The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-09-12
never Inundated the invalid with q
sense of his own helplessneSs.
CHAPTER VI.
SuspiciOns.

as she had followed he closed the door.
lis lie worse!" she asked, with a
pale. anXiuos face.
mo: much The same" he answered.:
but l want to ask you "A few queS-
tons. which | want you to answer TO
the best of your knowledge. | mean
that, as they are very Important: you
must not answer them at ~haphazard.
Now. first of all, who gives MI. Medli-
colt his food?"
Il always take 1t in myself; the maid
brings it to The library door. but he is
SO sensitive ab~Out-ahout his changed
appearance. that he does not like any
of the servants about him"
Has he any particular dislike to this
maid:"
"Oh. dear. no, She was always a
great favorite of his: it is only Il sort
of crvou feeling. that is all-he will
not allow even me TO remain with him
longer than he can help
WHO gives him his incidence"
81 do"
HAS he ever complained of his food
having any peculiar o + disagree able
fla vorI"
Not that | am aware Of"
PerpleXed and troubled by these Gu
rious questions, and full Of anxiety for
the invalid, R0Samond had grown pale
and red by tu2nS and evinced a good
dcal of emotion.
A fact TO which Or. Grant attributa ID
no meaning at the time. tTugh II
afterward REQUIRED 10 him, when GER
tain circumstances called it back to
his memory.
Offering no explanation as to the
meaning of his queries, DIR. Grant
wished her gOod-mOrning and took his
departure.
A day or two after he found IN OPP
p%ortunity of getting Luke Abershlw
alone and asking him almost the same
questions.
Miss RosamOnd always brings him
mis- food and administers his medi-
cine" replied the secretary. she in
sists upon doing so. though | have fire.
quentl requested TO relieve her of those
duties" .
How are the household disposed to.
ward Mr.. MedlicOtt? | mean he add
ed, as Luke did o see INTO under
stand him. "do the servants like their
master, or is there any ill-feeling. as
there sometimes is?"
'Oh, dear. no, sir; T am quite soc
that they are all quite attached TO
him"
The doctor knit his brows. bit his
lip and paused for a moment.
Mr.. Abershaw," he said. with some
hesitation. "Mr. Medlicott's complaint
puzzles me, TO be plain with you: Of
course, | speak in the strictest ,Onfi-
1nn.n ON Snnnntit1nS S,Isni.intlS Of
foul play; that Mr.. Medlicott Is being
poisoned
Good God, sir, you cannot be seri-
Ous.'
There was a genuine look Of horror
upon the s~ecretary's face that was suf-
ficient to convince the doctor that no
thought had ever occurred TO him.
"Tbere is only L kind of poison
that would produce the symptoms |
observe in Mr.. Medlicott."
"And that iS?"
"A drug the effects Of which are
known to very few. and only to those
who make toxicology - study"
But who is there in the house that
would be likely to know anything
about such things?"
Exactly. 1t is that which puzzles
me. 1t is impossible to suspect any
one. Now l want you. Mr.. A~bershaw,
as the one who is at present the most
about Mr.. Medlicott's person. to be on
the watch; contrive, without exciting
his notice, to taste the food that Is
brought to him; if you observe any Pc
culiar flavor, mark 1t well, and de-
scribe il to me-"
Il will do all you desire. sir: but l
am quite sure your suspicious are I'M
fOundetd."
Il hope so. AMI belieNe so: neverthe-
less, we cannot he too sure"
For several days after this the doc
tor received a report from the secre-
tary; he had tasted all the food
brought to Mr.. MedlicOtt, but could not
detect anything IL the flavor hat was
not proper TO it.
About this time the feverish symp-
toms slightly abated, and the patient
grew a little better, a circumstance
which, being coincident with the doc
tors first mention of his suspicious.
did not escape his attention. But
there was no approach to GONZALES
cence; the action of the disease was
slower. but not less certain.
DIR. Grant called in two other physi-
clans, and there was a consultation.
They could perceive nothing in the
symptoms beyond those of a low, in
termittent fever; Of course, they had
not watched the Gaze as he had done.
After some hesitation, he mentioned
his suspicious. One disputed that the
drug woul produce such symptoms; the
other argued upon the unlikelihood Of
any ordinary person being acquainted
with the poisonous qualities of the
drug. which was usually regarded as Il
harmless ore. No instance of poisCl-
u action had ever come under the
notice of any one Of hem there.
at would be very difficult, II not i'm!
possible, to detect in analysis" said
one.
And that was Ill the conclusion that
these three wise sons Of Esculapius