The daily Alaskan., 1905-05-24
A BARREL
 ...OE SALT

know man whose present condition of wealth and head of a family, an he Is. came from the overturning of a bar rel of salt"
 q don't believe lt Gollghtly, but I am ready to hear about lt'
 "I,et me see. You know the man, and | don't want to give you his name till after you have heard the story; then we'll see f you can guess who he Is. For the present his name Is Tomkins. When he was a younestcr he studied medicine and on graduation settled in suburban place where there were people of an degrees from millionalres to washerwomen At the end of the first month he had not hai a patient 50 he resolved to go somewhere else. The day before his intended departure a liv. cried servant hurried Into his office and said that Miss Buckman's favorite sad de horse was dying and would he waive professional repugnance at doing veteriuary's work and go to see the animal
 "Tomkins needed money to square up before leaving, so he concluded Co make veterinary of himself for that once. When he reached the stable yard there stood girl of twenty, pretty as pic ture. evidently much distressed, watch ing horse lying on his side.
 "'Oh. doctor she said on learning of the groom who he was, ff you will on- ly cure Bob I'll love you forevcrr
 "Of course she was so rattled she didn't know what she was saying, but somehow it came to the doctor that he would cure Bob and the girl would love him forever lt takes young man. you know, to build castles out of air. He-went up to the horse that was gasning 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 if he wasn't dead there are no ap- pcarances by which a horse can be known Co be dead
 The girl gave Tomklns an appealing look. Please do something for my poor Rob. doctor she pleaded with blanchcd cheeks. T love him better than al, the world If youI only cure him I'll make it up Co you in some way. Do, doctor, try. Don't give up
 What could TomLns dol A dead horse on one hand and a te3rfpl girl on the other, He prcteudcl Co work on Bob by rubbing here, feeling there pouring a mixture of bran and water down his throat=hc had nothing else but it was no use; the horse was dead as a dooruau 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 first sign of returning consciousness.
 "'pon't leave us. doctor she pleaded Remain an night Your room win bc on the second story, bgck, where you can look down on the stable yard
 "TomknS declared he 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 Co see lf Bob had come Co l life. TomklnS remained by the horse tn a servant came out and said that fl the doctor felt that he could leave the invalid he was Co come In Co din. ner. or course TomkinS could leave Q dead horse, so he went In Co dinner but broke away after a hasty meal to avoid the storm Of questions as Co the horses chances of getting well He had promised Co stay an night Be sides, the more time he spent the big ger bill he could make for services, so at II o'clock he told the hoStlcr that if Bob showed signs of life to call him and went to bed. The hostler knew as well as Tomklns that Bob was dead so he went to bed, too, leaving poor Bob's body where it lay in the stable yard. But before retiring De telephon- ed the town scavcuger Co come the next morning to remove the carcass.
 "Tomkins hadn't ever slept on such a dowuy bed before, so be didn't wake up the next morning tn late. Then he took a bath. dressed and before going downstairs drew up the window shade Co have look at the corpse.
 "No miracle ever astoniSn e4Hny one as the sight he saw astonished Tom klns. There was the whole family In the stable yard and Rob up on his four legs eating sugar out of Miss Buckman's hand. The doctor didn't stop to deliberate on the cause of the remarkable resurrection, but pulled himself together and went down with out the least appearance Of surprise.
 "'Oh, doctor cried Miss Buckman, can one ever repay youg
 My dear young lady said the doc tor evasively, at DO time In my profes- slonal career have I been so pleased at saving a human patient as I am now at saving your horse
 After looking Bob over and seeing that be was in excellent health the doc tor whispered to the hostler;
 "'when did he get upy
 "Don't know, doctor replied the man and ran to the gate to head on the scavenger who was coming to remove the corpse.
 'well, Tomklns got the secret of the l horeasa ,,aooN-crv from a cfnhle hoy