The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-01-16
A Danger
Averted
By Joseph c. CRANE


was fancy free, but / did not fancy
Miss Myrtle. Circumstances threw US
together a great Ceal but | never real
~ made love TO her. Nevertheless she
persisted in assuming that there was
more between US than mere acquaint-
ance or friendship. | should have
scented danger. Indeed. / did at times
realize that was drifting into trouble,
but tie only way for me to break with
her was to 90 to live in another place.
This was scarcely practicable.
How long matters might have drift
ed between me and Agnes Myrtle had
] not fallen III love with girl whom
desired to make my wife | don't
know Agnes heard of my attentions
to the lady admired, but she did not
eyince any jealousy. | became en-
gagged. but still Miss Myrtle did not
show any signs of making trouble for
me. | was congratulating myself that
she would be above annoying me or
was. after all. Indifferent to my en-
gagement when one day ] received
telephone message from her saying
that she was not feeling well and
would like me to call upon her profess
sionally.
else Indeed. was surprised at her
calling upon me after she had so often
assumed that we were lovers and
had become engaged to another. New
ertheess thought il better to make
the visit found her becomingly
dressed in negligee costume lying on
lounge. She told me that she needed
tonic, and | prescribed one that was
perfectly harmless. She asked me what
it was and when | told her said that
she needed something stronger. She
had once taken arsenic in small doses
for the purpose of building up her
strength and preferred that | should
give her some compound of which ar
senic formed part.
Arsenic is a common medicine TO
give for tonic purposes, so wrote just
such prescription as | had written
many times before. Agnes took It,
folded it carefully and put it in her
corsage. Then she began to upbraid
me with what she was pleased to call
my treatment of her. ! disavowed her
charges. but as our talk proceeded
saw in her eye vindictive look that
me. Then suddenly it fash
ed into my mind why she had asked
for a prescription for drug which
was deadly poison.
"Well," | said, rising, sit would not |
do for me, you feeling as you do. to
treat you professionally | must with |
draw from doing so. will trouble |
you for the prescription have given
you"
She hesitated for awhile, then threw
off all disguise.
Il shall keep the prescription" she
said.
what for?"
II decline TO say"
What [ feared was that she might
change the infinitesimal quantity of ar
senic had prescribed TO a quantity /
large enough to kill This would be a
sufficient ground on which TO base
against me a charge of an attempt to .
poison her. the motive being that I
wished to get rid of one girl in order
to be free to marry another For a
| lost my prudence.
IF you don't give me that prescrip-
ton shall take it from you by force"
said
For reply she coolly pointed TO an
electric button in the wall within easy
reach. If attempted TO possess my
self of the prescription she could cas-
ly summon some one who would be
, witness against me on another
,harge
1t was now evident that the only
nance for me to get out of a scrape
hat would ruin me would be by du-
,licity. But for my life | saw no i'm
Mediate method except to pretend to
see my relations with her in
mother light-to appear undecided
nd at last ready TO give up my en-
'agement and engage myself to her.
| sat down by her and began more
rightful string of lies than were ever
old by the father of lies himself. the
airport of which was that | really
owed her, had always loved her and
you'd never love another The only
ossible reason for her believing me
fas that she wished to believe me.
"Why, then" she asked, have you
reated me so badly?"
Because" replied. you are doom
d. do not believe in a match be-
ween two persons. one OF whom has
ut short time to live"
81? A short time to liver
Eyes. You have a disease that will
i'll you within a few months"
She was very much frightened. She !
ad high opinion of my professional !
kill and considered me truthful.
Cant you do anything for mel" she ]
sked hastily. {
mo"
Are you sureT
"Your disease has always been re-
arded as incurable. but a friend of /,
line has been experimenting to dis
over a serum for it and. believe,
aims to have found one. | will see 4
i'm. and If he has been successful / !
ill apply it in your case"
| turned to 60 l did not dare to
IL for the prescription l had given
ar, though / hoped to get possession
1t in time. She called me back and