The Van Buren press., 1900-07-21
The EmperOr's Prayer Book
by Bryan MacMahon.
Observation-Disclosures

T AM now the proprietor Of a pros
porous pharmacy in a popular
south coast watering place. My busi-
ness is one which would be described
by the transfer agents as "going of
itself" 1t is a necessity in the dis
trict, and, therefore, l fear neither
the competition of cutting stores nor
that Of company pharmacists.
possess neat little villa in the sub
urbs, to which retire when the cares
of the day are over and where l am
welcomed by a loving wife and two dar-
ling children. am not ambitious, nor
do | banker after wealth. am con-
tent with my lot, and my life is happy.
1t was not always so, A few years
ago Twas hard-wrought and uncared-
for slave--a London chemists assist
ant. ! worked on an average 10 hours
10 day on weekdays, and had freedom
only on every alternate Sunday. Every
evening Travelled by the London, Chat
ham 4 Dover railway to my humble
lodgings at Herne Hill, and every morn
ing ! came by the same route to the
city. My life was thus spent in alter
nate spells Of work and sleep, and l
was receiving the modest salary OF two
g,iineas per week. could see no
prospect of marrying the little girl to
whom had become engaged some four
years previously, and who was now pa
tiently waiting for me in a pretty Sus-
sex village. Truly, the curse Of Adam
my heavily upon me, and, struggling
beneath its load, was beginning pre-
maturely TO show signs of age.
The only happiness my life afforded
was the looking forward to and re-
ceiving weekly letters, addressed in a
well-known hand and bearing the Ring
mer postmark; but this pleasure was
not unalloyed with pain as ! thought
that / was now no nearer the consum-
nation OF my hopes than when with
palpitating heart ! had opened the first
note from Nellie.
Such was my life when an incident oc-
curred-a very slight incident--which
proved the turning point Of my for
tunes.
IT was evening, and business was be-
coming more brisk as the night ad-
vanced. had turned with feeling Of
relief from attending to the wants OF
fussy and hypochondriacal old lady,
when man Of foreign aspect, but
somewhat familiar appearance, en-
tered the shop where was employed
and asked for seven pounds OF medi.
Gated cotton WOOL While engaged In
supplying the stuff | endeavored to
bring to mind the circumstances un-
der which ! had seen him before. II
quickly dawned upon me that had
observed him few mornings previous
~ walking briskly TO and fro In the
garden attached TO the house next TO
that In which ] lodged. As customer
succeeded customer the incident faded
from my mind, and did not again pre-.
sent Itself until the following Sunday,
which happened TO be one OF those !
had free.
had risen late, and after breakfast
was enjoying a pipe In the garden at
the rear OF my lodgings, when my eye
was arrested by Il broken bottle lying
on n rubbish heap In the next garden,
It was not an ordinary bottle but one
Of those known as winchester quarts"
which huve u capacity OF about half n
gallon. aud are rarely seen outside Of
a chemists storeroom. Prompted by
curiosity TO see what II had contained,
I vaulted across the pallngs dividing
the gardeus and examined the label,
which was still intact. ! read there
"Acid: Nitric; Fortiss, Pur. 1920"
The edge Of my curiosity was now
whetted. "What could a private indi.
vldual wan, with such a, quantity OF
the strongest nitric acid as that bottle
eontained?r I asked myself, and then
the purchase OF the cotton wool Aashed
across my mind
Now, taken singly, these two articles
are largely used, and the yearly con
sumption Of both ls immense, The pnr'
chase Of the one or the other In smnl
portions Is nothing unusual, bu, wher
both are bought IN almost wholesal,
quantities by the same individual
strong suspicion Is aroused, so muel
70, that chemists had some time pre-
viously been requested TO notify sucl
sales to the police authorities. How
ever, kept my thoughts TO myself ant
resolved, in future, to keep us close I
watch on my neighbor's doings ant
habits a. the limited time at my dds
ponal would allow Of
The only thing that noticed pecul
ihr, however, was that every night
while the rent Of the house was In tota
darkness, the attlcs seemed to be oc
supIsd, ns the windows looking GU