Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1915-07-05
DEATH SAVED HIM
BY OLIVIA MEREDITH.

nfSt WOIQs, iOT d respite, T6llGl S66uc0
in view. He had put out most of the
lights, be had just locked the street
door, when the knob was turned and
q small boy breathless and perspiriag,
shouted Justify:
Il must get In, doctor says / must
hurry" and he waved fragment Of
paper which Boyd recognized as pre-
scription He let the boy in Mid
night WEAKNESS made him sway. the
lights were poor he almost nodded
putting up the prescription. 1t was
For Mr. Lewis" heart tonic, Boyd
noted that He was so done out that as
he gave the waiting boy the bottle
he left the last phial he had used III
filling the prescription upon the case
kveounter. Then. without even undress
ing, he flung himself on the lounge
just behind the case and was plunged
IN sudden slumber Immediately.
Long hours. irregular meals, lack OF
air and exercise were fast undermin
ing splendid constitution. There
was no nine hour rule at the Davis
establishment
"U-umi just about halt slept out
yawned Boyd at daylight, rousing up
at the call of an alarm clock, unre
freshed for another day of hard work
We'll, If | can stand 1t out I'll soor
have enough to start course at the
medical college
Boyd cooked his sparse breakfast or
spirit stove. He tidied up and
ventilated the store and set at put
ting the disordered prescription desl
in order. AS he picked up a phial ly
ing upon it he raised it slowly A
shudder passed over his frame He
turned deadly white. He uttered &
great gasp His horror-stricken eyes
were glued to the label on the bottle
THE last | used last night in max
ing up that prescription" he spoke
breathlessly, 'and-poison!"
How had he come to make the fatal
error? His dazed, tired eyes had read
'ascetina" for arsenic He had un
Willingly substituted for a harmless
Alternative enough of the deadliesi
poison known to materia medica to kill
a dozen men.
Sick at heart. Boyd Leslie dropped
the fatal phial and sank to chair
overcome The deed was done, with
out any doubt! Oh, was there the
merest vestige of hope that the pre-
scription had not been used? Shaki
ing from head to foot with anxiety
and dread the young drug clerk hur
= ried on hat and coat and rushed from
the store,
He knew where the Lewis home was
located His heart beat like trip
hammer as he turned into the street
upon which it fronted. 1t seemed to
halt with a shock as he saw on the
bell handle of the house-a streamef
of crepe!
How he lived through that day,
Boyd Leslie could not realize. He
heard that the physician attending
Mr. Lewis had given certificate OF
death from natural causes First an
impulse came to his mind to confess
his mistake publicly. Then dread of
consequences made OF him a coward
The episode passed by He was safe,
In the general acceptation of that
word. But his mind was in torment
AS to restitution-ah, there he could
act. He had robbed the Lewis family
of a protector. He would take his
place
His motives were never suspected
kby Verona or her mother
AS the weeks passed on. however,
the interest he took in the chi dren
his kindness in loaning Mrs. Lewis
a small amount that enabled her to
renew mortgage on the homestead.
began to endear him to the lonely,
lovable young girl.
AS to Boyd, an angel with flaming
sword seemed to stand between him
and the beautiful girl who had won his
souls devotion
Il dare stay here no longer" he told
himself one day. Il will find some
way to give my little savings to Mrs
Lewis and forget Verona"
His heart smote him the evening he
announced to the family the demands
Of fictitious position in another
state.
He saw no other way out of his diff
fculty, however. They helped him pack
his effects, and during the process
Verona brought small chest Of odds
anG ends, to find for Boyd blood
thermometer he had loaned her moth
! er when she had a touch of fever.
0~t contained some papers of the
dead father, some phials of medicine.
a sealed bottle AS his eyes fell upon
this Boyd Leslie grasped it with
t9 Gag .rhess thar fairly startled
yeloia.
''This-this is prescription you hao
filed the ght before your father
died?' he uttered hoarsely
Eyes. Doo4. dear father!" replied
Verona, sadly He died before broth
CT got back from the drug store with
t.
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