The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1902-03-28
SOOTHING DRAUGHT.
Copyrighted by Daily Story Pub Col

| lCOpyflghted by DdIly FoloIy L W. wi
Mr.. James Newcomb turned leis-
urely over in bed, rubbed his head,
rose upon one hand, and looked
dreamily at the clock. 1t was 8:45,
according to this busy little time-ma-
chine; and the winter sun was stream
ing in the windows Of the bachelor's
comfortable flat.
mark" called Mr.. Newcomb,
looking toward the room adjoining
his, and occupied by his chum, DR..
Marcus Luther.
No answer being forthcoming, Mr..
Newcomb got out of bed and envel-
oped himself in large bathrobe. He
was about to ring for their man, the
ubiquitous Perkins, when a picture
on Luther's dresser caught his eye.
A wave of startling recollection swept
over his mind and he sank back upon
the bed and stared at it.
The photograph was that Of a hand
some young woman, and the recollec-
ton that came to NeWcomb was that
he had proposed to her the night be-
fore. This in itself was not so dis
quoting; but he realized very clearly
at this moment that he did not love
her. Hence he grew a bit weak in the
knees, as the flood Of recollections Of
the evening past came over him.
He had suffered from a headache,
and Dr. Luther, who, according to
Jim, was cone of those wretched med
icos who is always practicing-on his
friends" had taken pity on him and
prescribed.
''It is a new thing, garnathesis-
and will knock your pain higher than
Gilroy's flying machine," said DR.,
Luther, as he prepared the medicine.
cit is really soothing draught, that
will calm your nerves, suppress the
heart action slightly, and-but, here,
take it,"
Jim had obediently done so and sat
before the fire in the big armchair
until it had "calmed his nerves"
Luther disappeared and half an hour
later NeWcomb remembered putting
on his dress suit without calling Per-
kins, and driving to the home of the
prettiest and dearest girl he knew
Louise Stearne. That he loved her,
he knew full well; tonight he was to
take her to dance, where he expect
ed to be bored-until they came home
again. But-and here came in the
disturbing thought-he had not been
bored. He had had "a remarkably in
teresting if not exactly happy time.
How it all happened he could not I'M
derstand; but before the fifth dance
he had proposed to Evelyn Blouvelt
and been accepted; at the end of the
seventh he had asked Edith Jones to
be his wife and received an affirmative
answer; and while sitting out the
lancers with Marian Knowles had be-
come engaged to her! By the time
the first intermission arrived he had
proposed no less than six times to as
many different girls, had been accept
ed, and had been told to be "sure and
come to me at four tomorrow after
noonp
And this was tomorrow! How in
the name of all that was sensible had |
he contrived to get into such a fear
full plight? Had the medicine made |
him temporarily insane? No; for he
distinctly all the little
particulars Of each different scene
how Fannie had blushed, how Evelyn
had lifted her eyes and said: "Jim,
dearp how Nina had crept into his
arms, believing him the best and
truest Of men! Ye gods; no insane
man could have remembered all this.
1t was true-it must be true! He
was the worst scoundrel alive-and he
really and truly loved only Louise.
With a groan he sprang up and be-
gan feverishly to get into his clothes.
Il ought to cut my own throat and
id the world of a villain" he NUT
tered, 'but I cannot do so yet. I
must tell some one-ask advice-and
zee that villain, luther! He shall |