Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1906-05-25
THE DOCTORS MELONS


ishs, onions and lettuce had already
been enjoyed, and peas were soon
coming on, the doctor gleefully told
himself, but the spot of ground toward
which neither he nor Malachi, his
colored driver, could look without
"dribblin at de mouf" as Malachi ex-
pressed 1t, was section given over to
melons. Not that they looked promis-
ing yet, but Malachi and his wife,
Amelia, who was the doctors house
Keeper had used all the wisdom gained
from years Of experience and had
brought these young vines to that
point where melon bugs lose interest.
Soon blossoms began to appear In
such abundance that Amelia's mathe-
mates gave out, and their son, John
Quincy Adams, was made to count
them.
Late in August the sleek bodies of
the watermelons began to be quite
noticeable among the lusty leaves,
while close by the globes of the musk
melons, with the slices already plain
ly indicated, exhaled at dusk a fra
GRANGE which made the sport hard to
pass. Nightly Malachi and the doctor
and sometimes Amelia made the
rounds, humping the watermelons,
smiling at the muskmelons, until one
Saturday night It was decided that to-
morrow the first ones should be picked
for the table.
After breakfast the family proceed
ed to the patch, doctor ahead, face
beaming and good will toward men
In his heart; Malachi, full of quaint
humor, following at Q respectful dis
lance, carrying a butcher-knife, the
edge Of which he kept furtively test
Ing; Amelia, spiek and span as to
apron, bringing up the rear with q
mammoth dishpan, for she was to
have the pleasure Of bearing the mel
ons into the house. But alas, the
vanity of human wishes! Those mel
ons were nowhere to be found. The
group gazed In speechless amazement
at first and Malachi and Amelia sank
into gloom so profound that the doc
tor rallied and pointed out several
more melons nearly as mature as
those they were mourning for, which
would be ripe, he felt sure, before
one could say Jack Robinson
But each time the willy thief knew
also and the repeated disappointment
began to tell upon this erstwhile hap
py family. Malachi began to look on
the dark side Of life. Amelia, a most
kindly, trusting soul, suspected gro
Gerry boys and even her own friends.
The doctor joked at first, but finally
swore roundly, and one night he
emerged from his Office with a sim
lister look, and when he reached the
beloved melon patch he did very
strange thing. In the dim light Of
the garden he sank on his knees and
handled each of the fragrant globes
with apparent fondness, as If bidding
his devotions he heard Malachi call
ing, and. scrambling to his feet, he
made his way hurriedly to the house.
Along toward morning he was called
up from sound repose by telephone
message from Mrs. Ogleby: Would
doctor kindly come at once? Her son
Richard had been taken violently Ill.
|
dressing the bell rang again, and he
learned that the mayors son, Ned
Villas, was acutely Ill.
The doctor and Malachi put In
busy day, for this mysterious illness
seemed epidemic. 1t was no respecter
Of persons. as 1t attacked those Of
high and low degree alike; but it
| -
land. Mayor Villas and several well.
TODD men got a specialist to examine
the water, and another to see II any
sewer gas could be detected; but as
the sufferers rapidly grew better in
quiry died down.
Toward the end Of the siege Malachi
came to DR.. Crackenthorpe and, re-
moving his cap respectfully, sadly
said:
Mars Crackenforp. l reckon Use
on to 20, case l dun found dis here
in de melon patch (handing the rather
shame-faced doctor hypodermic
syringe), "an' | done noticed dat each
one O. dem big melons is got little
places where its been punched Dat
low-down niggah, Melia's boy, an
mine, he's sick along O. the rest"
Don't worry, Malachi. 1t was only
ipecac."
Il don't kcer what kin of cack it
was, case | low he'll pull froo; he's
too ornery to die. But when he's up
and ramptious again. Use gwine lam
time outen him"
"Oh, let him off, Malachi! Hasn't
he been satisfactorily punished "
"Satifacshusly punished" snorted
the irate old man. Wal, reckon
not! Who TUX keer desc here melons
from de fust? Me an 'Melia. Now
dis here pestiferous boys at dem mel
ons an me and 'Melias had to take
keer on him. How cum you call dat
satifacshus?"
| The doctor wisely held his neace