The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-15
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| weeks with some recipes, from an
old black book he picked up in a second
| hand store on his last trip TO the city, and
he had tried 10 do everything, from turning
lot of rusty ten-penny nails into gold, TO
restoring youth to Peggy, his old blind
mare.
None of the recipes, though, seemed TO
work till this last one 81 to this day can't
remember what it for, but he is mighty
sure ii wasn't intended to do what ii did.
/ He thinks it for either rheumatism or
weak eyes, he's not certain which, but, at
any rate, after he had a batch of 1T made
up, being a cautious man. he put some in n
saucer for his dog. Pepper. The dog Tapped
il up and seemed to like it. but by and by
when 81 looked around for the dog he
couldn't find him. There were screens in the
windows and the door of his shop had not
been opened. he knew; there was nothing In
the shop behind which Pepper could hide,
but still he was gone.
Now, ST wasn't what you might call an
Incorporate man, but he liked his beer in
the middle Of the afternoon, and at this very
time he had a tumbler of ii on the table
beside him. Under the circumstances 1t was
| very careless of him to put this new mix
ture in tumbler just like the beer glass,
and set the two along side Of each other,
| but that's just what he did, and while he
| was casting his eyes around the room for
the dog rather anxious like. he picked up
| the mixture and drank 1T down. He noticed
| the mistake right away, Of course. but he
was a slow and easy man that didn't know
how to worry, and he figured that there
couldn't be much done about 1t but wait and
| see what it did to him.
He called Pepper two or three times and
| he thought he heard the dogs tail hammer
| ing on the floor. He whistled and, sure
enough, he felt Pepper leap up against
| him and lick his hand When he looked
| down though he couldn't see Pepper, but
what he did see precious near paralyzed
him. His hand and arm, downward from
| the point where he had his sleeves rooled
up. were rapidly fading away. He could
| see right through them to the floor. and
they were about the color Of thin crab-apple
| jelly, the bones being little whittier. While
he looked, a cold sweat breaking out all
| over him, the hand and arm entirely disap-
peared Without thinking he reached out
| with the other hand for his glass of beer
and raised it to his lips He had taken a
| swallow or two when he noticed something
| that almost made him faint
His other hand and arm were gone!
81 opened the door and staggered to the
| house. He walked into the kitchen, too
much frustrated to say a word. When she
heard his footsteps Mrs. Hawker looked
up, then threw her apron over her head
and screamed like bloody murder. Then
she dropped a chair and screamed
again
Now, what in the land o. Goshen ails ye
Lou?" asked 81. Cant body get into a
peck of trouble of his own without having
you take a conniption fit at the same
timer"
The sound of Sis voice quoted her for a
bit.
Take it away, Si.' she screamed. take
it away
Are We gone clean daffy?" he demanded.
| Take what away?'
''Why them clothes walking around with
out any man inside EN-! Don't you see it,?
81 was about to give her a sharp answer
when he had a sudden idea and turned to
look in the mirror.
His head was gonei
Its no use carryin' on, Loueezy," he said
with groan, as soon as he came to HIM
self. ITS me all right but you can't see
me. You might as well look up and get
used to it,
You can hardly blame Mrs. Hawker for
taking on about 1T as she did for 81 GER
tainly was a queer sight You see he had
come in the house bareheaded and with
his sleeves rolled up and his shirt collar
turned back. That left nothing of him, so
far as she could see, but a shirt and over
alls and pair of shoes walking around.
| But she was strong minded woman who
was used to making the best of everything,
and she didn't waste much time in repin-
ing.
81 don't know but what it's an improve
ment, after ALL" she said. the
shock wore off and she had felt his head
and hands to make sure that he really
there and not playing some sort of a trick
on her. you always was terrible homely
man, and now, if 1 can just keep a clean
shirt on you, you'll look as well as the best
of them, from the collar down."
Just then the sound of dog fight broke
on the air and ST, recognizing Peppers
bark, ran out to the gate. A whole crowd
of loafers from Hen Worley's store. across
the street, had gathered around, but they
were tremendously puzzled lot Of men.
The sound was like that of any other dog
fight, but to the eye 1t was different. Out
In the middle of the road Dave Benson's
dog was going through all the motions of a
mighty hard contest, but though you could
hear two dogs growing and yelping, Dawes
bull terrier was the only one to be seen.
The terrier was getting the worst of it, too
Every once in a while there would be a
snap. and red cash would come in the
bull terriers neck. and by that 81 knew
it was Pepper. That was Peppers way Of
fighting, he being part hound-a jump and
a slash like knife and spring away.
Hen Morley came out of his store the
run with gun in his hand.
STAND back from there. we plumb fools"
yelled Hen. THAT dogs got hydrophoby
and I'm going TO shoot 'im.'
Don't do nothing OF the kind, Hen Wor-
ley!" shouted 81. elbowing his way into
the crowd. THAT hain't no mad dog He's
fightin' like sixty with mine. and putin up
an alfred good fight. too. Peppers there
all right. but you can't see him, that's air.
You ought to have seen that crowd scat
ter. They took Just one look at the head
less shirt and overalls that stood among
them and every man Jack Of them turned
white as a miller, and had mighty sudden