The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-05-26
A Dream Of Murder.

The narrator said that, some years
ago he was "best man at the mar
risge of friend who afterward pro-
ceeded with his bride to a large town
in England. The lady possessed great
personal charms, and had quite fol.
lowing of suitors, the most conspicu-
ous OF whom was young chemist,
who did bear the most irreproachable
of characters; but shortly before the
marriage, this young man disappeared.
The married couple were very happy
for several months till an event hap
pened which bears on the story. Re
turning from concert one evening,
the young wife received slight chill
which threatened to rest on the lungs.
and medical assistance was procured.
The doctor came and after ordering
simple prescription, he retired, remark
ing that his patient would be all right
in day or two. This anticipation,
however, was not fulfilled. To the
great grief of the husband, his wife
showed symptoms of extreme lassitude,
and the most skillful diagonis of an
eminent physician failed to account
for the abnormal condition. Medicine
was of course prescribed freely, but
with no beneficial result. Exhaustion
supervened; and at this crisis the hus-
band telegraphed for his friend at Ed
inburg to come and perform some
little business.
The summons was readily obeycd,
as the friend had sincere admiration
for the husband, and the greatest re-
spect for the suffering wife. Seated
that night in a Midland carriage, with
no companion but his thoughts, the
young man recalled all the circum.
stances of the marriage not forgetting
the sinister incident of the disappoint-
ed apothecary's disappearance. AS he
thought on all these matters, he fell
asleep. He awoke with a start, and
he was at Carlisle. His sleep had not
been refreshing, for it had been dis
turbed by a dream that troubled him.
| Unsentimental by nature, he tried to
laugh the fancy away; but it refused
to be exercised. Still harping on
some of the incidents, he reached his
friends home, and found the young
wife in a hopeless condition. The hus-
band was saddened and perplexed ;
and his friend, realizing that action of
some kind was necessary to raise the
mourner from his stupor, succeeded, in
getting him to talk about the business
he wished transacted They went
through number of streets convers-
ing familiarly, when all of a sudden
the husband found himself grasped by
the arm, and looked round to see his
friend gazing eagerly into the window
of shop. Recovering himself in an
instant, the visitor talked freely, and
did not volunteer an explanation for
his rather erratic conduct; but on re.
turning to the house, he requested the
servant to bring the bottle containing
the medicine last given to the suffer.
ing woman. The girl brought the
bottle, and said she had just washed
it, as the doctor had ordered her to &C
for another dose.
This was disappointing, certainly
But the friend was born detective
and not to be baked. The girl went
for the medicine. When she returned
with 1t, the young man took the bottle
and without acquainting the husband
of his attention, left the house with tn,
prescription, returning after brief in
terval with the medicine. During tn,
night, the breathing of the patien
became easier, and when the docto
called the next day, he was able to re
port symptoms OF recovery.
In the evening the friend, accom-
panied by a man of severe demeanor
entered the room where husband sat
and requested him to come out on
little piece of business. They wake,
in silence through several streets, an
at last reached a police station, whic
they entered. Behind the desk ther
was seated man with his face burie
in his hands. The officer on dut,
without much circumlocution, told tn
business which had called them ther,
Addressing the husband, he said tha
l the man seated in the Office wa
3 charged with administering noxiou
! drugs. When the accused stood II,
the party saw the altered features o
| the missing chemist. A light SCENE
to flash over the husbands face an
, after he had made all the nccessar
e dispositions, he hurried home. AT tn
e next assizes, the chemist was sentence
$ to ten years penal servitude; and {
he pleaded guilty, the public kne
+ nothing of the circumstances MOI
l than was contained in the charge. Or
1 of the prosecutors, however, had man
! tested a great interest in the case; an
i as the husband and his friend WEI
leaving the court, he requested Il
n latter to give him some explanation ,
e the manner in which his suspicion
! We're first called forth against Il
d criminal The friend at once told h
e story.
u In the railway carriage he h,
:, dreamed that he was walking throua
J. a large city which he had never Wis
= ed. AT length he came upon a row
!, shops, and at window of one
u these he observed the face of ma
debased and vindictive in its expires
= ion, and quite familiar to him. IT
ID man held mortar and pestlc in
r hands, and while he mixed up sor
Y, drug, there was a baleful light in {
It tishy looking eyes. Then the sha
"a whistle of the engine awakened t
n dreamer The sequel was plai
Walking with his friend through t
rs labyrinth of streets, could he despi
y his sleeping fancy when he saw befc
,e him the actual row of shops. while
le one of the windows stood a figr
g that haunted his memory like a Mig
Of mare' 1t was a perfect revelatic
IS When he returned, and secured t
70 medicine and prescription, he went
re another chemist and procured [
er needed restorative, and then call
\, upon an analyst with the first bott
d. 1t was found TO contain deadly n
d, cotic, and the police authorities havi
OF been satisfied with main facts, orde,