Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-23
THE vIAL's SECRET.
WRITTEN FOR TIE EVENING STAR BY T. r. srEARss.

sistant chemist slid from his stool and
started after him.
DIR. Merriweather!'
"Eh?"
'What-what did you say the dead mans
name was?"
"Golden-Philip Golden, believe. He was
a retired broker or something of the sort
lived up on Madison avenue
The door closed behind Merrfweather.
Gunnison gripped the table for support
and choked back the sharp cry that had
almost escaped him.
Editha Golden, the niece in the case. hap
pened to be Gunnisons dearly beloved A.
ancee!
Shades were drawn at the Golden home.
A silent maid escorted Gunnison to the IL
brary and there he waited, awed at the
uncanny stiffness of the big house.
Very shortly the curtains parted and a
slim girl entered, beautiful but haggard
and pathetically weary Of mien.
ut Is all over" she said.
Yes, little girl, it's all over"
Gunnison gathered her into his arms and
for little time she sobbed on his Shout
der. Presently she allowed herself to be
drawn down beside him on the couch.
Bobby, dear, it's SO good to have you
But why didn't you send for me dur
ing the day."
.1-dont know. II think was-afraid y
"AfraidT' Gunnison smiled with tender
incredulity.
Yes. WANTED to see no one not even
you, Bobby. II was afraid, and"
Her voice died away and the girl stared
across the room at the fireplace
What is it, chld?" Gunnison asked,
gently.
Bobby" Editha's eyes were wide with
terror as she faced him suddenly. Her
voice dropped TO a whisper. Il never meant
to tell soul-never till the very day died!
But L CAN'T can't help it. 1 can't bear it
alone any longer. All day 1 have felt some
how that the servants knew-that-'
knew what?"
And that doctor last night, too-he said
nothing, but when he left he stared at me
so strangely He must have seen 1.-THE
must have found it out. He'd be sure to
know--a doctor would know at once
wouldn't hep
She clutched his hands and he felt that
she was trembling violently.
Bobby, II killed Uncle Philip
"Editha!' Gunnison's heart seemed to
cease beating.
II did! l know it! 1 killed him. she
moaned, clinging to him like a frightened
child
flush! You don't know what you're say
ing, Editha. Some of this internal pack Of
servants will hear you, and"
"Oh. I'll be quiet Edtha hurried on,
the words tumbling forth exctedly, but
must tell you, Bobby. l must-I'll go mad
if don't. Last night DIR. Macgruder came
in for few minutes-he was leaving the
city. Uncle Philip begged him for some
thing to ease his pain, and the doctor took
some morphine tablets from his hyper
dermic case and asked me for a bottle to
dissolve them. l gave him one of those
bromide bottles-poor Uncle Philip needed
SO much of the stuff to quiet him that we
have empty bottles all over the house.
There was a half-empty bottle of bromide
on the table, too, and after he had fixed the
morphine DIR. Macgruder handed 1t to me
and cautioned me to label 1t at once, be-
fore confused it with the bromide. Then
he hurried away. for he had barely time to
make his train"
"Yes?' Gunnison forced from dry lips
Il put the morphine bottle at the edge
OF the table and apart from the others, and
went to my desk in the next room to write
the label. Oh. Bobby. l was up all the
night before!' she pleaded suddenly.
Go on, Editha.''
Il suppose it was simply criminal, but
was so utterly tagged that while / was
writing my head began to nod, and when
l had finished l fell fast asleep at the desk.
/ must have been there more than an hour
before uncle called me. l was sleepy and
completely confused for while. Ellen was
in the room-the second waitress, you
know-and she had been trying to quiet
him. but he insisted upon having me give
him a dose of the bromide. He was so i'm
patient and overweight that l hurried
over to the medicine table, picked up the