The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-12-25
A DRUGGISTS BLuNDER.
An Awful Moment In the Experience Of Q
Prescription Crmpounder.

An Awful Moment In the Experience Of q
Prescription Ccmpounder.
One Of the proprietors Of a drug
store in Atlanta was not long ago a
drug clerk in small oity. There
were two drug clerks In the store at
the time. They divided the time,
one answering the calls at night and
the other doing long hours.
Zone night" said the Atlanta
man, ''I was in my room over the
drug store. couldn't sleep some
how, and I tossed about On my bed
until / decided to pass the time
reading. Aftera bit I heard some
one come in the drug store below
and heard my partner get up and
wait on the customer. In a few
minutes heard the customer go
out and every thing was quiet again,
but quiet only for a short time.
presently I heard my colleague
below walking about uneasily, and
7 could tell by the nervous way in
which he walked about that some.
thing was the matter. I went down
and found the young man walking
upand down the floor, great beads
Of perspiration standing out on his
brow and agony written all over his
face. A
p. t.'I don't know what on earth to
do he broke out in absolute de-
spa;~s I madea q mistake with that
prescription, I was so sleepy I did
|5noti know, but somehow I kept
thinking after the boy left that /
had made q mistake, and went to
the arsenic and found that sure
enough I'd put enough arsenic in
that prescription to kill three men.
For God g sake, If you think Of any
thing that can be done, tell me
quick.
His face was drawn and white,
and his mind was at a terrible ten.
sion. Speak, speak, for Gods sake.
for the boy was In hurry, and the
man IS already taken it, I'm afraid.
go. g Where does he liver I asked.
His face fell and an expression
of terror came over it. He dropped
into a chair.
:. & don't know, > he gasped.
ST sat down facing him and for
what seemed an hour we sat there
looking al. each other, not speaking
a,word. What passed through our
minds no human words can tell. We
saw the dreadful effect of the mis-
ftake-death, disgrace to us, ruin to
the ablishment, criminal charge
and forever afterward the frightful
knowledge Of having been criminal.
lly careless. Black pictures fitted
Eshrough our minds Itwas an awful
moment. - s
1--WE started at every little sound.
We,listened for the cry Of the FAM
| sily Of the sick one. We could see
Fine patient writhing in the throes
of death-death brought on by a
terrible, a criminal, an inexousable
mistake. Thecold sweat stood out
all over as.
'.There came sound outside. We
listened intently. There was q knock
on the door. We both sprang to our
feet I.rushed to the door.
"a small boy stood there crying.
He held the remnants of some bro
ken nipieces Of glass in his hands. He
threw his arm over his eyes and
DRIED as if his heart would break.
Oh, mister, please, sir-please,
SIR ne blubbered. i couldn't help
lit. ] stumped my toe and-boo hoo!
fell down, and-boo hoo!-broke
the bottle
I'VE both seized him in our arms.
NY comrade gave him the sort Of
an embrace that one gives to his
sweetheart after q year separation,
and we wept on his neck. The way:
we set that boy up beforeSlet
him 60 ought to have set a premium
on breaking BOTTLES among the small!
boys of that town -Atlanta.C Con-
stitution. 3