Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-06-03

time L take that potion; why does d COLI
Stunning fire leap up within me every time
the beverage passes my lips2 What does
it mean? Can it be poison ALIAS, poor
Claire, it is poison. My life Is an OBJ
stacle in the path of Lucian's happiness.
Unless l die, l shall up set their projects,
their plans for the future. And 1t is he
-Lucian-oh, no, no, no! l will not
is he capable of soiling his soul with a
believe it! He no longer loves me; he
hates me, longs for my death-and yet,
crime ?-Impossible!-still, the fact re-
mains; there is poison in that potiOn!"
Her lips compressed into a rigid line
as she concluded. Gresham strobe into
the shadow of the beeches and paused be-
side her chair.
did you send for me?" he asked in
his breezy way.
self to glance up at him with her accus-
toned calmness. doctor, how do you
find me this morningT"
stronger and better than you were
yesterday; altogether a different woman
to what you were a week ago."
perhaps it is my imagination" she
murmured; then added, quickly, looking
up with q forced smile, eff l am trou-
bled by vaporings, it is your duty as my
physician to divert my mind. You prom
ised to teach me something of botany
when we got into the country-have you
forgottenT
mot L" returned Gresham, good-nat-
uredly.
'"Then, too, it would be useful to me
to know something of chemistry. Natur-
ally in our study Of botany we shall
meet with poisons-"
And you should know how to combat
with Them" r~ejoined the doctor, falling
.innocently into the clever trap while he
sought only to humor her.
"Yes, and how to decompose them"
continued Claire; 'for instance, 1 am
likely to meet with the poisonous ivy.
Do you know of an antidote against its
power?"
Little dreaming what he did, Gresham
thrust his hand into his inner pocket,
drew forth a case, and from it took a
small phial of colorless liquid.
There is a substance" he said, plac-
ing the phial in Claire's hand as she
rose to receive it, (which Is not exactly
an antidote, but which will serve to
amuse you by detecting inherent poison
in any plant we may discover. If a leaf,
blossom or decoction of the same should
be %noxious, a single drop of this fluid
will produce a startling change"
Standing erect beside the little table.
Claire watched him as he crossed the
sunny lawn, saw him pass between the
veil of vines that screened the piazza:
then she bent her gaze upon the glittering
phial in her hand.
AT last | shall knoww she breathed.
and straightway fell to trembling until
she was forced to catch at the back of
her chair to prevent her from falling.
oh, how my heart BEATS" she painted:
Il scarcely dare subject myself to the
test, and yet l must-must know the
With these words she uncorked the
phial and held it above the potion which
was destined for her.
IF there is poison here" she faltered.
"a single drop of this liquid will alter
he appearance of the contents of the
How my hand trembles! all, sense
ess fluid, it is upon thee that all my
happiness, my life depends"
An involuntary spasm rent her frame,
iislodging a single drop of the fluid; it
ell. nsAetli.g the surface Of the poti N
md slowly sank, sank. sank to the bot
ON OF the glass drawing in its wake a
milky trail that told the baleful story.
Out Of the %nerveless fingers, down upon
he grasses fell the phial, while from
Ter blanched lips escaped the words with
trident horror.
Yes, 1t is poison, poison! Oh, he seeks
ny deathw
She tottered family to the chair and
sank ip5o its depths, covering her ewes
rom the light of day with her hands.
She failed to note the approach Of hur.
footsteps, she scarcely needed the
voice of Lucian Courtlandt when he
reached her side, exclaiming:
"Claire-in tears! what Ia the mat.
teri You do not answer!" cried Court.
land; claire, speak! are you ill?"
No, l am not i'll. Do you not know"
faltered, that invalids have mo-
ments OF weakness that they are power-
to control?"
But of what were you thinking.
Il was thinking Of the epoch of orr
marriage, of the time when / was cbos.
EN- to c%ountenance your child. 7 wos
thinking how unfortunate 1t is that nv
very existence should be a wrong to an.
other" "n-
II c%onjure you," he duplicated. "ban.
ish this horrible thought! all the world
beseeches you to live! Claire, think onlv
of your w~elfarev'
III order to do that, l must follow +hs
doctors directions, must l not?o She ost.
ed bending a glance Of fire upon hi.
bowed head. WV" ArS
.of course you must!" he renl,ed
"And must l take that potion. which
mas oeen-prepared for mef,
certainly you must. INV dar,i.-v