Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1912-01-19
! Danger 4.
49,. 49, . ~ $50
= 49, y '4tE'1: ,al', "a,
By JOSEPH c; CRANE

~ JO0EF7 - ONAHe'* ~
From my first meeting with Agnes
Myrtle she showed Partially for me.
l was fancy free, but l did not fancy
Miss Myrtle. Circumstances threw mr.
together great deal. but never real.
~ made love to her. Nevertheless she
persisted in assuming that there was
more between US than q mere acQuaint-
ance or friendship. l. should have
SCENTED danger. Indeed, did at time;
realize that was drifting into trouble,
but the only way for me to break, with
her was to 60 to live in another place.
This was scarcely practicable. :: ~ :. :,
How long matters might: have drift
I'D between me and Agnes Myrtle had
not fallen In love With 4 girl whom
r. desired to make my wife I don't
know. Agnes heard Of my attentions
to the lady l admired, but she did not
evince any jealousy. became en-
gagged, but still Miss Myrtle did no.
show any signs Of making trouble for
me. was congratulattng myself that
she would be above annoying me or
was. after all. Indifferent to my en-
gagement when one day received a
telephone message from her saying
that she was not feeling well and
would like me to call upon her profess
sionally. &c..
wished she had called in some one
else. Indeed. /. was surprised at her
calling upon me after she had SO often
assumed that we were lovers and l
had become engaged to another. New
ertheless l thought it 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 l told ner said that
she needed something stronger. She
had once taken arsenic I'm 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 common medicine to
give for tonic purposes, SO wrote just
such prescription as 1 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 l
saw In her eye vindictive look that
frightened me. Then suddenly It fash
ed into my mind why she had asked
for a prescription for a drug which
was a deadly poison ..
"Well,' l said, rising. lit would not
do for me, You feeling as you do, te
treat you professionally: must Rith::
draw from doing 80. I viii trouble
you for the prescription l have given
you" g." ~. ::
She hesitated for awhile, then threw
off all disguise.
Il shall keep the preaerip&toa'"s she
said. . . j..
"What for?~ 4.
II decline to say" . *.>
What I feared was that she might
change the infinitesimal quantity OF ar
senic I had prescribed to 4. quantity
large enough to kill. Thls wsuld he q
sufficient ground ON which, to base
against me q charge OF an attempt ts
poison her, the motive being that l
x.r{ehoI7 - rroA s,SI7 - .~a sa,a e. a,~7cr
to be free to marry another. Fer a
moment host my prudence.
If you don't give me that proaHip-
ton I shah take it from 70. by force =
I said. IT,:
For reply abe coolly pointed to an
electric button In. the wall within easy
reach If attempted to possess my
self of the prescription she could cas-
lily summon some one who would be
a witness against me On another
charge: :*<
It was now evident that the only
chance for me to get out Of a. scrape
that would ruin me would be by du:
plicity. But for my life saw no i'm.
mediate method except to pretend to
gradually see my relations with her in
another light-to appear. undecided
and at last ready to give up my en-
gagement and engage myself to her. =:
sat down by her and began more
frightful string of lies than were: ever
told by the father OF, lies himself. the
purport of which was that really
loved her, had always loved her and
would never. love another. The only
possible reason for her believing me
was that she wished to believe me. -
"Why, then" she asked. ~have you
treated me 30 badlyr': 49,
BECAUSE replied. ~yo1 are: doom
ed. do not believe In q match be
tween two persons. one OF whom has
but short time to i've"
II? A short time to liver 4:
Eyes You have a disease that will
kill you within few months =, .
She was very much frightened. She
had high opinion Of nay professional
skill and considered me truthful. ~:
- - n.