The Beaufort tribune and Port Royal commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1877-1879, 1877-05-03

shoot herself even IN this strait.
She would take poison.
Yes, that would be best; and though
she would never see Tom again, he
would see her, and remorse would sting
him.
Here she made great mistake.
A man who is coolly treacherous to
women never has any remorse.
Remorse in love affairs is purely
feminine quality, and even the worst of
the sex ere not without it
However, it is natural to believe that
remorse is possible to man whom one
has heretofore believed to be an angel
in human form, and Eve took little
miserable comfort in the thought that
Tom would kneel beside her coffin, and
burst into tears and passionate exclama-
tions of regret, which she, perhaps,
might see from some spiritual post OF
observation.
So, having put on hat and a thick
veil, Eve betook herself down the street
and around the corner to the nearest
druggist.
The druggist was an old man, q benevo-
lent-looking one, with red cheeks and a
smiling mouth; and when she asked for
s'poison for rats" he said-"So!" and
beamed mildly upon her.
81 want it very strong" said Eve.
$50 !" said the druggist.
"But not to give more pain than is
necessary" said Eve.
''To the rats 2" asked the druggist.
"Yes,' said Eve, ''of course; and it
must be quick, and not make one black
in the face"
"So!' said the druggist, slowly.
''Wen, what shall I give you that shall
not make rat black in the face ?"
And with O grave countenance he COM
pounded powder and handed it across
| the counter.
Eve took it, and paid the few pence he
asked, and walked away.
Once home, she went directly to her
room and retired to bed, taking the pow
der with her.
Once or twice she tasted it with the
tip of her tongue, hoping it was not very
disagreeable.
T6e7 finding it sweet, she bravely
swallowed it.
"It is over" she said. ooh, Heaven
forgive me, and forgive Tom
And then she laid herself down upon
her pillow.
Just as she did so, the familiar sound
of latch-key in the door below startled
her.
Tom never came home at noon-but
there he was now.
No one else but Tom could walk in in
that cool way.
And now he was calling her.
"Eve, Eve, Eve Where are you?"
Never before had she refused to an
swer that voice.
Why had he come to torture her dying
moments?
| Hark
Now he was bounding upstairs.
He was in the room.
"What is the matter-are you i'll,
Eve ?" he cried.
"No," said she family; 'only tired"
"Ah, you look tired, little one" said
he. 81 came home to get the overcoat.
I suppose you have found out by this
time that that in the hall is not mine. /
wore Johnson's oyercoat home from the
office last night by mistake, and he Is
anxious about it. He asked if there was
any one in the house who would be apt
to meddle with papers or anything in the
pockets. I said I thought not. hadn't
jealous wife-eh? Why, what's the
matter, Eve %
ooh, Tom," cried Eve, hysterically,
"oh, Tom, say it again. 1t was not your
coat? Oh, Tom, kiss me"
"What is the matter, Eve ?" cried
Tom. "You must be Ill |"
Then Eve remembered all.
"Oh, I am a wicked woman, Tom !"
she cried. "There were letters in the
pocket--love letters. I read them-I
| thought you false to neil took pol
son, Toni-I'm going to die-and long
to live SO! Oh, Tom, save me?
eyes, yes?' cried Tom. "Oh. good
Heaven ! what poison ?"
"Mr. Hoffman will know. 1 bought it
of him. Perhaps he can save me, " cried
Eve, in piteous tones.
And away went Tom, white as death,
to the druggists around the corner.
He burst into the shop something like
q whirlwind.
"The lady," he gasped, "the lady
who bought poison here an hour ago
she took it by mistake! Can you save
her-have you an antidote? She is
dying"
"No, no." said the old man; be calm
be at rest. No, no, she cannot die of
that. When lady asks me for poison,
I say to myself" - and I give her
in the paper little sugar and some
thing. She could take pound. Go
home and tell her so. I never sell poi
son to women; so be calm"
So Tom few home again, and Eve re-
joiced; and hearing that johnson was
single man, who admitted himself to be
engaged, she did not rip the patch off
! his coat as she at first intended.