Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1906-09-21
AN ACHING TOOTH
Il Nae No Pisos In cupld's Book

/ CouIsc' lheIe were SoIHt preliminary
steps to go through before the thing
could be announced, for instance.
Roses mother had been east for the
/ past six months and had never seen
| George But Rose herself had prom.
lsed, and the sky looked a regular rob
ms egg blue.
Mother comes home today said
Rose, "and you must call around and
see her this first afternoon. Now there
are two things that mother will not
stand One Is inattentiyeness she says
/ that young men are always inatten.
tive to older women, and the other
is profanity. OF course, | know that
you'll be nice to mother, and cant
even imagine you swearing, but You
must make a special effort for my
sake TO be particularly agreeable and
not let even the slightest expletive
escape you. And o, George, mother
is 80 fond OF boat riding; you ought
to take her for a little row on the
river this afternoon. 1t would please
| her So"
When Rose mother arrived she did
not impress George at all as a for.
midable person. and George invited
her to 90 rowing with alacrity They
secured boat at the public landing
and pushed off into mid.stream The
sun was shining mildly through light
! clouds, The BIRDS saIs and eve. ytD.us
was pleasant except George For as
he took the first stroke wiCh the oars
he felt a curious throb, thrCb, throb in
the middle of one of his lower back
| teeth.
1t was mild at first, but each second
it struck harder and grew more pain
full. Thump, thump, thump, 1t passed
| the claw-hammer stage for the ak,
and left the ak for an imitation of a
blacksmith's forge and in two min
utes it was pretending to be six can
vas men driving in stake for a cir
| Gus tent.
Thump, thump, thump, 1t wasn't
a toothache, it was tooth-quake
Doh you lo'e lo"lHS dsheu
/ Roses mother
What's that? | mean beg your
pardon"
Don't you enjoy rowing? 1t has al,
ways seemed to me such a pleasant
form of exercise"
Rowing? Yes, it is"
Ordinarily George excelled in small
talk, but to-day the tooth occupied his
innermost thoughts.
Aren't the birds singing sweetly
this afternoon
No answer
81 said aren't the birds singing
sweetly this afternoon?'
Sure - sure-yery sweetly--very
sweetly-yery nice indeed - every.
thing nice"
And the scenery along the river
shore. Don't you admire those old
trunks with the moss draped so grace.
fully about them?"
Throb - throb - throb went on
the tooth. 1t was a triple action steam
hammer now, sending of sparks that
cut burrows along Georges cheeks.
1t was swinging ahead in splendid
form, pausing for nothing and slow.
ing for nothing. 1t was like the win.
ming pugilist in the last round OF a
prize fight; Bing-bing-bing-a
then some
81 was speaking to you, Mr.. Brown"
Silence.
Il was speaking to you"
"All right, speak again. Spit It out
and have 1t over"
Roses mother seemed to grow Wis.
IDLY in her indignation. She attempt.
ed to stand up in the boat. Mr..
Brown, you will put me ashore at
once. At once, do you und derstand?
II | had any idea you we're this sort
of person, | should never have let
my daughter encourage you"
George made few fierce attempts
at eXplana ion. bur the pain by this
time had Increased to such poin'
that his only thought was to get to
a dentist. Rose al dropped out of
S ght altogether. Just as his once-to-be
mother-in-law stepTed out Of the boat
she gave 1t slight shove with her
foot. 1t capsi:ed landing George in
shallow water, and with whole
mOuthful Of the cold stuf against the
aching tooth. Georcc would not have
cared now had he been standing at
the court of heaven. He broke into
a shower Of language that reminded
one OF a drunken sailor at his best.
1t was beautiful and convincing, and
all about that one tooth. George went |
on through the last blankdash until
he had exhausted himself. and Roses
mother, two blocks away, was still |
running.
Then George went TO the nearest |
dentist He knew his llfe's happiness
was wrecked but he didn't give a
dash II that italics tooth was only out |
that triple Dlanked. cast iron, blight |
ed piece OF pestilence on the lower
jaw. He got up to the dentists door
way. he climbed the stair. and then,
Just as he was about to go in the tooth |
stopped aching stopped, absolutely
stopped short. dead In Its tracks. He
couldn't even remember whether Il
was the one next to the eyetooth or
tho ono inst beyond that And than