The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-15

might have been the natural course with A
some Z but Ut was not my course. was not
content just to interrupt. l wanted to know
the full extent OF what had to fear. A. re-
mark which DIR. Bennett had once let fall
required to me, TRANSMITTING me to my bed. d
{ II you were not a careful man. he had
said in diagnosing my present illness. II
should say that you had taken something
foreign into your system; something which
has no business there; something which,
under other circumstances and in another
mans case, should denominate poison It
had seemed nonsense to me at the time, and
j laughed at what considered a .fatuous ro-
mark, uttered with unnecessary gravity; but
now that there was really poison in the,
house, and one Of my own, blood stood hiding
behind the screen within foot of my medi-
cine glass, could not but choke down the
cry Which. this thought caused to rise in my
throat and listen for what mi ght come. Alas.
was destined to behold with my eyes as
well as hear with my ears the next move
made by my unknown visitant. BY the grace
OF GOO, or through some coincidence equally
proyidential, the gas at this momentous in
slant was relit in the hall. and i perceived,
amid the old shadows thus called outsupon
the wall, new one--that of a hand holding
bottle, which, projecting itself beyond the
straight line cast by the screen, was now
stealing. slowly but surely in the direction
OF the table on (which stood my glass OF med
lcne l did not gasp or cry. Thought, feel
Ing, consciousness even of my own unfathom-
able misery seemed lost in the one instinct
to watch that hand. Would it falter? Should
see it tremble or hesitate in its short pas
sage across the family illumined space upon
which my eyes were fixed? Yes, some mont
tlon OF conscience. some secret fear or filial
remembrance made it pause for an instant:
but even as my heart bounded in glad relief
and human feelings began to reawaken in my
/ hrnoc tckoo
though L could no longer see aught but a
shadowy arm, I could hear one-two-three-
dozen drops falling into my drink-a sound
Whlch, faint as 1T was, made the guilty heart
behlnd the screen quake; for the hand shook
as 1t reiterated, and 1 beheld distinctly out
lined on the illumined space before me the
END OF the semidetached label which marked
the special bottle on which the word poison
is printed in large letters
No further doubt was possible The medi
cine In my glass had been strengthened, and
by the hand. of one Of my own sons
Which one? -, e.
In the misery of the moment 1 felt as if
ala not care. That any of you should seek
my death was an overwhelming grief to me,
But as thought and reason returned. the
wild desire to know just what and whom I
mad to fear seized me in the midst of NV
terror, mixed with another sentiment harder
to explain, and which I can best characterize
as feellng OF dread lest should betray my
suspicious and so raise between my children
and mysef an insurmountable barrier.
Subduing my emotion and summoning to
my AID all the powers of acting with which
nave been by nature endowed, |
moved restlessly under the clothes, calling
out in a sort of sleepy alarm
who's there? Is it you, George? If so,
reach me my medicine
But no George stepped forth, II,
Leighton?" I cried, petulantly "surely
near one OF you in the ROOM But my son
Leighton did not reply
did not call for Alfred I could not, He
was the last son of his mother.
Did | wrong the others in not uttering his
name also? -,
(To Be Continued