Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1924-01-04
Poisoned
Pears
By ANTHONY REIMERT
Observation-Disclosures

20, 1921, Western Newspaper Union)
ZEBULoN CRAGGs had a reputa.
ton for cranlsiness even in Toots.
Vile, which shelters good many of
the tribe Zebulon was an old bache-
Tor of sIxty-five his wife had died many
years before, and he was all alone in
the world.
He had retired ten years before and
lived in little cottage on the outskirts
Of the town, where he devoted himself
to raising pears, peaches and tomatoes
for his own consumption Mrs. Bohn
who came every day to look after him,
said he was fond Of his table, "rellshed
his victuals," as she put It.
The trouble with the choicest pear
tree-those fine eating pears-was that
1t hung over the sidewalk. Nightly,
during the pear season, predatory boys
would strip the branches.
Perhaps Zebulon might have let the
pears go--there were plenty more
pears on the insldeOf the prlvet hedge
but Zebulon was a crank.
Seems to me he can't get those
pears off his mind" said his neighbor,
Mrs. Prentice, to her husband, the
druggist. II saw him walking up and
down under the tree all day today,
looking at the pears and mutterlng and
shaking his fist. l wonder what the
old mans planning to DOR
Next day a few pears had dlsap-
peared from the lowest branches.
Hes been acting crazy all day." re-
ported Mrs. Prentice. George, 1 do
believe he counts those pears. Just
because few were taken last night
-. George, believe he's going to wait
up with a shotgun"
George Gained her fears, but the
next day he thought of his wife's story
when zebulon came into the store.
II want ten cents worth of bitter
aloe extract" he said.
Cant sell less than quarters
WORTH" said the druggist
Old Craggs paid and went out with
bitter smile, which started George
thinking again.
George" said his wife, when he got
home that night, "old Mr.. Craggs has
been acting in the queerest way this
afternoon. was watching him from
my window. He had something like a
syringe In his hand and he's been
Swinging every one Of those pears that
hang over the hedge-secretly when
no one was passing by"
by George" said George.
"Where are you going, dear?"
Just to the store. Listen. Pollyp
Half an hour later old Zebulon,
broodlng over his revenge, received an
urgent telephone message from the
drug store.
"What's thatT he yelled
I'm dreadfully sorry, Mr.. Oraggs.
can't think how came to make such
a dreadful blundsr as to sell you
strychnine In mistake for aloes"
"Strychnine spluttered Craggs.
Enough to poison regiment. do
hope none CT 1t has been used for
any"
But, with a wild scream ZebulOn
Craggs let the receiver fall, and II hung
there, despite the suffering protest Of
Central, till an ungodly hour In the
evening.
Five minutes later Polly Prentice
was convulsed with laughter as she
got her husbands message over the
telephone.
George, having gone back to the
store. stayed and spent an hour or so
going through his books. He heard his
wife's account when he returned.
1.-THE old man came rushing out Of
his house like maniac" she said,
and began stripping the trees. He
didn't stop at the pears that overhung
the wall, either. guess he didn't
know how many he'd doped, because he
stripped the whole tree before he'd fin
ished."
Good work, eli, POlly7 No pears for
zebulon this autumn"
mo. George But you didn't ask me
what he did with them
"What did he DOR
"Why, he gathered them all into
big heap and suppose he means to
burn them tomorrow, ONLY got there
FIRST, and"
you cutie kid
"The poor old man Will think the
boys took them, and he'll live In terror.
Of being arrested for manslaughter for
days, while we-ah, I'm making pear
pie for tomorrow, and wen eat the
rest"