The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-08-17
The Two Draughts
By c. T. OVERMAN

remlttanceS were Sent-and ne did no
know very much about it all.
Well, anyway, he had increased the
remittances as his income had in
creased, and the boy had had a chance
so far as education was concerned far
beyond anything for which the doctor
ever Lad hoped for himself
Cognizant of the fact that this sort
of thing never would do if he were to
complete the experiments upon which
his great address to the Medical asso-
citation was to be based, DR.. Crowder
shook his tawney name and arose He
seized q 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 moment to look at the glass.
Right next to it stood another glass
containing fl'iid as colorless and as
tasteless as Tater-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 mistaken"
The cold sweat stood on his temples.
If he had drank the poison he would be
a dead man within 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.
L - l.;
Find out; test the other glass"
Eagerly he reached for it. But his
hand trembled and was unsteady-a
thing which had not happened in 20
years-and the precious glass went
crashing to the floor.
Dr. Crowder stood looking al the
broken glass and the liquid trucking
on the floor, look of stupefied 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
so many commanding essays upon the
attributes of the human mind and the
unalterable and uncomfortable infiu-
ence of fear
my God" shrieked the physician.
81 will go insane in half hour of this
sort of doubt
Then again his splendid brain came
to his aid
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-the boy. And then he
wrote 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 friend-at once Which, being
done, the two signed their names as
witnesses and the document was hur-
riedly placed in an envelope and given
to the janitOr to mail to Ethel-which
the janitor did at once.
Some hours later the janitor found
DR.. Crowder stiff and stark on the floor
of his laboratory and the greatest ply
sicians in all the great city were sum-
moned.
After he came to, DR.. Crowder looked
for moment into the face of the great
doctor who stood over his bed-a col
league and friend-and said: mo
use, Ned; it's the new poison"
The man bending gravely over him
smiled indulgently.
cts only a nightmare, Fred" he
said. 81 feared it myself when I saw
the stuff in your laboratory; but
have tried every test and it is not so.
You are overworked; better go some
where and take rest"
Where's the janitor?" asked DR..
Crowder, with sudden interest
The janitor was found and brought
in.
did you mail that letter." asked
DR.. Crowder.
Eyes, sir" replied Ole Larson.
within ten minutes of the time you
sealed It,"
"Um-m-m!" remarked Dr. Crowder
"Yes. Fred, think will take rest
Find when the next train goes to
Pottstown. 1 think will go and see
my folks-and Fred, you deliver this
address before the International Medi-
cal association. l don't think will ba
back in time. I will write the commit
tee explaining it."
(Copyright. 1906. by Daily Story Pub. Co..