The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1907-09-06

PRESCRIPTION
No. 1897
By CLARENCE II. sTnsoN

lacked but "a few minutes OF six
O'Clock For several nights be had
been up for hours at a time. nursing
his wife His checks and forehead
were unnaturany hot and his eyes
burned from loss Of sleep
Bagley strove 90 comfort himself
with the old saying about the length
OF lane that has no turning Per
hahs. now that his wife was 90 re-
covor-but his train of thought was
broken by the entrance of a customer
an old man.
Bagley glanced OF the phial handed
him Prescription No 1891 Ten
drops when necessary DIR Black
He mechanically opened the un-
wieldy scrap-hook IN which the orig
inal copies OF prescriptions We're
pasted He rubbed his tired eyes
with his hand 90 enable him better 90
decipher the handwriting. and com
menced % compound the mixture
When ready ne hled and coIked
the bottle. noticing that the luid I'LL
ed It completely AT that moment
the night clerk came IN. which left
him free TO 40 home
AS the old man, pocketing his pur-
chase and the change. left the store,
Bagley. clothed in hat and rain coat
ready for home. paused to close up
and put away the prescription book,
which lay open near him. Ills head
seemed clear now. and Dec felt re-
heved lie paused, his eyes suddenly
attracted 20 the prescription he had
| just compounded
In an instant he tasted the bitter
ness. ne felt the deathly nausea. Of
the man who has blundercd stupidly
griovously. disastrously A weakness
approaching death stcalthny over
came him. as with hlauchod cheek
bis eyes read again the ingredients of
the deadly poison Prescription 40
1919. so ike No lsl97 bat alas.
the fatal transposition.
His instinct took the initiative.
/ while his consciousness strayed. and.
by the time his normal vision had
returned ne had turned several PAGES
and had commenced 10 compound So.
1S497 Yes. DE would hurry after the
old gentleman. ask % see the phial
and make the exchange surropti-
tiously
Tears OF agonized suspense and
chagrin clouded his eyes as be hur
/ ried down the street IN the dlrec-
ton taken by the aged man, whose ad-
dress. ne realized almost az once. was
unknown 10 him But Immediately
he recalled the name on the label OF
the bottle in his hand-Dr Black
who should know the names and ad-
dresses OF his patients The detour
to the physicians office consumed
precious minutes. perhaps the last
minutes IN the life OF his innocent vic
tim. Before the information for
which ne 80 excltedly clamored had
been wholly impaired. Bagloy was
away on the race with his destiny,
each stride of which now brought him
nearer 10 Cherry street
As he turned the last corner. an am
bulauce. on its silent tires, passed him
in the opposite direction His heart
sank within him. he staggered 50 that
his shoulder was bruised by a proiec-
ton on a gate post. He had been
too latel The responsibility for the
loss Of a human life was on his
hands,
Realizing dimly however. that
there had hardly been q sufficient
elapse of time. since he left the store.
for the death 70 occur and for an am.
bulance 70 arrive he sought and
found No. A. a somber. three-story
brick structure. His impatiently re-
peated rings bringing no response, he
entered basement window whose
catch proved defective. and. gropina
his way upstairs toward o light q
: beam from which struck down the
stairway. The stiffness Of the house
acoentuated an the dreadful possible
ties that his Imagination. aided hy
circumstances of convincing sequence
had coniured up.
The light Of the bedroom. into which
ne stepped. blinded him for a mo
ment. but HIS eager glance found hin
AZ once the unconscious form OF the
aged man. still clothed, stretched on
the bed. Near at hand. on a small
table. stood q number Of bottles con
tanning drugs The breathing OF the
sufferer was labored and fltful, suci
az that of a person near 20 death.
Having the exchange of phials
which ne had planned. clear in his
mind. he slipped the bottle he picked
up into his pocket, leaving, amoni
the others on the table, the one h'
had brought with him.
His way home led across a bridge
within a hundred yards Of his home
and AZ the center Of the arch h'
paused. prompted 20 hurl the siniste
phial over the Darapet An arc-lamp
hish above him on its tall pedestal. ii
Illuminated the place glaringly
Godsl His lip curled in wolfsl
snarl OF desperation. and the tinkl
of breaking glass az his feet SOUNDED
an uncanny signal for the black cur
tain Of despair. For the label. whicl
had Just met his gaze. had boen unfa
miliarl The poison still stood with
I'm easy reach Of the old man at No
AZ Cherry street!
AS ne entered his house, evadin
his wife's sympathetic. anxious ques
tions. choked down "a bit Of supper
and strove TO Talk nationally with heI
the chaos Of his thoughts almos
overcame his assumed oalmness. a
last. urged beyond endurance agains
inaction. ne hurried out into the we
come darkness and mist
The stumbling. dogged walk inu