Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-24
DAILY SHORT STORY
A BARREL OF SALT.


| To his friend Quackenbos. what lit
tie thing will turn q mans destiny?
know man whose present condition
of wealth and head of family. all lie
| is. came from the overturninG of u bar
| rel Of salt
Il don't believe IL. Golightly. but
| am ready 10 hear about it,
Let 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 II you can guess who he is.
| For the present his name is Tomkins.
When he was younGster he studied
medicine and on graduation settled in
Il suburban place where there were
people of all degrees from millionaireS
TO washerwomen. At the end OF the
| first month he had not had patient. so
he resolved to go 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
veterinary's 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 lie reached the stable yard there
stood a girl OF twenty. pretty as a 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
" cure Bob I'll love you forever,'
"Of course she was so ratified she
didn't know what she was saying, but
somehow IL came to the doctor that he
would cure Bob and the girl would
love him forever. IL takes young
man. you know to build castles out of
air. He went up to the horse that was
Casping 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 il he wasn't dead there are no ap-
pearances by which a horse can be
known tn he dead.
The girl gave TOmkins an appealing
look. Please do something for my
poor Bob. Doctor she pleaded, with
blanchcd checks. Il 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 dol A dead
horse on one hand and fearful girl
on the other. He pretended TO work
OH Bob 10y rubbing here. feeling there.
pouring u mixture OF bran and water
down his throat had nothing else
but 1t was no use: the horse was dead
as Il ioornail. Tomkins wouldn't own
il 10 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.
Don't leave us. DOCTOR she pleaded
Remain all night. Your room will be
on the second story, back. where JDu
can look down on the stable yard
''Tomkins declared he would never
leave Rob so long as there was any
hope. and the young lady dragged her
self away and into the house. looking
back often 10 see If Bob had come to
life. Tomkins remained 10y the horse
till a servant came out and said that
IL the doctor felt that he could leave
the invalid he was TO come In to din
ner. or course TOmkins could leave a
dead horse, so he went in to dinner.
avoid the storm OF questions as 10 the
horses chances OF getting well. He
bad promised 10 stay all night. Be
sides. the more time he spent the big
ger bill he could make for services. so
Mt IL o'clock he told the hostler that
IL Bob showed signs of life to call him
and went 10 bed. The hostler knew as
well as Tomkins that Bob was dead.
SO he went TO bed. too. leaving poor
Bob's body where il lay i'm the stable
yard. But before retiring he teIephon-
ed the town scavenger to come the
next morning 10 remove the carcass.
"Tomkins hadn't ever slept on such
a downy bed before so he didn't wake |
up the next morning till late. Then he |
took bath. dressed and before going |
drew up the window shade |
to have "a look at the corpse.
"No miracle ever astonished any one |
"a the sight lie saw astonished Tom |
kins There was the whole family In |
the stable yard and Bob up on his |
four legs eating sugar out OF Miss /
hand. The doctor didn't |
stop 10 deliberate on the cause OF the |
resurrection. but pulled
himself together and went down with
put the least appearance OF surprise
oh. doctor cried Miss Buchanan,
can one ever repay your
MY dear young lady said the doc
Ior evaSively. at no time I'm my profes-
sional career have I been so pleased at
saving human patient as / am now
II saving your horse
After looking Bob over and seeing
hat he was in excellent health the doc
or whispered to the hostler:
When did he get upY
Don't know. doctor replied the
nan and ran TO the gate to head Of the
'cavcngcr who was coming to remove
he corpse.
We'll. Tomkins got the secret OF the
iorse's recovery from a stable boy.
he boy had shortly before overturned
barrel Of salt where the horses head
eSted- The tongue. hanging out. had