His attentive wife, seeing that he had ceased struggling, lifted
him in her arms and sat him down in his chair with a force that
threatened to snap his head off.
"There!" she said, as he wheezed a little from the effects of the
shock, "now see if you can behave yourself an' chew your meat as
you ought to! One of these days when you're alone you'll try that
game, and that 'll be the last of you."
"If he'd try to do one of my tricks long enough he'd get so that
there wouldn't hardly anything choke him," the sword swallower
ventured to suggest, mildly, as he wiped a small stream of cranberry
sauce from his chin and laid a well polished turkey bone by the
side of his plate.
"I'd like to see him try it!" said the fat lady, with just a shade
of anger in her voice. Then turning toward her husband, she said,
emphatically, "Samuel, don't you ever let me catch you swallowing
a sword!"
"I won't, my love, I won't; and I will try to chew my meat more,"
replied the very thin glutton, in a feeble tone. Toby thought that
perhaps the skeleton might keep the first part of that promise,
but he was not quite sure about the last.
It required no little coaxing on the part of both Toby and Mrs.
Treat to induce Mr. Stubbs to come down from his lofty perch; but
the task was accomplished at last, and by the gift of a very large
doughnut he was induced to resume his seat at the table.
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