The Bessemer indicator., 1893-07-08

"dum, mum, b1io VIC ooctor'
CLEAN Of satisfaction shooting from
bis eyes so you think you're gain
ing all the time do youp"
.I'm sartin of It," answered Mrs.
Babbs with hopeless conviction and
making ponderous preparations to
fesune her chair.
"Don't sit down yet II you please.
MIRA Babbs," said the doctor. hastily
rising. y should like to msasure
you first"
Mrs. Babbs sighed. The Doctor
| took q tape. ensure from his pochSs
and approached her :.
"Let me see-the waist first, l
think Yes-the-waist-t FIT
ty-one inches! Why. that's not bad,
not bad ut all. l must put that
down." calling the memorandum
book into play again. Now the
arm, Mrs Babbs-above the elbow.
Not quite eighteen inchesr' he ex-
claimed, disappointedly. "You
ought to have q better arm than that
with such waist" he added with
some severity.
WHY. why what do you mean,
doctorP" inquired bewildered Mrs.
Babbs, sinking helplessly into her
chair.
Lot me sec, sail the doctor with
an abstracted air, paying no attention
to Mrs. Babb's remark. "Let me
see Age, forty-iour; height five
four; weight, thr6e tIfiS one; waist
fifty-two inches; arm. seventeen and
three-quarters. Won't do, I'm
afraid. Too old for much improve
ment and heights against her. Pity,
too Good material, but not culti-
waited properly. No care taken of it
too bad. Do you eat plenty of
good fattening food. Mrs. Babbs-
potatoes. mush and so on?h
Goodness gracious me" gasped
Mrs. Babbs. .iWhut air you talkiu'
about, doctor? Do you s'pose | want
to git any fatter III am' thought
you was going ter do suthin' for me
that would lean me down? can't
un'erstan' youm
Mrs. Babbs clutched the arms OF
her chair in dire confusion of mind
and looked anxiously at the doctor
for a comforting reply.
But that individual retreated hasti-
ly to the other side of the room.
The woman's as mad as n March
hare" he calculated, peering about
for some convenient exit in case of
necessity.
Mrs Babbs arose from her chair
quiverina like huge moula OF jelly
With rage,
Sec here" she said sternly. trans
fixing the unhappy man with her
flaming eyes. al want ter know what
all this performance means Hev
you come here ter make game of me
or hev you come ter measure me fer
them 'lectric things you made sech a
fuss about in your letters as bcin' so
wonderful great in gittin rid o. fat?n
God save us. madam!n answered
the bewilde"ed doctor Il know
nothing of the electric things you
are pleased to mention"
What" screamed Mrs. Babbs, re-
coiling from him. "Ain't you Dr.
Magnito?"
Good Lord. No madame, no! My
name is mpus-Eugene Grampus,
veterinary surgeon and general
manager of Ripp & Tipp's great
collection OF living curiosities"
"Wh-what." gasped Mrs. Babbs,
more dazed than ever. "Then what
bizness hev You ter be a-measurin'
me an askin' all-all sorts OF impcr
tinent questions about me, sh'd
like ter knowPn
why, my dear madame. | thought
you expected me. thought, by the
kind reception you gave me- that the
young man who informed me of you
had also informed you of my in
tended visit"
Young MANI Errand2 Explain
yourself, sir. I'm suro / can't un'er-
stan you,'' said Mrs Babbs. uopping
her dripping brow.
"Why. a young man from this
place-I can't recall his name at this
painful moment-whom l met in tho
city, told me of you; how-how
large you were; and as we are out of
a--well, to no plain. as we are out of
a fat woman just at present,
thought I'd run down and take
look at you"
"Mc. A fat woman in circus"
shrieked Mrs. Babbs growing quite
purple in the face. "Why-I-you
Why"
"No offense, hope, my dear
madame" interrupted DR.. Grampus,
humbly. 81 sincerely hope no offense.
l really thought you desired the
position-u good. lucrative one,
assure you. if you were eligible-or
else would not have been so abrupt,
beg thousand pardons for the in
trusion-ten thousand of 'cm. j as
sure you not syllable OF this-this
most unpleasant affair shall ever be
whispered by me-"
.Oh, Ii see it all now" sobbed
poor Mrs. Babbs, sinking into her
chair again and weeping bitterly.
"some mis'abe scamp has ben
maxim game o my misfortune"
"Ah. | remember his name now.
1t WAS Hankton, john Hankton. Do
you know him'"
..There amt nobody in town of
thet name" sobbed Mrs. Babbs. "He
must have given you false one, the
scoun'relw
"Well." said the doctor, glancing
at his watch, '.if ever lay hands on
beautiful subject for Ripp & Tipp's
collection, assure YOU"
So saying. DIR. Grampus shook Mrs.
Babbs' trembling hand with much
display of sympathy and started for
tho door
Here! Here!" cried Mrs. Babbs,
in quick alarm. "You ant goin' off
with all them figgers bout me in
your pocket"
l irj