Evening journal., 1905-02-14
a BARREL
...OF SALT
IorIelnall

know a man whose present condition
OF wealth and head OF a family, oil he
is, came from the overturning of bar
rel OF salt"
Il don't believe II, Golightly, but l
am ready to hear about H."
let me see. You know the man, and |
don't want to give you his name till |
after you have heard the story; then |
wen see if you can guess who he is. |
For the present his name Is TOmkins. |
When he was a youngster be studied |
medicine and on graduation settled in |
suburban place where there were /
people Of all degrees from millionairos
TO washerwomen. At the end of the
first month he had not had patient, so
he resolved to 20 somewhere else. The
day before his intended departure liv-
cried servant hurried into his Office and
said that Miss Buckman's favorite sad
die horse was dying and would he
waive professional repugnance at doing
a veterinarys work and go to see the
animal.
"Tomkins needed money to square up
before leaving, so he concluded to make
veterinary of himself for that once.
When he reached the stable yard there
stood a girl of twenty, pretty as pic
ture, evidently much distressed, watch
Ing a horse lying on his side.
"'Oh, DOCTOR she said on learning Of
the groom who he was, If you will on
ly cure Bob I'll love you foreverv
"Of course she was so ratified she
didn't know what she was saying, but
huf 10
would cure Bob and the girl would
love him forever. 1t takes young
man, you know, to build castles out Of
air. He went up to the horse that was
gasping for life, but before the doctor
could get anything down the beasts
throat he collapsed and there he lay
with his tongue hanging out, dead. At
least II he wasn't dead there are no APP
pearances by which a horse can be
known to be dead.
THE girl gave Tomkins an appealing
look Please do something for my
poor Bob, DOCTOR she pleaded, with
blanched cheeks. I love him better
than all the world. If you'll only cure
him I'll make it up to you in some
way. DO, doctor, try. Don't give up
what could Tomkins do? A dead
horse on one hand and a fearful girl
on the other He pretended to work
on Bob by rubbing here, feeling there.
pouring n mixture of bran and water
down his throat-he had nothing else
but it was no use; the horse wan dead
as a doOrnail. Tomkins wouldn't own
It to the young lady, but told her to go
in the house and he would remain TO
observe and take advantage Of the irst
sign Of returning consciousness.
Don't leave US, DOCTOR she pleaded.
Remain all night. Your room will be
on the second story, back, where you
can look down on the stable yard
"Tomkins declared be would never
leave Bob so long as there was any
hope. and the young lady dragged her
self away and into the house, looking
back often to see If Bob had come tc
life. Tomkins remained by the horse
till a servant came out and said that
II the doctor felt that he could leave
the invalid he was to come In to din
ner. OF course TOmkins could leave q
dead horse, so he went In to dinner
but broke away after hasty meal tC
avoid the storm Of questions as TO the
horses chances Of getting well. He
n had promised to stay all night. Be
sides, the more time he spent the big
ger bill he could make for services, 81
at IL o'clock he told the hostler thai
If Bob showed signs OF life to call hin
and went to bed. The hostler knew a.
well as Tomkins that Bob was dead
so he went to bed. too leaving poo
Bob's body where it lay In the stable
yard. But before retiring he telephon
ed the town scavenger to come th'
next morning TO remove the carcass.
''Tomkins hadn't ever slept on sucl
n downy bed before, so he didn't wax
up the next morning till late. Then h
took a bath, dressed and before goinI
downstairs drew up the window shad
to have a look at the corpse.
"No miracle ever astonished any on
as the sight he saw astonished Tom
kins. There was the whole family 4
the stable yard and Bob up on hi
four legs eating sugar out OF Mis-
Buckman's hand. The doctor didn'
stop to deliberate on the cause Of tn
remarkable resurrection, but pulle
himself together and went down Will
out the least appearance of surprise.
"'Oh, DOCTOR cried Miss BuckmaI
can one ever repay your
My dear young LADY, said the do,
tor evasively, at no time in my profes
eional career have been so pleased a
saving a human patient as 1 am noN
at saving your horse
"After looking Bob over and seein
that he was in excellent health the do
tor whispered to the hostler;
"'When did he get upr
"'Don't know, doctor replied tn
man and ran to the gate to head Off th
scavenger who was coming to remoy
the corpse.
"Well, TomRins got the secret Of II
norse's recovery from stable bo.
The boy had shortly before overturne
q barrel Of salt where the horses hee
rested. The tongue, hanging out, ha
come In contact with the salt. The
the bcrse, having been revived, licke
IT, and it proved to be what no needle
Tomkins married the grateful gfri an
Is today a successful practitioner. NO'
M Quakanbos, guess who he Is"
you. Your story is well enough. bl
nate only required that you should me-