The Forrest City times., 1891-03-13


 when men generally think of wives Nevertheless with suddenness that took away the breath of his friends, Prof. Ponder went before a amagistrate and was married
 Very little was known about the woman ho married, but what was known was appalling enough. Shehad >had three husbands before she corral led Prof. Ponders. On each of these three occasions, as far as could be found out, she had married men well on in years. Each of her three hus- bands had died rather suddenly, and the relatives of the last man had caused some little trouble by an in- a vestigation which was held as to the manner of his death.
 However, in this instance the wid- ow had come of victorious, and it had been shown conclusively that the old man came to his death through natural causes, something, apparent ly. very much like the cholera. It was supposed by his friends that Profes- sor Ponder h;d suddenly begun to feel the need of home and some one to take care of him, and tho. this had lad him into a rash and ill-advised marriage, for all his friends were unanimousin ill feeling that the marriage was ill-advised and rash.
 Perhaps this may have been caused by the fact that the Professor, al- though he had been q sinsulary un- worldly man. had managed to accumu- late considerable property. This ac- emulation was caused rather by his neglect of business affairs than his at tention to them. The University paid him q liberal salary. and he had at different times bought property which he had afterwardsio forgotten all about, and kept until 1t had become very valuable. Then he was astonished by the amount offered for it.
 He generally accepted these offers, : although as a matter of of fact, they were usually u.der the market value of the property Ut the time he offer was made. Yet, nevertheless, the Pro- lessor continued to prosper in spite of himself. and maintained Il large bank account. He lived in such q simple and inexpensive manner that even on his salary he could hardly have help ed getting rich.
 Mrs. Prof. Ponder speedily let theTel- atives know that she was mlsstress of the Professors household. She made 1t so decidedly unpleasant, for them that by and by the Professor & friends dropped of. but the Professor did not appear to notice that ae was practically n deserted man, for he was made very comfortable in his home and had now his whole time to give unmolested to scientific researches.
 It was \ about Il year after tho Pro- fossor's marriage that he was taken suddenly i'll. His wife at once called Ill asphy ysician, who prescribed for the old man, but did not think his illness was serious. Tho Professors wife told the doctor that he had been en- gagged lately in his laboratory until all hours of the night, and she was afraid that worry over his work, late
 
 caHse of his present collapse.
 In this the professor himself agreed. but the doctor thought that with rest md the taking of the medicine he had lcit for him, the old man would come out all right. As 1t was, Professor Ponder seemed to be very little trou- bled by his illness. He knew that he wasa very much more ailing man than either 'lis wife or the physician seem- ed to think. But there had come up- on him certain peaceful resignation which was puzzle to his wife, and which helped to deceive the physician.
 On the next visit that the physician made to the professor he was alarmed to find him dying. There was no question aboutit. Hehurriedly called two other doctors in consultation. and they all agreed that what had been done for tho old man had been perfectly correct. but 1t seemed that he had not had enough reserve power and good health previously to with stand this simple attack.
 One of the physicians, however. q younger man than the other two, who was himself q keen student and had been a pupil of the Professor s took more pains than the others in endeavoring to discover the cause of the sudden collapse. As the Professor III weak voice described how the attack had begun, and detailed his feelings aftcrward, the young doctor knit hls brow and looked puzzled
 By love-" he muttcred, partly to himself. for he was thinking deeply and quite oblivious to the fact that any, body was very near to him. this looks remarkably like pyroploxin poison- ing"
 At the mention of the word both tho Professor and his wife looked startled. II the young doctor had been alert in his observation he would have noticed that the mention of the word pyroploxin had strange and different effect on both the Professor and his wife. She turned deadly pale. while the Professor beamed out ut the young man with a smile on his face.
 "Pyroploxin. said ono of the other physicians, "that is very subtla poison, but even if 1t were the case, we could do nothing for it leaves no trace on the internal organs. X post mortem would not reveal that pyrop- loxin had been used"
 1t may seem strange tha: the physi- clans would converse thus l.efore their patient, but 1t must be remembered