Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-12-02

this arch-knave practiced.
I gave you two dollars. and you
only gave me change for one," cried
a thin faced, stoop -shouldsred. help
ess-looking fellow, who had just pur-
chased bottle Of tho Balm OF the
Blessed Islands"
With lightning-like legerdemain the
ouack had shuffied this bill to the bot
tom OF his pile. and lifting up the one
that lay on top, exposed 1t to the view
of his audience.
That's lie!" he said. in his slow,
impressive manner. There Is always
such a man as this in every crowd.
Some one Is always trying to take ad-
vantage OF those who. like myself, are
living for the public good Gentlemen.
you saw me lay the b-b-bill he gave
me down upon the top! Here 1t Is:
judge for yourselves. That Is a bad
man. Beware of him."
The bold effrontery Of the Quack 81
lenced the timid customer, who could
only blush and look confused. His
| bushes and confusion condemned him
and the crowd hustled him away from
the wagon. They believed him guilty
| and he half believed 1t Of himself.
David, who had seen the bill and
knew the victims innocence but not
the doctors fraud. pressed forward to
! defend him. The Quack stopped and
sflenced him with an inimitable wink
and then instantly and with consum-
mate art diverted his audience with a
series of droll stories which he always
reserved for emergencies like this
nd har hut
this was the reason he chose them.
He had one for every circumstance
and occasion.
There was a man standing In an
outer circle of the crowd around whose
forehead was bandage. Come here,
my friend" said the quack. How did
you get this wound? Don't want to
tell? Oh! well, that Is natural. A
horse kicked him. no doubt: never got
in a row! No! No. Couldn't any
one hit him. Reminds me Of the man
who saw a big black-and- blue spot on
his boys forehead. My son. said he,
I thought told you not to fight? How
did you get this woundr I bit 1t.
father replied the boy.
Bit it, exclaimed the old man In
establishment, how could you bite
yourself upon the foreheadT
Il climbed onto a chair says he.
And you have been climbing on q
chair to bite your forehead, too. my
friend?" he asked with humorous grav-
ity, while a loud guffaw went up from
the crowd.
Well" he continued. soothingly,
whether you did it or not, just let
me rub little Of this b-b-b balm upon
it. and by tomorrow morning it will
be we'll. There! That's right. One
dollar is all 1t costs. You don't want
it? What the dd-deuce did you let
me open the bottle for? I'll leave It
to the crowd II that il fair? There,
that is right. Pay for 1t like a man.
It's worth double it's price: Thank you.
By tomorrow noon you will b-b-be
sending me a testimonial to its value"
The novelty of the scene. the skill
OF the principal actor. the rapid growth
of the piles of coin and bills the fran
tic desire Of the people to be gulled.
all served to obscure those elements
which were calculated to appeal to the
Quaker's conscience. He felt like one
awakened from a dream. While he
was still in the half dozed condition
Of such an awakening. the quack gave
him a sign that this part of his lesson
was ended, and following the direction
of the thumb which he threw over his
shoulder towards Pepeeta's tent, he
eagerly took his way thither.
Before the door stood several groups
of young men and maidens, talking
under their bretath. Now and then a
"a Cd
crowd, and with visible trepidation en-
tered. AS they reappeared. their
friends gathered about them and be-
sought them to disclose the secrets
they had discovered.
Some Of them giggled and simpered.
others laughed boisterously and skep-
tically. while others still, looked scared
and anxious. 1t was evident that even
those who tried to make light OF what
they had seen and heard were moved
by something awe-inspiring.
David listened to their silly talk OBJ
served their bold demeanor and their
vulgar manners, while the impression
of weakness, of stupidity. of the low
ness and bestiality of humanity made
upon his mind by the aged and the
mature. was intensified by his obser-
vation of the young and callow.
From the outside of the gypsy's tent
he could make but few discoveries OF
her method and he waited impatient
ly until the last curious couple had de-
parted When they had disappeared,
he entered.
At the opposite side OF the tent and
reclining upon a low dvan was the
gypsy. Above her head a tallow can
die was burning dimly. Before her
was a rough table covered with
shawl, upon which were scattered cups
of tea with floating grounds. ivory.
dice. cards. coins and other implements
of the BLACK Art"
Pepeeta sprang to her feet when
she saw who her visitor was. and ex-
hibited the clearest signs OF agitation.
David's own emotions were not less
violent for although the gypsy's sur
roundings were poor and mean, they
served rather TO enhance than to d.
minish her exquisite beauty. Her
shoulders and arms were bare. and on
her wrists were gold bracelets OF
writhing serpents in whose eyes
cleaned diamonds. On her fingers and
in her ears were other costly stones.
Her dress was silk, and rustlsd whom