The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-24

into the drug store.
When saw this I felt satisfied that il
was all explained quite as well as If | was
to return and ask questions.
Some person in the neighborhood is GER
tainly sick, and this man is after medicine
or after DOCTOR"
With such thought I tried to throw
aside the incident. Such occurrences are
so frequent in the city that one comes to
give them very little more than passing
| notice
l therefore continued on to my house,
and betook myself at once to my room, yet
somehow an irresistible force seemed to be
holding me. moved slowly and with an
apparent spirit of irresolution-
| threw off my wet coat, and then realiz-
ing considerable distress in my stomach
concluded to take some medicine forth
with.
Turning little water into glass and
taking out of my pocket the small vial
had received from the drug clerk counted
| out just an even five drops.
| remember this distinctly, for some
thing prompted me to caution. and count
| ed the drops three times from bottle to
glass.
| And yet, notwithstanding this careful
| ness, and that never before in my life do
believe myself to have been guilty of
taking dose of medicine without first,
and tboughtfully, looking at the label,
still on this occasion 1 clearly have it in
mind that did not take this precaution.
Well, stood beside my table slowly
stirring the acid mixture with lead pencil
preparatory to taking it down." when l
heard rapid footballs approaching the
street door, and second later the bell was
violently and continuously rung.
My first impulse was to quietly swallow
the draught and then go down to the door,
but the same unseen hand that had re-
strained me since the affrighted cries IN the
street still held its power, and the glass
was not raised to my lips.
Ding ling ling ling -ling-ling! echoed the
bell without interruption, and when l
opened the door wild eyed, mud bespat-
tered, and generally disheveled man gasped
out:
'Have-have you taken For
God's-sake-wh-what- Neutrality-suspicious.
with-that-that-me-
It then flashed upon my mind who the
person was, though at first took him to
be an escaped lunatic
"Is that you, Charlie, What's the mat
ter?" asked, still not quite understanding
what he meant-for did not think of the
medicine.
"Tell me, quick" he answered, clutch
ing me by the arm and looking wildly into
my eyes. u-taken-that--medi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
-the-store?"
no." said I, now compromising fully.
II was just going to take it when you
pulled my bell"
"Thank Godr' he said, and then collapsed
in heap at my feet.
picked the poor fellow up and was about |
to call for some of the people in the house |
when he recovered himself, and with my
assistance he crawled slowly up to my |
warm and comfortable room
After rest from the terrible strain he |
had undergone he gave me his experience |
something like this:
"You had not left the store very long be-
fore l commenced to feel agitated and ner-
vous over something. For some little Pc
Rod l could not think what it was that so
annoyed nae, until finally my thoughts
drifted toward you and the medicine had |
put up at your request. The more ponder
ed this over in my mind just that much
more did / feel convinced that had made
mistake. l then remembered of hearing
you say that few drops of the acid helped
you more than anything else, and it at
once came upon me that you had called for
hydrochloric acid instead of hydrocyanic
acid-the medicine gave you.
Il knew that hydrocyanic acid was a
deadly poison in the dose you spoke of tax
ing, and l almost lost my senses when the
full reality of my error became evident ]
cannot begin to tell you how felt or how
have felt all through the matter until
now
81 knew that the moment you took that
medicine you were beyond all help, for it
acts almost instantly and very certainly
Yet how was to prevent it?
Il first rang up the firm, but could get
no response. l wanted to learn of your
residence, SO that could go there at once
81 then rang at the next drug store,
thinking you might have stopped there.
Every moment 1 was getting wilder, as
a realization grew upon me that my mis-
take certainly meant your death, unless
were very quickly interposed to
prevent.
Running back to the store I irnmedi
ately called up the chief of police, gave him
your name. and quickly detailed the events
to him.
81 soon had word over the line that your
former residence was found, but that you
had moved lately, and it seemed that NO
one knew exactly where.
After ringing about all the phones in
the city-so it appeared to nett was final
ly ascertained that you lived on Williams
street, though the exact number was still
noI fha l
near Williams street, but they did not
know your number and had not seen you
1T seems that a fearful long time was
in trying to obtain some inkling
Of your place Of residence. and in the mean
time the agony was suffering was some
thing terrible. Every few minutes would
ring up the chief Of police until / guess be
thought I certainly was crazy But your
life depended upon everything and l could
not be calm.
Finally word was sent me that a SQUAD
If police had been sent to Williams street
% intercept any cab, and at the same time
% make diligent search for your quarters
at flashed upon me at that moment that
Tou might yet be in some drug store on ,
his side of the city. / sent this theory to /,
he chief. and he at once telephoned to
very store he could reach.
'In few minutes-I was hanging trem-
,iinG onto the phone-I was called and ,
Notified that responses had come in from !.
everal places saying that you had been
here, but had left short time before i,
This intelligence gave me some ease, for
" il | knew that you were still alive. and :
{ the police patrol of Williams street only
.ept their eyes open-aside from reaching :
be point IN tfme-you would undoubtedly s