The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-07-14
A FIERY
DOSE
By JOHN Y. LARNED


Toms sister, Fanny and had fallen be-
fore Il pair of liquid brown eyes, pair
: of coral lips and pair of dimpleS,
one in each cheek. Since that meeting
he had thought of her by day and
dreamed OF her by night. He received
the invitation on Monday for the fol
lowing Friday. Then followed the
four longest days of Blly's life. He
counted the hours till at last the day
of his departure arrived, and an hour
before dinner he was under the same
roof with the girl who had enthralled
him. Now for the wooins.
Toms brother. jim, was i'll in bed
and did not make his appearance. On
the second night Of Billy's visit he
went to bed at II O'Clock and was soon
asleep. He was awakened by hearing
some one moving about the room.
Whoever it was tried to light a
match. 1t spQttered a moment and
went out, but not before Billy saw by
its light the face of Fanny Roberts.
There" she grumbcd, 1.-THE last
match gone, and don't know where
to find another! However, I know ex-
actly where l left your medicine-in
the closet on the third shelf from the
bottom in tie right hand corner.
don't believe in giving medicine in the
dark, but I'll risk it this time"
Billy heard her cropping and FUN.
bling, and finally she came to his bed
side. put a glass half full Of some
liquid to his lips and poured it down
his throat. Then she left him with a
good night.
Olcott WAS one of the most modest,
sensitive young men in the world, and
he considered young girls to be even
more sensitive than himself. II Fanny
knew that she had come into his room
ut midnight by mistake to give him
dose of medicine she would never get
over the shock. This is the reason
why he had not made her mistake
known to her and why he had permit
ted her to pour down his throat a
medicine he did not need.
lie lay congratulating himself on the
delicacy with which he had handled
the matter and how, if she came to
know Of her mistake. it would set him
up in her opinion. Girls were some
times caught by trifles, and he wouldn't
wonder If this bit Of sacrifice would
cause her to fall in love with him.
Then he felt something down in his
stomach where the dose had gone that
felt as il q red hot poker had been ap-
piled to his INTERVALS. He started. A
dose in; the dark had been given him,
and might It not have been the wrong
medicine? Another application OF the
hot poker. He sat up in bed. his hair
stood on end and cold sweat broke
out all over: him. Fanny had been
looking for a bottle in the closet in her
brothers room, not Billy's. She GER
tainly had given him the wrong dose.
Great heavens! Could she have poi
soned him?
"A third application Of the poker.
This time 1t seemed to Billy that some
one had gripped him with redhot pm
GERS. He sprang out Of bed, ran tc
Tom Roberts door and hammered on
it. Tom came out in his pajamas and
asked what was the matter.
Bring me an cmetic as soon asiyou
can!' cried Billy. I'm afraid I've
swallowed poison"
Tom ran to his sisters door, called
her up and told her to so downstairs
and bring up some mustard and warm
water. She tried to find out who had
been poisoned, but Tom told her to go
on and be quick about it." When she
brought up the emetic she found Billy's
door open, the room lighted and her
brother bending over the grooming in.
valid.
Then for the first time she under
stood the cause Of the trouble. She
flew to the closet, opened the door.
took out vial and read the label.
Then She put the vial back again and
gave Billy a look, but said nothing.
II took a dose Of that" said Billy
between groans. "Will,it kill me?"
NO." replied Fanny.
"What is it!'
"a preparation Of ginger and red
pepper"
us that all?"
Eyes; it won't hurt you"
'That's past praying for. It's eating
my vitals."
"Thank heaven It's no worse"
Its bad enough as it is"
'How came you to take itY' queried
Tom.
This was a poser. Billy took advan
tage of another internal firebrand to
invent a story. When the paroXysm
had passed he said:
"Just before / came up here I felt
sick and went to a doctor. He said
had antllropomegaphonc and gave me
some medicine for it. / forgot to take
it before going to bed; got up and hunt
ed for it in the dark. l must have got |
into the wrong place"
BY this time the emetic took effect,
and Fanny took advantage Of the fact
to withdraw. While Billy was reich
ing he thought he heard te-hce In the
next room.
"Confound that grip he said men,
taiiy-he was doing something else
physically-"catch me trying to shield
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