The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-04-17
A DRUGGISTS YARN.

hair Is almost white" he said when he at
last consented to relate . few of his ex-
periences for The Post. "But the drug
business Is In many ways a trying one
often wake In the night dreaming that
have poisoned some unfortunate by mis-
take. When i first began to compound
prescriptions, l was very nervous about the
components, and would look at bottle
several times before using It's contents, and
when finished would go all over them to
make sure that / was correct. Upon one
occasion became so anxious that, having
carefully prepared a prescription and given
1t to a lady, hastened after her and took
away the bottle under the pretext that 1t
was the wrong one, and throwing IL out
Of the window made up the medicine all
over again. Well, well, that was over long
ago. l believe 1t would have killed meif
had made mistake. But never did. So
/ gradually became more confident, and
now my own nerves, as well as dangerous
drugs, are under my control.
"Yes. A man In my calling does hold q
good many secrets In his keeping. fancy
that has helped to age me. The problem
Of ones own individual existence Is a suf-
ficient tax on the mentality without plung-
Ing into the great maelstrom Of human
life"
"Do you ever feel your collection Of 9th
er peoples skeletons to be dangerous as
well as heavy burden!'
"No," he answered, "I never think Of
that except perhaps In my dreams. No
doubt there are number of irreproachable
ladies and gentlemen who will sigh with
relief when they see my name in the death
column. Nevertheless this Is a civilized
country and man Is creature of habit.
II began life as q physician" he con-
tinued. "but had neither capital nor In
fluence, and SO came to grief. then took
Q situation as a drug clerk, In which oapac-
ity managed to save enough after few
years to take q small store on the out
skirts of the city and set up for myself. 1t
was at this period Of my life that the ex-
periences / am about to relate occurred.
"The neighbOrhoOd where found my
self WAS semifashionable, and did fairly
well. The first scene In one Of the most in
teresting real life dramas have ever wit
messed took place on lovely June even
ing.
"A beautiful boy, apparently about Is
or 10 years of age, entered my shop and
asked me to sell him q very small quantity
of an extremely insidious poison.
"'I want it to mix up with some other
stuff to kill insects, he explained, with a
sweet smile. IN take ont q patent some
day and make my fortune. I'm no end of
q chemist.
"He wanted so little Of the drug that
could see no harm in giving it to him.
While l was wrapping the tiny parcel l
looked curiously at my customer, for it Is
seldom you see so beautiful a youth There
was something odd about his expression.
When he smiled, his shapely lips parted
over rows OF pearly teeth, but though the
lines about his mouth were sweet, the effect
was not altogether pleasant, because his
eyes widened suddenly and shot out tiger.
ish CLEAN, half mocking, half cruel, that
was as extraordinary as It was transitory.
But the popularity that struck me most
forcibly was the small, we'll poised head
and the delicacy of the profile of the tiny,
shell-like ear, as he stood outlined against
the red sunset light that flowed through
my western window. l also observed a
mole that set off the whiteness of his throat
about half way to his low collar.
well, it was number of days before
could get that pretty hay out of my head.
On the third morning read in the papers
an account Of the sudden death (probably
of heart failure) of q prominent gentleman
who had recently taken up his residence in
the city. The reporter who wrote up the
tragedy told pathetically about the grief of
the young widow who had been devoted to
her husband, despite the fact that he was a
good many years her senior.
"It was quite by accident that went to
the inquest. A friend of mine happening
in, asked me to accompany him, and for
want of better employment 1 went
1.-The afternoon was waning when the
beautiful young widow took the stand to
testify. A murmur Of sympathy and ad.
miration greeted her as she made her an
swers in low, sweet voice. AS she spoke
the ghost Of forgotten music seemed to fill
the room. was strangely reminded Of
l could not tell just what. The c0rone
spoke few words of coincidence and regret
that he should be forced to question her.
AS he did so faint suggestion of smile
fitted across her lips, and at the same time
her eyes widened and a gleam shot forth,
as though the blinds that guarded those
windows of her soul had been for moment
raised, disclosing the inward fire. The ex.
preston was gone in q breath, but my
heart was beating rapidly, for the Elusive
than before. who was this woman, and
OF what did she remind meY / asked my
self. My question was almost miraoulously
answered, for just then the sun, which had
been behind clouds all day. made up his
mind to show his countenAnce for space
before retiring, and suddenly emerging,
lit the sky gloriously, throwing his beams
full upon the western window, against
which the black robed figure of the young
widow stood outlined.
"1'his association of ideas was sufficient.
Whether without IL should ever have rec
ognized her ] cannot say, but I saw 1t oil
then. The delicate profile, which was turn
ed toward me, the we'll poised head and
pretty, tiny ear, even tho mole became Wis.
ible a. she raised her chin in replying rath-
er haughtily 10 some inquiry.
"Afterward I made private investiga-
tions among my business confreres and
succeeded In finding two who remembered
being visited by beautiful boy on q Ger.
tain lovely night N June. From each he
had purchased an inf1nitesimal quantity of
q particularly insldious drug used to XIII
insects-and other things"
UDid NO one else ausreeH hcyev