The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-03-26

almost ndRlne tIdl ACSI S~AS~
taste in my mouth
He growled all the way downstairs.
The chest was on a stand where he
had left it, and as he lighted the gas
the cat rolled of the lounge and looked
at him in surprise. He opened the
chest to put his hand on the bottle, and
next instant Mrs. Bowser heard a wild
yell. On the bottle was a deaths head
label with the printed word Poison
and the written word "Laudanum" be-
meath it.
what is it." she shouted as she
leaned we the banister.
"T-Tve taken poison! Come down
at once"
"What sort of poison?
"Laudanum! I must have drunk
half a pint of it,"
"Then rush to the drugstore and get
the night clerk up and have him adj
minister a remedy. While you are
gone I'll make a lot Of strong coffee"
do you-you think I'm a dead
man?' he asked as he fingered by the
front door while Mrs. Bowser came
flying downstairs.
Ran to the Drug Store.
Don't stop to ask a single ques-
ton, but fly for your life! If you get
a remedy down at once, you may be
saved!'
Mt. Bowser had to go out into the
winters night half. dressed, but he got
a hump on him. A policeman called
to him from across the street, and two
or three pedestrians tried to stop him,
but he brought up at the family drug
store and almost pulled the night bell
out by the roots at the first yank. Aft
er he had rung about five times nj
administered the same number or
kicks on the door the sleepy clerk ad-
mitted him with the exclamation:
What in thunder do you mean by
trying to kick my door in"
live taken poison" gasped Mr..
Bowser as he staggered in and sat
down.
ooh, you have? Couldn't rout a hard
working drug clerk out Of bed at mid
night n other way, and so you took
poison. What was it:'
IAd Uudl1ulu. " IL AOA NNNSN
sirup. Don't delay, OF I'm a dead
man."
Don't expect me to rush my legs
off," grOwled the clerk. I'm not re-
sponsible for your mistake. That's the
way with half the men. They will
grab up a bottle and guZzle away and
never paw attention to the label. I'll
give you the usual remedy for lauda-
mum poisoning. You may possibly get
over it and learn caution in the flu
ture. Now take this and then walk
I'D and down the sidewalk at a brisk
pace. If you stop for a minute, you
are a goner."
Walked For Half an Hour.
Mr.. Bowser walked up and down fo;
a block each way. Pedestrians asked
him why he walked, and motormer
wanted to know if he was enjoying
himself. Now and then q hoOdlum hi
him in the head with a SNOWFALL, anC
now and then a tramp walked at his
elbow and besought him to open his
beating heart. He had been walking
for half an hour, and the drug clerE
was still yelling at him occasionally
from the door, when a boy came run
ming and gasped out:
Mrs. Bowser wants you right away
She has found that you wasn't poi
soned."
"W-what"
"You didn't take nc laudanum."
Mr.. Bovser sprang into the air. 81
whooped. He made a dive for TIL
drug clerk and chased him inside. 81
made a rush for a coal man who ha'
been enjoying the situation and upse
him in a snowdrift. Then he struck
wild gallop for home, and as he burs
into the house Mrs. BOwser met h1r
and held up the bottle Of cough cure.
"You left it down in the kitchen af'
err taking a swallow, and [ found it
few minutes ago." she explained.
"And l didn't take laudanum"
mo"
"And there's no danger Of my d.
ing?"
"Not this trip"
Mr.. Bowser seemed about to tax
her In his arms and give way to a ma
ural feeling, but he stopped shor
started back and dramatically pointe
and exclaimed:
"Ha, woman, 1 understand! You 81
out to poison me, but became CO.
science stricken. You can go up to be
noH, while | look over some papers
the library that will be wanted by II
lawyer tomorrow NJ. QUAD.
A Problem.