St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-07-24

signed by you in which POTASH arsenica
was ordered in three dram doses.
Good Cod" cried the physician.
"Is it possible?"
"There can be no doubt of it" re-
piled the assistant, las the prescription
was refused by another chemist"
The doctor walked hurriedly up and
down the room.
"Can it have been altered?" he NUT
tered.
II looked carefully for that, but there
was not the slightest sign of an erasure.
No, sir, :" continued the assistant. II
am afraid it is little mistake on your
part. l only fear that it may be made
up and administered, and therefore
went at once to your house. and, learn
ing where you were, came on here"
"Quite right, quite right" said the
doctor "Have you cab waiting?
That's well. I'll go with you at once to
the patient ;"
il took but few minutes for the doc
tor to make his excuses and return ready
for departure, and the cab, once more
in motion, turned toward the neigh
borhood Of Elton square. The house at
which it now pulled up betokened far
greater wealth than either of the other
two at which it had stopped since char
tered in Bond street. but an air of
quietude peculiar to residences in which
lie invalids in very critical condition
pervaded the place. The street door was
opened noiselessly by a footman before
the occupants Of the cab were fairly on
the doorstep, and the doctor was shown
into room on the ground floor which
answered the purposes Of library as
much as such rooms usually do in Lon
don houses.
"Send me Nurse Moore" said the
doctor
'Nurse Moore is out for exercise"
replied the footman. Nurse Norris is
on duty, happen to know, for she took
the new medicine which I carried up
not five minutes ago.
DR.. Blank was little man, and little
men are usually quick in their motions.
But never did man, little or big, fly up
the stairs at the same rate as he did be-
fore the last words were out of the foot
mans mouth. The assistant followed,
but had only reached the first floor when
the doctor entered the bedroom on the
second. Nurse Norris was standing by
tho bod maa c,ripu On doca of ,,,od;o;xo
from a bottle. She was a tall, dark
young woman of 20, very pleasant look
ing and apparently pursuing her voca-
ton with care, as she did not even look
up when the doctor entered.
"None of that, nursep' exclaimed the
doctor.
II beg pardon, sir?" said the nurse,
now aroused to the sense of some in
congruity in the physicians manner,
which became intensified when
strange young man, very much out of
breath, almost fell into the room from
the passage.
II should say, How is the patient? A
very warm night, and likely to render
him uncomfortable, continued the doc
tor with his soul in his eyes and his
eyes on the bottle.
81 think am little better, DOCTOR"
said weak voice from the bed, on
which lay a man Of about 80 with the
peculiarly emaciated and drawn look
which invariably follows a prolonged or
very severe illness; "a little easier"
"Thats right" said the doctor, feel
ing the invalid's pulse, "thats right.
Yes, a marked Improvement. Then,
having completed rather lengthy ex-
animation, he turned to the nurse. "a
decided improvement, nurse. For to-
night we will discontinue all drugs.
Give nothing except his usual nourish-
ment until l come again. DR.. W
will return tomorrow, and when we
have a local practitioner once more in
attendance you will take your instruc-
lions from him, In the meantime give
no medicine. Indeed, will take it with
me-. " And without noticing the hurt
and resentful look of the nurse the doc
tor pounced on the bottle and trans
ferred it to his coat pocket.
On that particular June evening the
assistant at Messrs - had been
gravely cogitating whether he would be
justified in wedding the girl of his
choice, who was too delicate to be able
to add to the common purse, on a salary
of e1O0 a year and had decided in the
negative. Six months after a quiet but
very happy wedding party returned to
very flourishing chemists shop in the
neighborhood of Cavendish square which
bore the name of the assistant over the
front as its proprietor. And if you have
ever occasion to consult the great ply
stefan, you may be sure that, whatso-
ever his opinion of your case may be, he
will add, as he hands you your prescrip-
ton: "Be sure you have it made up at
a good chemists. Mr.. - is an ex-
tremely careful dispenser, and in addi-
ton personally analyses every drug
which goes into his place. Thank you.
Good momingr '-Chambers Journal.