A "FLUE" FANTASY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 919, 12 September 1910, Page 9

A "FLUE" FANTASY.

e . THE OIL THAT DID, AND THE POULTICE THAT DIDN'T. ALSO MY AUNT SOPHIA.

(Bi TVi.)

/.'Haying the reputation of being, a ; somjswhat'-difficult ;-patient, my,; o.cca-. ' siohal 'indispositions,-' 'if ;they -bo serious .I;-, enough to; warrant: it/;' are usually.:pre- - Bided over by my..... Aunt, Sophia, a ..- Strong-minded .spinster,;\ who , declines ,: u to stand any:'nonsense." "'She ought , to'..have been a 'mar;, but.jsinco . slip : ;>vasli!ti'"she has salved her ..disappoint-' . ment; by .bcca'sionaily;hiakiiig .things ex- :■'.■ ceediugly warnr for certain; members of that particular ,sex-Trmysolf included, • Ordinarily,' there exists:between-us a - v state'/of/armed /neutrality, but: wheii : '. I'm. "down" With, something or, other, , : t'lie 'peace is broken with, a 'crash,' and ': there ensues "a '■'struggle; for supremacy invariably/ends'- in the same,way : ;;—shevwiiis.' /-'V;.'.;" '•• ■'..'■-■''■V '■: ; -/'But' : sh'o;does not-W'ways-w'in. The. other; day '1 • fell : a ;piey;tb ■ the - prevail- .-; ■ ingviiillueiiza/'aud went.to ,'bed. '.. To make/sure of. me—l:,didn't .feel, very ; particular, just -.then which,.way it went : /r^jihey/sent / for ;my ,'Auiit Sophia, and. ' 1 she., came, remdrking'.'that she. was.quite' : ; 'sure;.that "he'/doesn/I.deserve' to'have i :" me;", and 'that: she "would got. no thanks :: for "haveto; put up: .. : . : '. with."';.Presently; : ;we ; had our first in- ; : "teryiew.-jji.';'';,:'.;.;,;.' ,■■■,'■.':;' i.; ;,■'•_ : , : ';; ; '/.'.. .' •'.:•;'.. i"TVell, 'young' man?"; she said. ; •< This i . do you do?" < ■■.-'. I don't approve of it;'; I replied, that'l' i 'Wasn't; Wiollii'-.f ■'-';,''- : '!' *'"■-" .:'"":■',".-"■ I .';■'•''-."lniph—you're;'not too ill to 'be ; .;;furmy I ''-.\she;.obser\'ed',-; : tartly.;..,' First. ,i -, J iblood-for.-me,.-I refleo'ted/asl gazedal i : :'her*.o.ver 'the-edgovof the.sheet. " ." '.- ; ::,'!>TVell—r<;think;;tl!at.:the best'ithijig: ■ :;. we, can do is 'to Kegin ', with ;a; good ; stiff . , ; .'dose.of..castor oil;" she*remarked,,".it's . ■;. :gqbd.:for.,th.e syitom;" So saying/ she; - ', /iio'se;with an'air'of'.business.V"l,gasped. ; • Castor oil for'.'the;,"flue" I''TVhat' rot!, ( /'.''Myi dear "aunt/.'.'l.'began,. ''h--hadn't • '.■;.you'.:better.ithiiik: again?"■• ;<,.V ~:.. ... ] '.: -;;She'■'■.looked .at;me;.'-; "young'«man," ' ' ; sSe'Ssajd-rhow I' hated .that \ I ihaiihing";; of ~hers will please :' .. understand ..that' I have' not: ' , to; put- -up. ;with i'any nonsense.",. ■,; ..- ■'J your; ■ ■ :^oxsi'";:V'gr<^6d^:::'A^i,^&^eai^ in, ' ; 'fiearcpi 'of the;' oil. '..Presently she : . ( ' ;turned,-iwith- ;< oil/ ; and some,.suga.r, .and. filled ,'the; 1 '..with the. viscid .abominatibh'.; ;;'. : .;:'•'.'.; | ' .l,.suggested.'':>,^-',.^:.;-/-■''V;;':-." ; ';-;;' ; .'l- -i ; ;■ ■ 'get 'tho'-- : [ sugar /.after-r-duty ;■-first;,''".she;'said : .with'i. decisidrii" jAiint "J '■' SopTiia I .has. 'about. as; mucli'.;bf:';the spirit' ' ',- 'of .comp'ronviso in. her: as;a.Scbtch; coven- . • : iuto^^andWQ".bowels <if Mmpassiotfat, ;"all/?;'.'.'Sit ;'up'; arid .'take,;it,";;slie ; ;■ com- * ~ inahSed;;',;';Vj 7 ;:';- : ; v V '.";.I'Eat;up,.tobk'the for'one, ; : : wild; second /debated.'wwhetherr r I, 'would ■ - ,:takevit;*or;:hurl/it;/ : on;,:the i ;UOol , ;;;;,BUt'"' "■',' thet'odds 'were; against 'me; /there; was -, 1 .-, m6re.;in-the bottle, .and Jhete jwas' Aunt 'i , ■ Sbphih.;;,• 'Ready;\vith;tlie.'sugar'/ noiy, ; :; Auiit--7pla.y;: the/ game, ;kuow,'';'■ i , ;' eaidv///''■:■ ■;Ui.'''';;- / /;;-.;;:'/':;;:';':;;;' : ' i- : ;/ "

~ ; M'Never'fear,fV she'. .replied ,;, grimly,' '''I'lbV/just before. I'm.'.geue'roua,'.'; sue '. ■*■"''«'•''. " ! V !'. "'-""'i V *":,:■■',<: ; -Then I raised -the lower.cd^'it:'again; f ; ;'<Usa;>,.-Aunt; :'just 'A's-a ■'.". : some sugar .-in. my -.;/. mouth .;firsi^tiie. : .;stuii';-willjTget .there .just' the'' : sanie,"vl : !'Baid. in-.a.:;wheedle.. ■'.- drew ; a'long breatn, •/opened- my* niouih -.as-wide ;as:"pbs4ible,?sliut'-my'eyes, J and' ;' tipped .it : iri';. Faugh 1 liiurled the-spoon; Vto theXilobr. ";''SugaH;\\'ater! ,bonie-' •.:/thingl.- ; V'"Ariy.thing'l- i: .vVWi'erelt"v.WJierdl; ; M'hereJ'^: : i:'shrieKed;vj-eaching;wildly.for< /-the/stigar.'/:/: -If.- "■>;;;:-?,; ;. \- ? vjp;Q*?--1 ?; heaven's //sake!—here's,; ;the '■■/ BUgar-r—any body : would. think you 'were ;vppW'o;ned,'the.\vay;j|ou/perform;'.'/observ-' .: ■ei'mj'i'aw.UJl "Oh,. ybu'-'men'l;; -Awpman - ; woulajmikevrio; fuss /at all," she:added,'; ;in fine; •..scorh..;a's/she _stood, 'Ayith'-'arms v.akimbo 1 ,/; victory.;.in/ her eye,;!wafching ' : me-:munching.ihe^.sugars'■;,;''■';; './;■//';'':■'/// : '/'-'That's/all./;very; nne}-rSO /you//say. , ;..i ! ll you; five' .bob;'. if - you'll 'take ~ :the--same-dose, under; similar-: circs.,''. 1 '" replied..//The/offer.'iottnii"-.': üb; : -.\takei. .-■ Aunt ;Sbpkia-.had won;on /points'./ /"I'll; ■. -'bring' ybu : up' a: poultice';, for /your/cHe'st. ■Boon/' :sha said,-.as"she, left' the/room. '.;■• deuce;you willj'ttl/sriapped, 'as :-.;tho:'.door;.clbMd.i;.-I';diop^d-;baok;on.tlie Eillows;' arid;; reflected 1 upon ••the.slimy orrorrthat-had; .the. '~ outrage that was .'now: imminent.. There isVnothing ! of :the./'hero'about:/ihe-rl .admit; that'.without rshame—and'as the/thought'. of.flJie.mustafd 1 ; horror- floated-.':■6efore':;my7:mental-vision,.beads iof-per-' - 6piratipn v 6tobd':'upon ; ;'my 'brow, t and I '.: .clenched; my.;fists in.{the'energy;of my. despair;.-'Then;the;sound'of inexorable -.ifoptsfeps;:slowly: mounting-, : tho;■ stairs V;came to/iny ears,/like ;the harigmanapvproacliing; the condemned; cell.. ,-;lt\was -j -.; the :x>f .the, ..there' no nappy chance' that my. Aunt' ;Sophia...would fail. down, the;stairs "and ■"break something^—even her neck?-None.■'! " The; bearer of':. the {Poultice v was f firm' j ■ ■■;.ind; : always,gptithereT-afidßd,"' , ','Here's .the poultice," .she.annouhc-; ! «d, asLshe placed something that looked; liko'.'tt young; Christmas puddingtyery carefully : upon the: : tible.';::^l;.ft,. ; ;.| ;■.:' '-•'.latelligent-'remarkyi.was it? :.>-. ;... ■>:;'• ;Aunt; vsnorted; v \; ■. I : ehould-think it; was' hot: :;Did:y6u think . it wdiild ; be: cold f"; she'asked,'7cuttingly.; ";;M^All''the;same;to"me ; " : Ireplied. '■.""I. ,;ion'tv;behev>"in; added; .'.-■•' ."They're,old-fashioned.'.'.-. ~i:Sj;V;';?•;-.■-■-;,;.: ; .' "Like,:,:me,: I. suppose?''":liaid:Aunt.;Sophia,;:bridling..i;'l ;6y'ad«l,,'th6:;ch'al-'';,l«nge.;>';VNbw)'';jio'"-inoieVion^s&:'.'-,!Fhis. ; isrgettingjcold,"- ;Bhe.' wont ;bh;;''!'Get \)ieady.''^"; ! .;;;.;-i;:;,,;;V.;;i;;v;,;.:;.;.-;;:; ; II got: ready,: reluctantly. -Every sec- -: ond's; delay '.meant .less agony to, me ■'. when;l;embraced: the'/Poultice', but:l .oouldnot temporise for ever.' And my , : . aunt -was'; growing suspicious.' -.. It ■ had (to/he, -so :I ■surrendered.;:. 'fCorae oh 1 ," u saidj'-with .an" effort,;clenching';'my teeth.;holding, my' breath, and clutchnng- the.'maitress';with of a'.'dy- | nhg: man. Aunt, Sophia bent over' me I ,' tand-rapidly casting'-aside the: flannel 'lenyelopein which the flabby-looking es...iserice of ;agony-was-swathedj slapped ithe Poultice ■oh ;.my ; , chest; Ee--ow I ■Murder.! :':;Get; i' : but; ■'• of'' this!".,. ;I ■': [yeUed f ;,as.;;the;:; fiery;/panacea; seem- . [Ed • to. burn; into; my '■ shuddering chest.■vJI. sat;up, pushed' my.'Aunt'Sophia out •of the way;by"a superhuman effort, and seizing,the.Thing-by.'its oily covering, , pliicked.it from me,; and; hurled it across '~ the r00m;,,,:1t -hit the 'wall •:w'ith;.'a' pe- ; •culiar.:.:"squelch," -and'-dropped to"'.the ..'■floor-with" a> flabby ithud.V "There!—l'll throw; the nejrt one :at you;'M shouted: -■recklessly.'-.-■.,■■-.■•-';; ';',;;;;,';.' :;,':■ ...Aunt.Sophia stood,speechless with'"in-' ... dignatibh.;;,"l-i-I've a precious-'good '-. mind,to.leave you,", she, gasped.: _ "Right; you are," said I, with fine defiance..: ■"'.■'-■''•"' ■-.-.'■ ■ ;"But I'll'put'apoultice on you first," she,said, vindictively. And, a quarter of an hour later, she did. :