Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-12-04

shops. Short cross streets led on @
right and left; and the plain was dotted
with houses. Far of on one hand RALPH
saw the crumbling walls of a large
brick building; and at an equal Dis
lance, in the opposite direction. loomeA
the blackened, smokeless chimneys az
silent factory.
He passed a hardware store. =
grocery, the postofice-then came To
sudden stop in front of a one-story
brick ediflce with a basement of stone
1t was long and low, one end facing
the street. The narrow front contained
two large show windows and a wide
| doorway Broad stone steps led up rs
the entrance. And over all was q
weather-stained awning supported up
on an iron frame.
This must be the place." MarloWe
muttered as he assembled the steps
| The door stood wide open; and he
walked in. No one was in sight; so he
paused and looked about him 1t was
drug store, without doubt; but such
one as he had never seen. The two
side rows were lined with rows OF
| shelves. Those upon the right haM&
were open, and laden with jars and bot
| ties of various shapes and Sizes con-
tanning drugs, chemicals and liquors.
and those upon the left were incloSe0
by glass doors, through the grimH
paneS of which could be seen vast az
ray of patent medicines. Two hard
wood counters extended the length OF
the room, almost; and upon each rested
one or more showcases containing toilet
preparations, brushes sponges, candy,
cigars, ct cetera-piled in higgledy-pig
gledy. An upright coal stove with .
large sheet-iron drum stood in the rear
of the room; and along the wall back
| of 1t ran bench or seat. Just inside
| of one of the front windows, a high
black-walnut desk with slender, tpsy
legs-a near relative of the one at thu
hotel, undoubtedly-had place In
the rear wall were two doorways. One
leading to the basement, the other tn
DR.. Barwood's private Office.
Ralph took in all this at glance
He noted, also, that there was no pre-
ScriptiOn case nor screen, that tho
woodwork, once white, was a smoky
dingy yellow, that dust and cobwebS
reigned supreme, and that dirt and gen
eral disorder held high carnival.
He heard some one moving about in
the basement, and stepped toward the
back of the room.
'Be up in a minute" rumbled a voice
from the depths. "Set down, If you're
tired O. standin'; r walk round. IL
you're tired o settin'. I'm wraS' lin q
pesky bar'l O. whisky. Be up-in-a-
m-i-n-u-t-e."
The last sentence was uttered in 3
hoarse, strained voice that indicated the
owner was undergoing severe muscular
eXertion, or was in the last throes or
physical torment. Then all was silent.
; 1.-The whisky barrel must have not
the better of the tussle," Ralph smiled,
seating himself upon a stool. SAT any
rate it has silenced him. No; 1 hear
him coming up the steps. But he has
a leg or two broken, judging from his
gait
The owner of the voice was indeed
ascending the stairs, shuffling and
stumbling painfully-and indulging in
a deal of granting and grumbling.
, Ralph fastened his eyes upon the
doorway and impatiently awaited the
fellows advent. Presently the looked
for parsonage limpeQ into the room and
dropped into chair.
Good morning. was Marlowe,s
greeting
That's once you've told the truth,
young fellow, if you never do ag'in,''
the man replied in a drawing nasal
: tone, squirting one twinkling gray eye
and narrowly scanning his visitor.
yes, sir, this is good mornin'."
"You are not DR.. Barwood?" Ralph
remarked tentatively
you seem to be in the habit o. tellin'
the truth, the other answered whimsi-
cally. Il am not Doc Barwood I'm Jep
Tucker, the OF docs hos'Ier an hired
hand"
Marlowe regarded the speaker close
ly. Tucker was about forty-five years
old-a lank, loose oiDted frame upon
which leathery skin hung in folds and
wrinkles. His hands, feet, and ears
were large; his nose, arched and prom
lnent; his hair, Scant and light colored.
His face was puckered with innumera-
bic fine lines and wrinkles; and a stub
by, sand mustache-like the caves of a
roof of thatch overhanging a wide door
way-projecteG from his short upper
lip. Screwed askeW upon the back or
his hobby head, was broad-brimmed
straw hat, badly gone to seed. One gal
lows essayed the utterly reckless task
of suspending a pair of baggy pIai6
trousers, patched with cloth of darker
hue at the knees and frayed and stain
ed at the bottoms; and ragged coat
hid all but the checkered bosom of a
raggeder shirt. The toe of one of his
coarse cowhide shoes was cut away, re-
vealing an expanse of soiled muslin
swathed around an injured foot.
His open countenance was as easily
read as page of primer; and told that
Jep was of an easy-going disposition
His shrewd and twinkling gray eyes
gave hint of the quaint philosophy
and whimsical drollery, that was in
him.
els the doctor in?" was Ralph's nen
question.
Eyes, he's in, in more ways n one,"
Jep drawled, crossing one leg over its
fellow and tenderly caressing his sore
foot. He's in business; an he's in good
health, Do you want to know anything
more bout him?'
'Is he in town." Marlowe asked, his
lips twitching. He realized he had TO
| zeal with an eccentric
tHe is" Tucker answered compla-
Gently, running thumb under his one