The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1912-11-14
A DOUBLE
I. MISTAKE
By ARTHUR W. BREWSTER

| BY ARTHUR w. BREWSTER
Happy the man in whose daily avo
cation there is no risk. When was q
young man went to work for whole.
sale drug firm. One day retailer
wrote from neighboring town that
our concern had sold him drug that
made every one sick who took any of
1t. 1t turned out that had put up the
package sold $50. .<.s. r.4
never entirely got over the narrow
escape I had had in this case. l re-
ceived only the usual reprimand from
my employers, for no one can perfectly
rely on accuracy always. Later set
up for myself as a retailer of drugs.
Though our system was perfect, we
had some narrow escapes from COM
hitting unintentional murder. When
any of my clerks made a mistake /
impressed upon him the importance
Of being careful, but could not in
my heart blame them. II
There are occasions where person
who is perfectly methodical, adheres to
system, exercises every care and yet
will do something that he can never
afterward understand why he did it.
Then there are occasions when 1t Is
impossible to fix the mind on ones
work. One day not long after I had
set up for myself a young lady came
into the store and asked for some
harmless medicine. At the same time
a man asked for poison with which
to kill bugs. The young lady happened
to be one who impressed me. couldn't
keep my eyes of her. Before the two
different packages were ready other
persons came in. and did one Of those
things should not have done. In
stead Of paying no attention to new
corners till after serving those present
undertook to serve all of them. What
was the result? When the young lady
who had called for a simple remedy
and the man who wished bug poison
had gone u horrible suspicion came
into my head that had given the pol
son to the young girl. could not warn
her, for didn't know who she was.
Why had I broken my rule about
serving number Of persons at once?
couldn't answer the question except
for the reason that I had been very
much struck with the young lady. In
deed, had looked at her so admiringly
that 1 had noticed faint flush come
into her cheek. But the fearful conse-
Quences of her or any one else taking
the dose of the bug poison for the medi-
cine she had called for would surely
result fatally
A crisis hung over my head which.
till it had passed, would keep me in a
fr1ghtful suspense. AS soon as the
calamity occurred. if I had made the
error l feared had made, the medi-
cine I had sold would be examined,
my name would be on the package and
would soon hear of the trouble. The
best that could be said for my comfort
was that I would not likely be tried
for murder. because had no motive
for poisoning ANY one. But would
carry to my grave the knowledge that
I had through carelessness caused the
death Of the person to whom had
sold 1t. for | remembered she asked
me. How often shall take it?'
Furthermore. my business would be
ruined and would not have the heart
to go elsewhere and make another
start. made two resolutions in case
the trouble fell upon me-frst. l would
never again start in the drug business:
T IL s,,l1
Every morning and every evening 1
took up a newspaper with fear and
trembling. When week had passed
I felt that the danger was somewhat
lessened. But had the young lady died
from the effect OF poison would those
about her surely attribute her death
to that cause? This gave me a feeling
similar to that of one who may expect
at any moment to drop down from
heart disease, apoplexy or some other
fatal disease.
I am one of those persons whose ac-,
tive, imaginative minds may influence
their bodies. l became morbid, then
ill, simply from suspense. I took a
partner into my business and absent
ed myself from it most Of the time A
physician told me that was going into
a decline. But I knew well enough
that If could be assured that had
not killed any one would be we'll
enough. Finally it occurred to- me that
If the young lady had not suffered the.
consequences Of my possible error she
would likely have visited my store
again. a5 ~
One day l was wandering aimlessly
through an unfrequented street tor
tured by my troubles when, turning
corner, came face to face with the
girl whose fate was driving me into
melancholia. There she was, tripping
along as healthy, as rosy, as fresh as
life. Beside myself with JOY, made
one bound, caught her in my arms and
covered her face with kisBes.