The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-09-20


left it, and stared at it dlstractedly.
Then some vestige OF reason returned
to him. and on a sheet of blottlng.
paper he made a penclled calculation
Of the amount OF tincture of opium
In each dose.
THE first dose may not be fatal
may not be fatal" he said aloud. and
lie fastened to prepare at emetlc.
Luckily the distance to Miss Pur-
heets house was not great and the
boy, even allowing for the snail-like
habits of his kind, would be back soon.
He did, in fact. appear while Mr.. Wat.
kins, with trembling fingers. was writ
ing a label-"Half TO be taken at once.
the rest in ten minutes If no result
follows" BY this time other problems
had crowded into his perturbed brain.
his head felt like bursting. He knew
that susceptibility to opium varied
enormously with different persons,
though the chances were that Miss
Purtieet, taking the emetic at once,
would not have absorbed sufficient of
the poison To- He dared not dwell
on the horrible thought
Then how was he to explain the
mistake to her; and, again, how was
he to keep it from the knowledge of
Or. Crabbe? II that redoubtable pa
tron got to know Of it--as it was quite
likely he would-the reputation of Mr..
Watkins. so laborlouIy built up. would
be blasted forever Instinctively he
looked round the shop. holding the
now wrapped and addressed bottle in
his hand, till his glance fell on the
wondering errand boy.
Tom" he almost shouted. "run with
this TO Miss Purfieet's as hard as you
can! Say it onght to have gone before
the other, and that dose is TO be
taken at once" Then come back-Fve
telegram for your
"A telegram" querled Mrs. Watkins.
at that moment appearing from the
house. Come and finish your dlnnerr
Il tell you | can't be botheredr said
her husband. snappishly.
Mrs. Watkins gasped; the errand boy
grlnned. Never had such thing hap
pened before. Then, recovering her
self. the lady thundered, $50. boy,
when your master tells your and with
drew, slamming the door.
The telegram was a brilliant inspIra.
tion-the most brilliant, perhaps. that
had ever come to Mr.. Watkins in the
whole of his, professional career. Read
Ing one of his trade Journalistic sub
scribed TO three-that morning. he had
seen an advertisement that had aroused
his interest. 1t related to new gen
eral antldote, for which it was claimed
that it would completely neutrallze. or
even in the worst cases sensibly
modify, the action of every known pol-
son. Mr.. Watkins. as became a man
Of scientific training, had said to him
self that the idea was medieval and
almost incredible. But now. in his
hour of need, he thanked the happy
Providence that had directed him to
read that advertisement. That he had
been specially guided to read it he had
no shadow of doubt. and what bless
ing it was that London. whence IT
came, was only thirty miles away. He
wrote the telegram in terms of the
greatest urgency. asking for full in.
structlons to be sent with the nostrum.
On the temperance OF the boy he
pelted him with questions-"W Whom did
you seeI What did they say?" and the
like.
The boy had an incurable stammer:
1t was some seconds-to Mr.. Watkins
1t seemed hours-before he got out.
Miss P-P-Purfieet d-d.didn't come-to
-the-door-herself," the last part of
the sentence being discharged as out
OF a catapult.
Mr. Watkins's rage was boundless.
Il know that, fool! What did you
learnf'
"L-llean?"
"What-dld-they-tell your" The
shout attracted Mrs. Watkins. who
loomed in the Doorway more massive
than ever
"N-n-nothing. I g-g-gaye the"
Here, take this telegram! And then
wait at the station for a parcel by the
next London traing'
Another telegram cried Mrs. Wat
klns II insist"
DO leave me" almost shrleked the
trenzied druggist. Cant you see
III tell you everything later indeed l
wlllw
Mrs. Watkins stared, reflected. and
then, TO the wonder OF her husband.
who was beginning to tremble at his
own audacity, slowly turned and re-
treated.
An hour and a half passed before
the all-important parcel arrived from
London, and the boy, in handing ii to
his employer, who was pacing the floor
of his shop like a Gagged lion, thought
1t desirable TO say.
Il haven't l-l-lost a-minute."
But Nj. Watkins was already tear
ing the parcel open. With eager eyes
he began reading the directions, dis.
tihguishable at once by their heavy
type. Select fieshy part Of the body
-sterilize the syringe by" caught
MS eye. The paper dropped from his
hand. The stun had to be injected
under Miss Purneet's skin, then? He
was lost
But yet In such an emergency could
not she, II she had not already col.
lapsed, be instructed how to use the
antldote herself? He would take II
to the house-a desperate case de-
manded desperate measures--and ask
leave to tell her the truth. She would