Show THE DOCTORS MELONS when dr crackenthorpe Cracken thorpe mored out from the city to ferndale Fern dile he had given as hta ahlet reason for leaving the flat I 1 want a garden rad isas onion and lettuce had already been enjoyed and peas were soon oming on the doctor gleefully told flim self but the spot of aroun 1 toward which ne ther he nor malachi his colored driver could look without at de couf as malachi ex pres od it vas a section given over to melons not that they looked promis ing yet but and his wife amelia who was tie doctors house beeper had used all thewl dom g lined rom years of experience and had brought these young vines to that ol 01 t where melon bags lo 10 e interest 0 o blossoms blos began to appear in abundance that abrelia s matac mati s gave out and their son john qu ncy adams was made to count them late in august the sleek bodies of the watermelons began to be q alte noticeable among the lusty leaves while close by the globes of the musk melon with the slices already plain ay iy indicated exhaled at dusk a fra grance which made the sport hard tc pass nightly malachi and the doctor and sometimes amelia made the rounds thumping the watermelons sniffing at the until one saturday night it 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 will toward men in his heart malachi full of quaint humor following at a respectful distance 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 anel ons into the house but alas the vanity of human wishes those mel ons were nowhere to be found the group gazed in speechless amazement tt first and malachi and amelia sank into gloom so profound that the doc tor rallied and pointed out several ace e melons nearly as mature as those they were mourning tor which would be ripe he felt sure before one could say jack robinson but each time the wily thief knew also and the repeated 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 aery boys and even her own friends the doctor joked at first but finally dwore roundly and one night he emerged from his office with a sin lter look and when he reached the beloved melon patch he did a very strange thing in the dim light of the garden he sank on his knees and handled each of the fragrant globes with apparent fondness as it bidding it a long farewell while he was at bis devotions be heard malachi call ing and scrambling to his feet he made his way hurriedly to the house along toward morning be was called up from sound repose by a telephone message from mrs ogleby would doctor kindly come at her son richard had been taken violently while the doctor was deliberately dressing the bell rang again and he learned that the mayors son ned allas was acutely the doctor and put in a busy day for this mysterious llanesa teemed epidemic it was no respecter of persons as it attacked those of high and low degree alike but it seemed limited to the youth of the land MB or allas and several well to do men got a specialist to examine the water and another to see it any sewer gas could be detected but as the sufferers rapidly grew better in aulry died down toward the end ol 01 the siege malachi rame to dr crackenthorpe Cracken thorpe and re moving his cap respectfully sadly paid mars I 1 reckon I 1 se on to yo case I 1 dun found dis here in de melon patch handing the rather shame faced doctor a hypodermic syringe an I 1 done noticed dat each one dem big melons is got little places where its been punched dat low down melia s boy an mine he s sick along the rest dont worry malachi it was only ipecac I 1 dont keer what kin of cack it wag case I 1 low hell pull broo he too ornery to die but when he s up and lous again I 1 se gwine lam time him oh let him off malachi he been satisfactorily punished punished snorted the irate old man wal I 1 reckon not who tuk keer dese here melon from de fuste me an mella now dis here pestiferous boy s at dem mel ons an me and mella s bad to take keer on him how cum you call dat the doctor wisely held his peace tor he realized that the tat roll of bills in his pocket helped him to be philosophical about his melon crop chicago record herald |