Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-01-29

AM4N@EV
John Needham prepares for his las! hours.
He knewthat Byles, Grant & Byles would
have to send a confidential messenger to
Dublin for the evidence Of his guilt, and
that by Monday they would be in a position
to order his arrest. He foresaw the long
train Of ether frauds which their discovery
would bring to light, and he knew there
was no chance Of compromise.
At first he thought Of flight; but flight
demanded energy, and he was tired, beaten,
out of hope, out Of spirits. Flight would
mean pursuit, and pursuit capture; but,
above all, it meant action, energy, physical
grip, and he had lost all this with his last
move, played unsuccessfully in the private
counting house OF Byles, Grant & Byles.
The expression Of surprise in the face Of
Byles, senior, and the peculiar and doubt
ing remark Of Grant had dropped his hopes
down to zero. The ak was at the tree. He
knew it must fall. In short, he had had
enough; he was played cut; and in this
frame of mind he went home, revolving a
plan Of suicide.
1t was a hot summer day. June was just
merging into July. The London season was
waning, though to all appearance it was in
its heydey. st. Paurs was booming the
hour Of four as his singla-horse b~rougham,
which he used for city work, pushed its way
through the vehicular traffic Of Ludgate
Hill and Floet strset to wards the West end.
The ja1e1 banker AMI member Of parlia-
ment noted, in a dreamy way, the languid
manner Of the pedestrians, SO unusual in
London; but eighty degrees in thu shade
was a serious tax upon street energy. AT
Charing Cross he saw two parliamentary
colleagues walking leisurely to the house,
and in Regent street a cabinet minister re-
turned his moi and inwardly thanked his
official stars that Mr.. Needham was not
quite out Of the political running, for the
government could not afford to make seri-
GUS mistakes Of any kind.
At Piccadilly circus Mr.. Needham pulled
the checks tring at a druggists, and enter
ing the store asked for speedy means Of
death, as Romeo had asked of the apothe-
cary in Mantua. But there was nothing
picturesque in the bankers approach to the
London drug seller; nor did he confide to
the modern tradesman the need he had
for the mortal drugs. 1t was a very pro-
sale request that Mr.. Needham preferred
"a large bottle of essential oil of almonds"
He SAID his groom wanted it for the
horses, he presumed. The chemist sug-
gested that arsonic was the only drug he
knew Of that was given to horses, and then
only in very small quantities. Il think my
groom says it is for a dressing said Need
ham, 'fbut l shall see to that SIyself; my
stud groom is a very clever fellow and is
advised by an experienced vet" 1T is
deadly poison" said the druggist. mot
more so than arsenic" answered Needham.
''They are both sever enough" said the
druggist, "but how large a bottle do you
wish forY' About half a pint said the
customer. The shop keeper conferred with
some other person for a few minutes. The
customer seeing. as he thought, some hesita-
ton in regard to serving so large a guam
tity, said, snake it up and send it to my
house-Mr. Neeiham, Portland place" The
name and address had their due weight.
'Send it this evening. am going to Leigh
ton Buzzard in the morning and want to
take it with me-"
The druggist was "a bit of q sporting
man. had ridden to hounds now ami then,
and had heard of the Nesdham stud. He
was on this recount, all the more impressed
with his new customer, and said the drug
should be sen az onca. MARX it poison"
said Mr.. Neadham. "Of course, sir" said
The druggist; "6hank you, SIR And MIR.
Needham drove home. Portland place was
Iaore Or less en- fete with afternoon recep-
tons, as it would be later with dinner par
ties, and later still with gayer throngs at
evening ''rou's and dances for the season
was a particularly gay one, and Portland
place was the headquarters of one of the
snowy an interesting Of Oriental en-
les
A messenger, sir,n said the butler.
shortly after Mr.. Needham had entered bis
study, with a parcel he must deliver only
to you"
"a parcalp
ut is from the chemists"
"Oh, yes; show him in said Mr.. Need
ham. "Dick wants some oil OF almonds
for the horses. | called to order it, and it
is a strong poison, and there is so much of
it they don't like to deliver it In a general
kind Of way. Show the young man i'm
4 was only 10 uellVor IL 10 MI. Need
ham" said the messenger.
Quite right said the banker. 'Isup.
pose there IS enough to poison the whole
streetg'
"Yes, sir" said the messenger. II
brought it myself that there might be no
mistake"
Thank you very much" said Mr.. Need
nam, taking the bottle; and then turning
2 the builder he remarked, "We will lock il
up, eli, Johnf'
YES, SIR
I'm my desk.n
Eyes, SIR
W neeanam handed the bottle ana the
~ 2 tne butler. who placed 1t in the