Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-25

poor creature? Wildly 1 turned over in my
mind all possible posons and their anti
dotes; milk OIL whites Of eggs, all danced
before me. Women, sometimes, had
heard, took dreadful things for their com
giexIons. Was there to be u second corpse
on my hands that night? And yet once
more, it had not been my fault.
Rushing al the lettering woman, got
her into a chair, gazing at her as | did in
such an agony of fear lest she drop deau IN
my grasp that she took the alarm herself
and, making certain that death was near,
turned such i sreCniSh Wh.Lc thdl, without
reasoning what / was about, L seized an
other tumbler of the spirits and dashed II
down her throat with scarcely more eau
ton than | would have used had pllcned
it into the kitchen drain. Fear OF her I'M
mediate death, that and that only, was
my motive in stocking her thus hedNIly
with the strong liquor ana what ioiio"eu
cannot be lad at my door. excepting IN the
form of an unrnerited accident. Yet / un-
derstand there are those who do not take
the same view of the matter
At first the poor creature chOked, WAcn
I will ADMIT was my fault in that | forced
the liquor on her 50 abruptly. l was sorry
for my awkward zeal, and aided her TO the
best of my. power to regain her Dream pat
ting her violently upon the back, while her
gurglng, though deep, was low. But once
| she had passed this stage saw what that
second glass had done; saw reason leave
| her eye and give place to silly stupor;
| saw and flung a pillow upon the floor to
| which she shambled and sank down, Dab
bling.
| I'm feeling very comfortable thank
YOU" she gabbled as ! strove to drag her
farther from the fire: but my head ain |
| what il should be. Too much setting up of
nights has done it.
But | heard no more. Fleeing my Sec
| nnd victim. l hurried across the hall, to
| tap as light as a feather against the door
| Of the sick room though, had my own ears
been all | cared to reach the loud thump-
| ing of my heart at that moment would
| have equaled the booming of any cannon.
AS though my timid knuckles had
| touched some hidden spring, the door re
| sponded instantly, and through a slight
| aperture WiSp Of dark hair WI Eed, and
| the CLEAN of fine eye shone on me, as a
| whispering voice asked me what 1 wanted
| 1T is. l faltered idiotically, forgetting
| that l had as yet no identity with my
questioner beyond the rather vague one Of
| a medical man. I'm the doctor, you
! know" | added huskily, my tongue refus-
| ing me the service of a glib lie.
| oh with a most delightful infection,
| and the door swung an inch or two farther
| open; but in place of accepting this friend
| ly advance, | skulked back into the shade
of the unlit hall like some sheepish assas-
| sin.
| Where is Mrs, Hoskns, came in the
| same guarded whisper Look out for her.
| She may be hiding somewhere. She does
| that lots. and then lodges out. Oh, shes
| just horrid."
She won't now. She-shes asleep" 1
| faltered. Il gave her something-some of
| your powders, but no sooner had 1 ut
| tered the words, then | repented my con-
| feSsion What if, after all, 1t was not the
| wine which had affected her; what if even
| then she breathing her last, in some
| horrfd death agony. The thought was sick
] ening.
| ''Oh, oh. how awfully clever" And there
| was a sound of soft hands beaten to-
| gether gently. But the dog was the
| next dismayed exclamation. They've let
him again. | heard him champing
| about down there just II moment ago Oh,
| YOU may depend on 1t. we can never get
out If he isn't done away with
| | had forgotten the brute and | must
| confess that but for the CLEAN Of that fine
| eye. which had grown palmer and develop
| ed into a pair, should have felt much
| give him sleeping powders! My ear heark-
| ened painfully for the slightest sound from
| the room [ had left. oh. I think we can
| manage the dog all right [ said lightly,
| while not the falntest plan as to how [
| was to make good my words suggested
| itself to my mind. In-the mood | then was
| could have strangled any beast with my
naked bands and Ielshed the details of
| the task.
| ''Oh, how aWfully clever you are" came
| in an admtrinS gasp from behind the half
open door. But if you're going to shoot
please let ME know before you set the gun
off or shall be sure to scream. | always
II shall not shoot" / said with pa
| thence begot OF the fine eyes and fluffy
hair 1T wouldn't do, you know. The
why. to he sure with soft little
| laugh. 1T would make mess of every
| thing, but, you see, I'm so stupid. Good
| bye. now. I'll get dressed and be all
| ready; and the door shut gently in my
darkness. gaping heipie ssly about me
/ "Au ready she said. | could have laugh