"Well, what are you doing there?" says he.

"Waiting orders," says I. "Any errands, Mr. Ellins?"

"Errands?" says he. Then, after thinkin' a second, he raps out, "Yes.
Do you see that collection of bottles and pills and glasses on the
table? Enough to stock a young drugstore! And I've been pouring that
truck into my system by wholesale,--the pink tablets on the half-hour,
the white ones on the quarter, a spoonful of that purple liquid on the
even hour, two of the greenish mixtures on the odd, and getting worse
every day. Bah! I haven't the courage to do it myself, but by the
blue-belted blazes if---- See here, Boy! You're waiting orders, you
say?"

"Uh-huh!" says I.

"Then open that window and throw the whole lot into the areaway," says
he.

"Do you mean it, Mr. Ellins?" says I.

"Do I--yah, don't I speak plain English?" he growls. "Can't you
understand a simple----"

"I got you," I breaks in. "Out it goes!" I don't drop any of it
gentle, either. I slams bottles and glasses down on the flaggin' and
chucks the pills into the next yard. I makes a clean sweep.

"Thanks, Torchy," says he. "The doctor will be here soon. I'll tell