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

tuSSy, and indeed close student OF
human nature could hardly have pur.
chased cake of soap from the trim
little man without registering mem
tally some such epithet Spare and
spectacled. with dropping mustache
and a half-apologetic air. he conveyed
the impression of being in a perpetual
state Of subdued anxiety Perhaps the
cause was to be found in the reputa-
tion for counter-prescrlbing he had
built up during the ten years he had
been in business reputation which
on the principle of noblesse oblige
could not fail to make him feel at least
as old as he was; perhaps it lay In
the fact that his returns were not quite
large enough to Justify so cautious n
man In keeping an assistant; perhaps
again 1t was connected with the dom
nance Of a masterful wife.
But whatever the cause. the effect
was plain-Hubert Watkins showed to
the world careworn countenance
And on a certain day his habitual ex-
preston was more marked than usual
for he had a cold 1t was not n dan.
gerous. nor even a severe cold-thc use
of clinical thermometer selected from
his stock soon settled that point-but
1t was bad enough to cause shuttle in
his speech. and he was fretfully ap-
prehenslve that his customers. percelv-
ing it. would begin to doubt the efii-
cacy of medicines in general and of
his in particular.
1t must have been the harassing ef-
feet of his cold that resulted in his
making terrible mistake. In all his
honorable career he had never been
known to go astray in deciphering a
prescription. and. having had a thor
ough training in dispensing. he had
made his name in the little town of
Burgmore as the best. or. as he would
have said, the most elegant dispenser
therein. The writing of the local doe
tors had naturally become familiar 10
him, and If prescription from a
strange hand was brought to him
could almost always master its hero
glyphlcs.
Just after noon on the day in ques-
ton DR.. Crabbe. a practitioner who pat
ronized him. handed over the counter
q prescription which Mr.. Watkins. as
was his wont. received with the brief
ritual Of bow and Thank you,
doctor"' Then, taking In the patients
name and the directions at d glance.
he murmured. Every four hours. |
see; I'll send it at once" Or. Crabbe.
massive parsonage with a preoc-
cupied air briefly CALCULATED. Thank
you and went his way
Now 1t chanced that the prescription
was written for patient. Miss Pur-
fleet by name. for whom Mr. Watkins
had a peculiar esteem. She was not
only the most influential member of
the choir chapel which the Watklnses
attended, but she was distinguished
from her colleagues by pretty figure
set off by a taste in dress that in a
more worldly milleu would have been
called coquettish. Mr.. Watkins regard
for her was Of the palest platonic
order-the application TO her OF such a
word as "eOquettlsh" would have
moved him to grlef-but. strictly dis
never have dreamed of mentioning it
to his wife. II that lady's all-embrac-
ing scrutiny happened to result in her
pronouncing, on the way back from
Sunday morning service. she being a
yard or so in front Of her spouse
Miss Purfeet was pretty well got up
this morning" he would dlscreetly re.
ply "Ah. yes" and give no further
sign. 1t was the one secret which,
he hoped he did right-he shared with
no one; and. although the force of his
sentiment would not have disturbed a
bit Of floating gossamer. he cherished
the feeling asslduously. marking with
a tick in red Ink on the calendar over
his desk the days on which Miss Pur-
feet set her gracious foot inside his
shop.
Just as he was STOPPING to a locker
in which medicine bottles were kept to
select the smartest looking. Mrs. Wat
kins called peremptorily from a half
opener door at the back Of the shop:
Dinner, hubr'
zone moment only. lovey" he
meeltly responded. feeling that it was
ul1e unfortunate that he should be
Obliged 10 hurry so sacred a task as
the preparation Of mixture for the
exquisite singer. Disastrous hurry :
For, reading in his haste "Tinct Opil :"
for what was really "Tinct. Ouin." the
20" being very indlstlnct-he poured
into the bottle an ounce Of tlncture of
opium in place of an equal quantity
Of tincture Of quinlne
Summoning his errand boy from the
cellar in which that hireling had been
cutting sticks OF licorice-and incident
ally his hnger-Mr. Watkins des.
patched the bottle, addressed in spite
OF his hurry not less neatly than usual
Then, leaving the bell of his shop.
door "on." he obeyed the summons OF
his wife, who by that time had become
omlnlously ruflied by his non-nppear-
ance.
During the meal Mr.. Watkins
thoughts naturally reverted to the fair
patient to whose restoration to health
he hoped to-
Good heavensl How many doses
was that ounce OF tinct. opli. divided
into? Mr.. Watkins sprang to his feet
In cold perspiration.
what Is itY' said Mrs. Watkins.
sharply. not without a tinge OF anxiety.
for such behavior on her husbands
part was quite unprecedented.
H.