Evening journal., 1913-05-09
A TERRIBLE
SUSPENSE
~ EDWARD L BlssELL

How persons whose daily work car
ries with it the safety Of the lives Of
other persons ever became accustomed
to It don't know. have been one
OF them. and / couldn't do &, though
confess had an experience that took
away nli my confidence Those I re-
Ter 10 are engineers pilotn and the
ike was n druggist | was obliged
TO put up prescriptions ell day aud Of
ton at night Most OF them were hnrm-
less. but in some were ingredients cal
culatod n given in largo enough doses
TO XIII. We had system about the
poisous. but defy any system ever
invented to work every time. Sooner
or later something will 70 wrong
with II.
wns putting up n poison one day
Tor vermln killing purposes. had an
engagement to meet my wife at "A rnil-
wny rtntion az certain hour 70 80 TO
tho country with our little hoy, who
WIS 10 and who we feared was slowly
dying. 1t Is such situations as this
that will hroak through systems and
cause accidents. | had just 80 many
minutes 20 reach my train and put up
two prescriptions, the ono poison,
Tho other hnrmless. My mind was pre-
occupied. If / should not reach the
station IN time my wife with our sick
child would be IN great distress. l
was thinking OF her while ] wns doing
my work and delivering tho packages
TO tho two different persons. who were
waiting FOR them. This done. 1 seized
ms hnt and ran for tho station.
] barely reached It In time, und hav-
ing put my family aboard tho train.
sat down beside them, moppcd my
brow and my mind settled back to
what had been doing before left
the store a horrible suspicion came
TO me- doubted II ] had not given
the poison to the wrong person. An
other suspicion followed on the heels
OF tue first Had not neglected to
paste the label marked Poison" on
the bottle7
NY first impulse was TO Jump on the
train, though it was moving at u rate
Of fifty miles an hour. This, OF course,
controlled must remain for no
one know how long IN suspense. l
had Intended to stay week with my
wife I'm the country before leaving her
there. but now resolved to return
tho next day. II the blow was to fall
upon me preferred that it should
fall while was at my post than
when away. Besides, l hoped that
work would help 70 relieve me OF the
burden ON my mind.
Not being willing to give my wife an
additional trouble, refrnlned from
connding TO her my horrible suspicion,
but told her that we were so busy at
the store that ! would be obliged TO
80 back the next day. This In itself
was bitter disappointment 10 her
and when the time cume for my de
uarnrc my boy was 80 IN that los
much Of my worry on account OF my
suspected hlunder IA my worry abou
him.
Several DAYS passed. and ] heard
nothing indicating that any one had
taken poison. though ] studied the
newspapers regularly seeking fol
what ] feared to End Then it occur
red % me that the poison might hav,
hecn taken. but the one who had swal
lowed 81 snved. The blunder NIGH
have hecn reported nt the store. but
owing % my distressing situation
they might for a time. withhold thu
facts.
A week passed Ny hoy was mucl
hetfer. and returned to the city. On
the way while securing newspape
as usual my eye fell on heading
'Fatnl Mistake OF a Druggist"
could read no more ] covered m!
ewes with my hands and groaned
Thrice I tried to muster up courage q
read my fate. but WAS unable TO do s.
and at the end OF my journey left tn
newspaper in the train. Time enougl
TO know all that had happened whe
: / go 10 the store.
When went 10 the store there wa
no evidence Of anything having haT
pened ! didn't dare ask about th
case OF poisoning had seen in th
: newspaper. for the druggist might nc
/. have been located, and there was n
I use in giving myself away. But
z worried all the same.
] The two customers to whom ha
given the medicine were an old ma
s and young woman. The poison wa
d intended for the man. the ordnar
2 dose for the Young woman believe
l had given her the poison Her fei
lures were firmly fixed on my min