Show TAKING TOLL BY T 3 ARTHUR mr smith kept a drug shop in the little village of Q which was situated a few milea miles from lancaster it was hia bia custom to visit the latter place every week or two in order to purchase such articles as ab were needed from time to time in his bis business onedas one day he drove off towards lancaster in his hia wagon among other things was a gallon demijohn on reaching the towe he called first on the grocers with the inquiry have you any common wine how colmont commont com common monT asked the grocer gracer about a dollar a gallon I 1 want it for tor antl wine yes yes yea I 1 have some just fit for that and not much else which I 1 sell at a dollar very well give us a gallon said mr S smith in ith the demijohn wab waa brought in from the wagon and tilled failed and then mr smith drove off to attend to other business among the tha things to be done on that day was to see a man who lived half a mile from lancaster before going out oui ut on this errand mr smith stopped at tle house bouse of his hia particular friend mr jones mr air jones jonea happened not to be in but mra mrs jones jonea was a pleasant plea piea bant gant woman and he chatted with her ten minutes or so As he into his wagon it struck him that the gallon demijohn was a little in hla hia way and BO so lifting it out ut be he said to mrs airs jones 1 I wish you would take care of jhb until I 1 come back 0 certainly replied mrs mis jones with the greatest of pleasure and BO so the demijohn was left in the ladys care some time afterwards mr air jones jonea came in and among the first things that attracted his bis attention was the strange demijohn what ia is that was his natural inquiry itt something mr ur smith left mr smith from Q 2 yea 1 I wonder what he has haa here said mr air jones taking hold ot of the demijohn uhe the cork was unhesitatingly removed and the be mouth of the vessel brought in contact with the smelling em elling organ of mr jones wine as I 1 livel fell from his bis lips biring bring firing me a glass lass bohl ohl no tir mr jones I 1 touch his wine said mrs airs jones bring me a glass do you expect I 1 im going to let a gallon of wine pass my way without exacting exaction toll no nol bring me a glass the glass a half pint tumbler was produced and nearly filled with the execrable stuff tuff as guiltless of grape juice as a dyers hat bat which was poured down the throat of mr jones pretty fair wine only a little rough 1 said mr jones smacking his 11 lips 9 its a bhame shame remarked mrs lones lones jones warmly for you to do so ag Y l 1 I only took toll said the husband laughing no harm barm in that im sure rather heavy toll it strikes me replied mrs jobes johes meantime mr smith having completed most of his bis business for that I 1 day stopped flopped at a store where be he wished two or t three ree r articles put up while these were in preparation he ald aid said to the keeper of the store 1 I wish you would let your lad tom tora step over for me to mr jones I 1 left a demijohn at of common wine there which I 1 bought for the purpose of making into wine y ohi oh certainly replied tnt toe store keeper here and he be called tor for his boy tom came and the store keeper said to him run over to mr jones and get a jug of wine which mr air smith left there go quickly for mr air smith ia is in a hurry burry yes air replied the lad and away he ran after mr jones bad himself disposed of a pint of wine he thought his hia stomach had rather a curious sensation which is not much to be wondered at considering the stuff wIth which he burdened it 1 I wonder if that really is wine said he be turn turning IT from the window at which he be had seat seated himself and taking up the demijohn again ne the cork was removed and bib bis nose nobe applied to the mouth of the huge bottle gyes stes yes its wine but ill lil vow ita its not much to 0 brag of and the cork wa was once more replaced just then came a knock at the door mrs jones opened it and ana the store keepers lad appeared hir bir mr air smith says ays please let me have the ju juz jus of wine be left here wined exclaimed mr jonea jones his lila chin falling and a paleness pa leneas ills iris instantly bantly over jp reading spreading his bis face yes sir air said the lad fell azain but haskill hask ily from the quivering lips of mr jones send for the doctor kity kitty quickly 01 bow sick I 1 feel I 1 send for the boctor doctor or ill be a dead man in halt half an hour bour antini Antica onial winel Dread dreadful tuli full exclaimed mrs jones now as pale and frightened as her husband do you feel ii lck alch oh yea yes As sick as 93 deathly and the appearance pe arance of mr sones jones by no means belied his bis words send for the doctor or it may be too late hirs mrs jones ran first in one direction and then in another and finally after tellar telling g the boy to run for the doctors doctor called jane her ingle single domestic aad started her on the same arand errand OT off sprung jane at a speed far outstrip ont out strip ping that of john gilpin the doctor wag was in his office and nd he came with all the rapidity a proper regard to the dignity of his profession would permit armed with a stomach pump and a dozen antidotes on arriving at the house of mr jones hp h found I 1 the sufferer lying upon a bed ghastly pale and retching terribly 1 ohl doctor im afraid ity its all ever with meil mell me gasped the patient how did it happen what bave have yoa you yo been taki taking ing 11 inquire inquired 1 1 d the doctor eagerly 1 I took by mistake nearly a pint of wine wined then it must oust be removed instantly said salil the doctor and down the sick mans throat went one end of a long flexible india rubber tube and pump pump pump went the doctor tonyp hand at the other end the result was wag very palpable about a pint of reddish fluid strongly oly gly smelling of wine came up after which wh ch the instrument was withdrawn there 1 l said the doctor 1 I guess that will do now let me give you an antidote 2 and a nauseous dose of something or other was mixed up and poured down to take place of what had just been removed dodou feel any better now inquired the doctor doctoral doc toras as be he sat holding the pulse ot of th the e blex sick bick I 1 k man and scanning with a professional eye his bia pale face that wab waa covered with a clammy perspiration pir i ega A litt little lei lej 2 was wag the faint reply r i do you think all danger is past yes I 1 think so the antidote I 1 have giten given iven you will neutralize the effect of the drug brug as far as it passed into the system 21 the wild flight of jane through the street and the hurried movements of the doctor did not fail to attract attention inquiry followed and it soon became noised about that mr air jones bad taken poison mr smith was just stepping into balawag hla hia wagon when a man came cama up and said to him have you heard beard the new news I 1 what news newa I 1 mr jores jones haa baa taken poison what poison Polso Poi aon nl who mr majonas rones jones yes and ana they say he cannot live dreadfully Dread tun tuU I 1 must see um lim ulm arid ana and without waiting for further information be he spoke to his horse and arid rode affat a gallop for or the residence of his friend mrs jones met him at the door looking very anxious how ia is he be inquired mr air smith in a serious voice A little better f thank you the ile doctor has taken it all out of his stomach will you walk up mr smith ascended to the chamber where lay mr jones looking as white as a sheet the doctor was till still by his bis side ah ab my friend said the sick man in a feeble voice as mr smith took his hand band that wine of yours has bag nearly been the th death of me ap what wine winey inquired mr smith not understanding his bis friend the wine you left in the gallon demijohn that wine 32 it was waa nol not fell tell from the lips of both mr air and mrs jones why no it wab waa wine that I 1 had bought for the purpose of making wine ngo mr jones rose up in bed not t wine liae not not nol why the boy said bald it was i I 1 then he know anything about it it was nothing but some common wine which I 1 had bought mr jones took a long breath the doctor arose from the bedside and mrs afro jones exclaimed weil well I 1 beverl good day said the doctor and went down stairs 9 so you have been drinking my wine it beema seems laughed mr smith 1 I only took a little toll said mr air jones back into whose pale face the color was beginning to come and through whose paralyzed nerves was again flowing from the brain a healthy influence but doni dont say anything about iti it dont for the world 1 ly 1 I wont on one condition said mr air smith whose words were scarcely coherent so strongly was he convulsed with laughter what is that you must become a teetotaller taller give me a day or two to make up my mind very well and now good bye and mr smith shook hands with mr AIM and mrs jones and hurriedly retired trying but in vain to leave the house bouse in a grave and dignified manner long before mr air joles had made up bib bia mind to join the teetotalers tee the story of his bis taking toll was all over town and for the next two or ar three months be he bad his bis own time of it after that it became an old story |