The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-02-15

ferrous trust Indue me inclined To De-
lieve that the contents of the packet
must have some peculiar value I'M
known to person unacquainted with
its history or its character.
/ was relieved, therefore, when, in
answer to my urgent message, Mac
pherson himself brought over the
mysterious packet, with the pip APP
parently uninjured by his investiga-
tions, if he had made any. He had not
time to say what he had done, for Guy
Denning was already in the house.
He had been shown into my study
barely two minutes before, and / was
anxious not to keep him waiting.
hurried up to him with the packet
which the doctor had delivered to me
in my hand, but forgot all about it in
the CONSERVATION of seeing how great
~ its owner had changed even since
giving it into my charge. He was
ragged and misunderstanding, and /
paused in the doorway to call to my
housekeeper, whose step / heard be-
low, and ask her to have supper laid
at once.
''If that is for me,' said Denning. as
/ returned to the room, you need not
trouble yourself, old man. / cannot
eat. All want is the little box left
with you. Tell me that you have not
destroyed it,
His tone was full of nervous eager
ness, and when handed the wrapped
up box to him he seized it eagerly.
and undid the many papers with trem-
bling fingers, uttering a little cry Of
relief as he came to the pip. Then, as
| watched him, TO my astonishment,
he lifted it to his mouth and deliber-
ately swallowed it.
! was SO surprised by the action
that for moment | could not speak
Guy Denning answered the question
in my eyes.
1T means that in few minutes all
my troubles will be at an end he
said quietly, seating himself by my
desk. Il am sorry to have had to take
my life, and more sorry to bother you
with the affair, the only man who has
shown me kindness; but l do not want
to die all alone, and | cannot stand any
longer what | have had to go through
during the last year. This pip bought
III China four years ago, although did
not expect l should ever have to use
1t. The poison it is saturated with is
said to be painless and to leave no
traces. l thought you would arrange
so that everybody will think have
died nat lrally'
did not wait for any more NV
mind had been slow to realize that
the pip was poisoned. but as soon as
grasped the fact was out of the room
i'll a second, and flying downstairs. to
fetch Macpherson. l was heartily
thankful for my good luck in having a
doctor in the house.
My friend, the brain specialist, ap-
peared to take the news very calmly. |
II expected as much,' he sail, quiet |
ly. IF you will get me d glass. will /
give him all antidote, poor fellow
We went up to the study together /
with it, and | was relieved to find Den
ming alive and conscious. He drank |
the mixture Macpherson had prepared
for him. with faint smile
There is no antidote for the poison
l have taken. DOCTOR he said, and the
pily SiC1dn answered Dr1SkIV:
80 they say in China, but. luckily
for yOu, / have met with these poi
soned orange-pips before" And then
he went on talking in the most ortli-
nary tone about the amanuensis he
wanted, Offering the post to Dcnni:l.:
III way that seemed to me perfectly
heartless, considering that he was
talking to man who would most
probably be corpse before the night
was over.
Il wish you had made me this offer
ten minutes ago." said Denning. 1T is
just my luck to hear of it few min
utes too late. Heaven knows that |
have held out as long as a man could"
well! you need not speak SO hope
lessly." said the doctor. You see that
the poison has had no i'll effect SO far.
Let your experience teach You that
suicide is an ill-advised step. If sup
per is ready think that would com
plete the cure
1t was not until the meal was over
Mat poor Denning began to think the
lt'ctor was right, and that life was still
oafore him. Then, when he had re-
.irsd to have bath, and get into a
'uit OF my clothes, seized the oppor-
unit to compliment Macpherson on
lis SUI 'cessful treatment of the case.
what did the antidote consist of?'
aske.'; and the brain specialist
smiled dr.vly.
1.-The drink I gave him was only di-
uted port. l did not want to make
he poor fellow feel foolish after the
awful mental strain he must have
gone through"
Then wasn't the pip poisoned?"
Eyes, with deadly poison for which
there is NO antidote But I took the |
of course, before return
ing the packet of changing the pip.
Pail Mall Budget.