The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-17
THE MEDICINE CHEST

Going to move again!' cried despair
ingly. "That makes three times this
year and three days I've cribbed out Of
my Business to lift trunks and pack boxes
and bully long suffering cartmen In her
behalf. Neither, dom. think can stand
1t any longer
"Oh, Theodore, dear, don't say anything
rash," pleaded my mother. Remember.
she's worth a good deal of money, and If
you and Annie are married next month
perhaps she may do something handsome
for you"
Z But just then little colored girl
brought in my tea ana toast, and the ques-
ton Of Grandmother Ormisted was i'd
iourned to some future time
went early the next morning to Pen
grsvc square, the last abiding place OF my
cap.icious minded grandmother, who
might have been q very Arab, so far as
wandering habits were concerned.
There she sat- drinking chocolate on the
epex of heap of trunks, boxes, parcels
end cages. with tremendous structure of
black Grape that she called a bonnet
pcrched on the top of her head, her spec
tacles k one side and good deal of gray
hair Stsaping from under her red false
front.
Good morning, ma'am,'' said I, vino
ing little at the sight
THAT cartman hasn't come yet" said
my grandmother. Il knew he wouldn't
come when he was engaged. Cartmen al
ways disappoint me. Get me another one,
Theodore, and, mind, I won't pay moro
than So load. Every one tries tofmpose
upon a lone woman, but l won't stand it. "
The horrors Of that misty, driZzly morn
ing will ever remain daguerreotyped upon
my soul. The alterations between my
grandmother and her landlady; the hand
TO hand COMBAT between cartman No. /,
Who had just arrived too late for the job,
and cartnan No. 2, who considered that
the only equitable method of settling the
little difference was by rolling up his coat
sleeves and dancing round the two trunks
with doubled fists and belligerent looks
and cries; the wreck of stair carpets and
crash of china statuettes-I honestly be-
lieve that one week of such days would
have sent ne to an idiot asylum. And
the worst of it all was that my grandmoth
or insisted on riding with the cartman her
self
:. 'Tain't usual, men," said that indi-
vidual
Il don't care whether it is or not,'
barked ont my grandmother How am
20 know where you are taking my thingsF
Theodore, you can sit on the square truck
behind. And be sure you look out for that
morocco medicine chest It's got all those
cough mixture and restoratives in it.
But, ma am demonstrated.
Either do as tell You or stay at
homer cried my grandmother as she
scrambled UP beside the Jehu, and away
we jolted over the pavements like travel
ing caravansary.
Here was a nice position for a young
man who belonged to club and knew a
lot of fashionable fellows. Riding on fur
niture truck, with one arm round par
rot's cage aud a great yellow bandbox
studded with crimson roses on my lap. l
gould almost have wished in my despair
shat the pavement would open and swal.
dow me I'D.
Theodore" cried my grandmother,
There IS a young man a-Rodding TO you.
wonder If it isn't somebody we could hire
90 help with the thiDgsf Young man! l
cay, young mani"
Mr.. FitZalans-the Fitzalans of Madison
avenue-stared I signaIed to the cartman
TO drive on as fast as he could and pretended
TO look the other way. But at that very
instant the medicine chest, an oblong,
leather colored instrument of torture, slip
ped from its moorings and fell, striking
sharp angle against my nose and descend
ing with almost human malice on my pet
corn.
Nature is nature, and 1 don't pretend to
be supernatural The piled up agony of
L l., r
had been doseti from that medicine chest
many a time as a helpless little boy. 1
had lugged il around as man until every
angle had acquired a fearful significance.
Nor is it too much to say that hated that
medicine chest.
And DOW this final aggravation was
the last hair that broke the camel's back
set my teeth closely together, and grasp
ing the offending leather parallelogram
flung it desperately into the gutter.
'There'n be at least one less trial in
the world, muttered rs saw it shatter-
ed into pieces and gradually floating like
some wrecked vessel down the muddy
stream.
We renched An6over street. No. 333,
and there recommended the tumult until
each and every individual article was
slowed away in its right place. 1t was
nearly dusk when my grandmother at last
sat down and took pinch of snuff out of
Q much battered tortoise shell box.
''Well, well" said she, we've done q
pretty good days work, thanks to you,
Theodore. Dut L don't ask you to work
for me for nothing.
looked expactant, but ventured no re-
ply, knowing too well how capricious and
fitful my elderly relative could be when
she chose.
You are to be married this fall, said
she, tapping her spectacle case on the
lid.
Yes. grandmother
You folks can't live on nothing"
NO, grandmother.
80 don't mind giving you now what |
I had intended TO leave in my will"
NOW, grandmother"
Yes, today, if you wiSh-this very |
hour-for I've left the most of my money |
to the ST Alonzo hospital. 1t isn't much; |
but. then. 50, 600 is something"
Yes, certainly gasped.
You took good care of the medicine !
chest."
"I-yes, grandmother faltered, won |
lering what on earth that had TO do with |
It,
Because your money was put in be- /
tween the top I'D and the paper lining
Jour $500 bills. put it there myself last |
night for safe keeping"
And my grandmother chuckled aloud ct |
the thought of her own wisdom.
go and get the medicine chest, Theo-
lore
L Irao