The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-05-19
aaisSss -
THE DOCTORS MELON

coming on. the doctor gleefully tol
r. himself but the spot of ground towar
. which neither he nor Malachi hi
colored driver. could look withou
'dribblin at de mouf' as Malachi e,
pressed 1t. was section given over I
melons. Not that they looked promi.
, ing yet, bur Malachi ana his wife
Amelia, who was the Doctors house
keeper, had used all the wisdom game
from years OF experience and ha
brought these young vines TO tina
point where melon bugs lose interest
Soon blossoms began to appear ii
such abundance that Amelia's mathe
MATES gave out and their son, Johr
Quincy Adams, was made to coun
them
Late in August the sleek bodies o.
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 fra
GRANGE which made the sport hard To
pass. Nightly Malachi and the doctor
and sometimes Amelia made the
/ rounds, humping the watermelons,
smiling al the muskmelons. until one
Saturday night 1t 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 viii toward men
in his heart: Malachi, full of quaint
humor, following at a respectful dis
tance. carrying a butcher-knife, the
edge OF which he kept furtively test
Ing; Amelia. spick and span as TO
apron, bringing up the rear with a
mammoth dishpan, for she was to
have the pleasure of bearing the mel.
0ns into the house. But alas. the
vanity of human wishes. Those mel
ons were nowhere to be found The
group gazed in speeches. 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 he 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 sin. |
lister look. and when he reached the !
beloved melon patch he did a very |
strange thing. In the dim light OF I
the garden he sank on his knees and
handled each OF The fragrant globes
with apparent fondness. as If bidding
It long farewell While he was at
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 a telephone
from Mrs. Ogleby: Would
doctor kindly come at once? Her son
Richard had been taken violently I'll.
While the doctor was deliberately
lressing 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
II persons, as it attacked those OF
nigh and low degree alike; but it
,eemed limited to the youth of the
and Mayor Villas and several well.
o-do men got specialist TO examine
he water, and another to see II any
ever gas could be detected; but as
he sufferers rapidly grew better in.
ulry died down
Toward the end of the siege Malachi :
anne to Dr. Crsskenthorpe and, re
novIng his cap respectfully. sadly /,
aid
Mars Crackenforp. | reckon Use ,
II 10 yo. case ! dun found dis here
0 de melon patch (handing the rather
hame- faced doctor hypodermic
yringe), AN done noticed dat each =,
ne D dem big melons is got little
laces where its been punched. Dat
1wdown niggeh, 'Melias boy an
nine. he's sick along o. the rest"
Don't worry. Malachi. 1t was only
Decac."
Il don't keer what kim of cack Il
'as, case low he'll pull froo; he's
DO ornery TO die. But when he's up =,
nd ramptious again. Use gwine lam a
NE outen him" .
"oh. let him OF, Malachi. Hasn't =
e been satisfactorily punished I,
"Satifacshusly punished" snorted b
he irate old man Wal, reckon
OF Who TUX keer desc here melons
ON de fust? Me an 'Melia Now n
Is here pestiferons boys at dem mel
rs an me and 'MeIia's had to take u
Ger on him. How cum you call dat 2,
The doctor wisely held his peace. u
n he realized that the fat roll OF II
lis in HIS pocket helped him to be Il
iilosophlcal about his melon crop e
hlcsgo Record-Herald. p
Calling on America for Help. q