Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-23

great deal about nothing! DON'T peieso
you ever confused those two bottles.
But II I didn't-if | gave him the bro
mide-why did he der
THAT might have happened any other
night, little girl. Macgruder has always
said that, you know. His heart was weak.
When's Macgruder coming back?
Tomorrow night. 80
"Then you may be quite sure that he'll
He'll tell you that bad heart was re-
sponsible." 49,
Il hope So Butch. II only knew!
cried the girl.
postponed SO Gunnison did not reach the
laboratory. with its fateful bottle, until
pm. the next day.
Merrfweather had left. The Office boy
was holding the place in solitary glory
Gunnison entered the laboratory and closed
the door behind him.
On the table, as he had left 1t the pre-
vious evening, stood the bottle. He snatch.
ed 1t up angrily. and raised MS arm as Il
to dash the thing to bits. -.
That would settle it. Either the bottie
held morphine or 1t held bromide OF SODA
death or life. Which? Neither ne nor any
other mortal could tell without analysis.
Gunnison had resolved never to learn.
But suddenly a new aspect of the case
flashed over him.. Suppose tnat ne u.t
shatter the thing? Might not the very act
later loom up as a transparent, damning
trick? ,,
Gunnison caught his breath. Intentionally
or otherwise. the bottle must not preah. IL
replaced it upon the table with the utmost
care. .,,~
For an hour he paced the floor. trembling
at times in an agony OF lndeclslon. no
dared not destroy the stun. Dare ne ah-
alyze 1t? ii.
The chemist uncorked the bottle with a
firm hand selected a clean test TUBE anu
poured out little of the liquid, wafer
white and enigmatic. He reached LOT onS
of the reagent walls on the shelf-ano
paused again.
Suppose that it should prove to be NOR
phine? What then? The news would oe
transmitted through Carney TO Inc lila
Carney would give his testimony. Eiien'
the maid might positively identity the pot
tie and swear that her mistress had gwen
murder. Then they would look for mo-
tive-and find it in Golden's will!
Almost with loathing Gunnison sprang
away from the table and the bottle.
The afternoon grew and Waned Gun-
nison tramped on and on and on. needless
Of the passing hours, wrestling Win ms
problem; now maddened with the uncer-
tainty. now cursing himself for not unoer-
taking the analysis.
an instant his brain had cleared. Ihe
emergency was upon him. Merrlweatner
had returned. And on the spur OF the
moment, quite simple solution or the olHl-
Guilty appeared to Gunnison.
He glided across the laboratory, UNI
corked the bottle once more, quickly m
verified it over the sink and watched the
LIQUID disappear down the drain. he nur-
ried back to his desk, drew forth note
book and hurriedly set down spurious
record of the analysis. He produced re-
port blank the report for the coroner, anu
inscribed in a neat hand the information
that a bottle submitted for analysis by one
DR.. Carney had been found to contain SO
luton of bromide of soda, free from adui-
terants.
ior,
from his forehead, bathed his burning face
in cold water smoothed his rumpled hair
and. picking up the report, walked TO the
door of Merriweather's office.
The doctor was at his own desk, writing
away under the incandescent bulb
I'm through with that stuff from the
coroner's office" Gunnison said, rather
hoarsely.
"Eh?" Merriweather wh1rled about In his
chair.
THAT bromide of soda bottle"
"Pshaw! Have you been working on
that, Gunnison?'
IT meant to tell you-rather, to leave
not for you, about that" said Merriweather.
II went at 1t myself this morning-made an
analysis out of sheer curiosity"
The report crumpled audibly In Gunni-
sons hand. Merriwea Their had analysed it
vas, and reported 1t as well!
"What-what did you-find?" the assistant
chemist managed to ask.
''Ei-yah!' Merriweather yawned and
stretched, and to Gunnison the operation
consumed hours. "Why-ah-there was
nothing under the sun in that bottle but
dilute solution Of bromide of soda" Merri-
weather turned back to his desk and hunted
for cigar, as he talked II tell you. Gum
nison-nothing personal in this, of course
If there is one thing worse than young
chemist, it's young doctor This carney
chap must have hand full of dime-novel
romance that he's trying to fit into every
day life. Positively from what he himself
told me yesterday-eh?"
Merriweather realized with considerable
that he was alone in the office.
Below, in the streets. Gunnison was push
ing frantically through the crowd. An echo
of the night before dinned in his ars-"But
If only knew" And he sacrificed the toes
and ribs and ignored the anathemas of the
populace, in the speed of his transit; for she
could knOw-now.