The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-02-08
The Cure Of
Joel White
By Nj. QUAD
Copyright 1916. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

elephant a lion. tiger, a bear or any /
Of the wild beasts kept in geological
gardens or carried around the country
by circus menageries.
Joel White bought butter, eggs. hides.
potatoes and other things of farmers
and shipped them to New York. He
was known as quiet honest man and
had the respect OF all. He had been
In business five years when the time
came that he had to go to New York
city. When there he went TO the zoo.
The place was a great surprise to him.
He was fascinated Instead of making
a visit lasting two or three hours. he
spent the best part Of three days look
Ing at the beasts and birds. and then
could hardly drag himself away. When
| he reached home he could talk of moth
ing else To his family. and he had
| certain wildneSS Of eye which his wife
did not like at all However. he went
to bed at the usual time and slept +
! quietly through the night
When Joel arose next morning aud
sat down TO breakfast he looked at the !
food placed before him with great con
tempt and said to his wife:
This is no food for II lion. Go down
to the butcher shop and bring me five
pounds of raw meat
why. what do you mean, Joel|' she
asked in aStonishment
Il mean that am a full grown lion
and that | shall kill half dozen per
sons during the day"
The wife ran out and got three or
four men, and when they entered Joel
retreated to the back ward and there
roared and snarled and paved the
earth like an angry lion. Two doctors
came and examined him, and the yer
dict was that he had gone temporary
ly insane The man-lion was guarded
at day and night and next morning
looked and acted as sane as anybody.
He did not remember that he had play
ed the lion, and the doctors said that
no one must tell him. He went to
business and for three days was all
right. Then he nwoke to declare that
he was an elephant. The attack came
upon him just us he had left his gate
! behind him to go 10 store. lie began
swinging his right arm as an elephant
swings his trunk. and he sent forth
trumpet blasts
Joels clephantine tit lasted two days
and then suddenly left him. He picked
up his business at just the point where
he left il and did not seem to realize
that he had lost any time. Then he
began to perform again, and his
Performance" created sudden an0
great shock.
Joel White was member Of one o.
the churches and was always In hi'
pew of "A Sunday He was there OF
this particular Sunday, and he was I
close listener to the sermon. Whei
II was about half done Joel suddenl.
sprang TO his feet and yelled out:
Look out for me. ] have turne'
into n rhinoceros!'
With this he began running up an
III down the aisle The people rose u
and hurried out as fast as they coult
but he bumped against full scor
4 and sent them sprawling
The doctors were very doubtful
= he would recover from this last ill
sion. For two days he remained sulle
and silent and did not seem to reco
niZe even his wife. Then he awoke, l
II were. and was his real self again.
When Joel came to himself again
was plainly told Of his past perforI
ances. lie was utterly astonishe
Those things were blank to him. al
he went over them. So great was
earnestncss that 1t was agreed to 81
him a last chance. If he played 2
on that town any more he must
Skinned off to the state asylum.
One morning Joel was mailing up
box In front of his store As he VOL
ed away at the box he suddenly EN-
ted a sound between a hiss and
cackle. and. throwing away the ha
mer and nails, he cried out:
TON. | have been turned into
ostrich, And don't let them pluck
my feathers.
With that speech he went runnl
up the street with long strides. q
Of the town was soon In an excited 81
de- again. Joel hadn't committed any da
age when he came across a tin
=, dler's rig which was standing In IT
- of a house. and the peddler hiins
had Just come out of the gate afte
the call.
% Look out. Look out!' cried joel
md he came striding up. II have b
ack, turned into ostrich, and II kick
for once I shall break all your ribs!
ges, Look out yourself" shouted
wer peddler. Il am an ostrich myself.
W n there Is any kicking to be done
,u., bet your boots | shall have d
In it,
Joel made an awful kick at him.
missed. and in return was fairly u
I ed around by the shoe which str
I rrho, no received two II