The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-08-17
The Two Draughts
By {. 7. 0VERMAN


seized L glass of water standing on the
table in front of him and gulped it
down and turned to his work. The wa
ter tasted rather peculiar. and he
paused a moment to look at the glass
Right next to ii stood another glass
containing fluid as colorless and as
tasteless as water-but deadly poison.
This was the basis of the experiment
he was making.
Great God!' the thought flashed
through his mind. Gould | possibly
have made a mistaken"
The cold sweat stood on his temples
II he had drank the poison he would be
a dead man within a half hour-and
there was no known antidote. Panic
seized his mind and he trembled like a
leaf. Instinctively he turned to run,
Then his splendid brain resumed its
functions and he laughed aloud.
Fool" he said bitterly to himself,
Find out; test the other glass"
Eagerly he reached for it. But his
hand trembled and was unsteady-a
thlns which had not happened in 20
yearS-and the precious glass went
crashing to the floor.
Dr. Crowder stood looking at the
broken glass and the liquid trickling
on the floor, a look of stupefed horror
on his face. Now, indeed. must he face
the ultimate horror of waiting, wait
ing, waiting, for his doom. He knew
the torture of 1.-THE who had written
50 many commanding essays upon the
attributes of the human mind and the
unalterable and uncomfortable intlu-
enCe of fear.
MY Cod" shrieked the physician.
Il will so insane in a half hour of this
sort Of doubt
Then again his splendid brain came
to his afd.
If am to die" he said, 81 must
prepare for it." The peculiar feeling
in his head left no doubt in his mind
that he had taken the poison.
Then his thought turned quickly to
the wife of his youth and his boy
whom he had never seen. He turned
quickly to his desk and wrote rapidly
for some minutes. He wrote the secret
and the history Of his life. He ex-
planned the change in his name and his
relation to Tom Billings and Ethel
Wood and-tke boy. And then he
wrote q will leaving all he had to his
wife and boy. Staggering to the door
he summoned the |janitor and ordered
him, IN his old, imperiOus way, to
find a friend-at once. Which, being
done, the two Signed their names as
and the document was hur-
'iedly placed in IN envelope and given
o the janitor to mail to Ethel-which
he ]janitor did at once.
Some hours later the janitor found
Dr.. Crowder stiff and stark on the floor !
# his laboratory and the greatest ply {
icians in all the great city were sum
nOned. g
After he came to, DR.. CrOwder looked t
or a moment into the face of the great c
-octor who stood over his bed-a col
eague and a friend-and said: mo S
Ned; it's the new poison" G
The man bending gravely over him c
miled indulgently. +
Its only a nightmare, Fred" he c
aid. Il feared it myself when I saw I
stuff in your laboratory; but II
tried every test and it is not so. d
GU are oVerworked; better go some o
here and take a rest" C
where's the japitor?" asked Or. c
rowder, with sudden interest. a
The Janitor was found and brought o.
Did o mail that letter." asked st
r, Crowder. y
Yes, sir" replied Ole Larson. al
Within ten minutes of the time you u
.aled It," b.
"Um-m-m!" remarked DR.. Crowder.
Yes, Fred, J think | will take a rest, re
nd when the next train goes to &C
0ttstown. i think | will go and see 81
y toIks-and Fred, you deliver this al
dress before the International Medi- Oh
| association. | don't think | will be pc
ok in time. | will write the commit w
g explaining it." tn
Copyright, 1906, by Daily Story Pub. Coz III