The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-19


this picture.
and in their bad moods and as they are
when things do not go right; she sees and
talks 10 all kinds Of men, politicians, sem
ators, Republicans, Democrats, business
men, book agents, farmers, reporters and
good many other kinds. Some take off their
hats when they approach her. some do not;
some smoke In her presence, some do not;
some are polite, others are not. Boiled
down. her philosophy is: Thus far and no
farther, the man animal is siderable
The time was Sunday morning at that
hour when men start cityward and women
and children Sunday schoolward. The place
was a Pennsylvania-street car, waiting at
its northern terminus for its scheduled time
of departure. Three tots of varying degrees
of smallness entered the car on a run and
flung themselves into a seat far up in the
front. moment or two later they were
followed by plump and painting lady. who
dropped into the seat just behind them,
and began to fan herself vigorously. The
biggest boy who sat next to the window
flattened his nose against the bars to look
at a funny yellow dog disappearing around
the corner.
'Looky, Margery, oh, looky," he cried
Margery. seated between her two brothers.
was deep in calculation and paid no atten-
ton to the entreaties to looky. Presently
she began pipingly.
''Two-three, four-five. six. There's six
legs in this seat. mamma" shrilly. there's
six legs in this seat
One or two smiled obviously. Two girls
sitting just in front of the children looked
around in open amusement. The plump
and painting lady grew little more
flushed in the embarra ssment of the noto-
riety thrust upon her little group.
Hush, Margery." she said plaintively.
But Margery was still calculating. Pres
entity she began again, just note more
shrilly.
There's six legs in this seat and there
isn't but two legs In your seat, mamma"
Somebody laughed audibly: then there
was a moments silence. Mamma leaned
forward for reproof or entreaty, but she
was a moment too late. Margery twisted
an uneasy little shoulder toward the ma
ternal ear she went on with the en-
thusasm of discoverer.
But mamma, the two legs in your seat
is bigger than all the six legs in our seat
1t in the wee, sma' hour of the
morning-even before ''smale fowles maken
melodie''-that hour when it seems that ali
the world is still in sleep. The utter calm
of the hour almost made slight noises noise
less. And into this soft stiffness and sweet
harmony of the night a deacon-of all per-
church thrust noise, confusion, excitement.
The deacon blames his wife-they all do
and his wife-good soul-doesn't say a
word And. perhaps. after all is told, his
wife is little at fault.
The deacon is heavy sleeper. Unfortu-
nately. his wife is not. The other night
the deacon was conscious of some one shak-
ing him. He awoke dazed and frightened
really William) Wake up. / say. There
is some one in the house.
The deacon sprang from his bed into the
middle of the floor. Stygian blackness per-
vaded the room. He took step and be-
came entangled in a rocking chair. Invol-
UNFAIRLY he put out his hand against the
darkness to support himself and came down
with a crash, the chair on top of him.
To his wife, who is even a little near
sighted in the light, he had gripped the
burglar, and she straightway set up q
lice.'
The deacon was mad-swearing mad-and,
perhaps, he did swear. but he succeeding
had he got her still than she whispered
from her uncertain position in the darkness,
a note of awful terror in her accent:
Listen. William! Don't you hear some
thing?' They both listened. knowing not
where each other was. The deacon did
hear something-a dull pounding down in
the barn.
Its horsethieves, 1 guess" he said, in
voice he had to command. Some one is
trying to steal Elijah" He felt around
until he found his clothes and matches
with nothing but the dim light of the Ian
tern and the beacon light of righteousness,
descended to the stable
His wife and small son, who had been
aroused by the confusion, waited anxiously
at the head of the stairs for his return. 1t
was great relief when they heard him at
the telephone.
"Hellor' he said us Dr. Brown in? He
isn't? Well, tell him to hurry over to Dea-
con - when he returns"
His wife called to him. but he kept on
Hello! DR. Black? He out? Send him
over to Deacon - the minute he gets
back, will you?"
The deacon came into the lower hall.
Johnnie he called TO his son. you run
over and get DR.. Gray. Old Elijah's dyin'
and we've got to have a doctor. I'll see
IL DR.. Green is at home
Father and son were gone in a minute,
and the deacon's wife, feeling the emergen-
cy of the moment, thought Of another doc
tor, a DIR. White. and got him by the tele-
phone
In very short time the deacon returned
with DR.. Green. They were followed almost
who in the meantime had returned and
FASTENED to answer the calls. AT the same
time the deacons son arrived with DR..
Gray. minute later DR.; White presented
himself. The deacon. with the lantern, led
the way to the stable The five physicians
followed in rhythmic step. The deacon S
wife and son brought up the rear.
Cant imagine what's the trouble with
him., said the deacon, holding aloft the
| lantern and letting its rays fall upon the af-
| flicted horse; which lay still and quiet as
| in death. The physicians, stole Of visage
| grouped themselves about the animal gazed
| at IL and then at each other, as If TO say,
| Its your case; take it,
| We'll, doctors?" the deacon appealed to
! the medical circle.
.Foundered," whispered DR.. White seri-
| ously.
Blind staggers." pronounced DR.. Green
| confidently.
| Intestinal cohc.' said DIR. Black. diff
4 IDENTIFY.
Bronchial pneumonis." DR.. Gray az
| Armed.
Chronic muco gastritis." exclaimed DR.
Brown, putting his grip under his arm and
| thrusting his hands deep into his pockets