Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1915-11-19

. beied macinite and set it upon the
table side by side with the atropin.
They were two drugs of equal pow.
er, but very different power An in.
finitesimal dose Of the atropin would
exercise certain stimulus on the red
: blood corpuscles which might pull the
patient through the crisis of his dis.
ease. "a equal dose of the macinite,
too small for rost-mortem detection
wontd dissolve the corpuscles and
BRING about death. In a healthy man
an equal dose of either would produce
no effect whatever.
Doctor Dyce might have told him
self that it would not be he, but the
fever that would kill the drunkari
above. But he was too honest for
that
Il am going to kill him." he said,
and dropped a drop into tumbler Of
water. From this he took two drops
and let them fall into the medicine.
He shook the bottle. He went up
stairs.
1.-TWO teaspoonfuls in an hour,
nurse he said to Molly. Call me if
he shows signs Of change for the
worse. He ought to pull through Though, 80. =
ever, with this atropin."
He looked down at the face of the
unconscious man. There had been not
the slightest change; he was breath
ing slowly and the almost impercepti-
BILE pulse had hardly varied a beat.
He went into his room and lay down
on the sofa. He could not sleep, but,
awaiting the summons, he reviewed
his action and justified it, if cot in
the sight of God, at least in th:.t OF
man.
It was nearly two hours later when
the summons came. There was
light tap at the door. Dyce sprang to
his feet and opened it, Before him
stood the nurse.
Come at once!" she whispered
tensely. Il am Notwithstanding is
happening to him, DOCTOR"
He hurried up the stairs and into
the room. A single glance showed him
that the man was dying. The crisis
hardly flicker of life. At that IN
slant Dyce was afraid Cor the first
time in his life. He was afraid that
the dying man would open his eyes
and look at him. He felt his hands
trembling. Molly, beside him, chung
to the foot Of the bed aad stared at
her husband
But the dying man gave no sign CT
recognition. Slowly the remnants Of
lie faded out. The breathing grew
deeper and slower. Once it stopped,
then it began again. 1t stopped.
There followed long-drawn sigh. The
man was dead.
And Molly, suddenly overcome,
tainted clean away.
Dyce raised her in his arms and
carried her into the nurses room. He
told the night superintendent what
had occurred. "She has been over
working" he said.
"She wouldn't leave the patient,
I DOCTOR" answered the woman. "She
had your permission, SIR
Quite right" said Dyce. He
!; worked over Molly until she began to
;revive. And now he had again that
singular dread of meeting human
ieyes. He could not meet Molly's
!! eyes when at last they opened and
fixed themselves on his. Though the
! girl did not suspect, it almost seemed
as if she had known, in that dim land
to which her swoon had taken her.
And, though they were alone, Dyce
did not dare to speak of anything but
his professional duties.
You must go to bed now, and we
will talk in the morning." he said.
you have done all that you could
do. You could not save him, nor
| The atropin came too late. should
/ have given it yesterday, but I was
afraid"
She rose without speaking and left
the room. Dyce went back into his
own room. And, f1inging himself down
on the sofa, he felt the paroxysms OF
deadly fear take hold of him.
He was q murderer, though mona
knew of it but himself. He alone must
bear that inner brand of Cain for the
rest Of his life. At that moment even
the gain OF Molly seemed singularly
1 inadequate in the place of the soul
which he had lost.
A murderer! For ever and for ever
that word would be burned into his
heart and brain. The years would pass
with Molly, and she must never know
she must never discern the cause o1
his inner unrest. A murderer! And
for her sake!
He saw how mad he had been. Al
tho time he dropped the drug into
the glass he had sincerely believed
that hA WaR acting according tn tn