on
oysters cooked in the can and cit out of the
white mortar"
'No, 1 wouldn't" declared Brotherton,
promptly. $50 if you've got some in the dig
gings and want single bite yourself, put on
two cans to simmer
Now listen to that for extravaganza" OBJ
served the partner, picking up the candle and
going forward in the store Then he knocked
sawdust from tin oblong. cut the top open with
his pocketknife, and reached behind the ipecac
jar for bundle of crackers The crackers he
brought aud spread open for Brotherton to
MUNICH at, while the can of oysters thawed and
then began to leak and sputter upon the stove.
Pepper and salt and hunk of butter right up
there in the white mortar" he suggested
Brotherton himself lifted the white mortar down
and blew little dust off its rim.
Don't be so particular" urged Secrist.
II though. it might be tartar emetic," ex-
planned the DOCTOR But you're too good a
housekeeper to serve me that way, Secrist Just
as / come back too
''Well, now, Doc, tell the truth" urged the fat
man, stretching himself in chair at the other
side of the stove and glimmering at his friend
through half shut eyes. ''When you come back
from civilization to God-forsaken place like this
don't you think you're making a fool of your
self"
mo, don't, rejoined Brotherton.
He was sitting on the counter beside his gar
ments, and his long legs dangled well toward the
floor.
This is experience. like experience, and |
don't like hanging by the eyeIids. A man can
be hardening himself here while he would col
lapse to nothing waiting for practice in a city
1t isn't such God forsaken place, either"
"a row down at Peg legs whisky shop every
Saturday night Mud and slush up to your
eyes in winter. Ague all fall
''That suits me-" said Brotherton Secrist
gneered on: