The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-10-12

FEVER tldt WOuIQ XIII the uTuHhdEu
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 irto the medicine.
| He shook the bottle. He went up
stairs.
1.-TWO teaspoonfuls in an hour,
nurse he said to Molly. Call me !!
he shows signs of a change for the ,
worse. He ought to pull through, how
ever, with this atropin."
He locked 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 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 not in
the sight of God, at least in that OF
man.
1t was nearly two hours later when
the summons came. There was
. | l1PIlJ Jap al Tic utCis bSNS oPtAAiS -
his feet and opened it. Before him
stood the nurse.
Come at once," she whispered
tensely. 81 am afraid something 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
had come and passed. There was
hardly flicker CT lie. At that in
slant Dycc was afraid for the first
). time in lis lie He was afraid that
the diving man would open his eyes
;. and lCok at him. He felt his hands
! trembling. Molly, beside him, clurg
to the foot of the bed and stared at
q her husband
j, But the dying man gave no sign OF
a recognition Slowly the remnants Of
life faded out. The breathing grew
d deeper and slower. Once 1t stopped,
then it began again. 1t stopped.
q There followed a long -drawn sigh. The
IS man was dead.
And Molly, suddenly overcome.
h. tainted clean away.
n Dyce raised her in his arms and
n. carried her ipto the nurses room. lie
told the night superintendent wha,
;, had occurred. "She has been over
ut working" he said
mr. "She wouldn't leave the patient
IF DOCTOR" answered the woman. SHE
had your permission. sir
o. Quite right" said Dyce. III
rt worked over Molly until she began t.
"a, revive. And now he had again tina
singular dread of meeting human
~ eyes. He could not meet Molly
ng eyes when at last they opened AM
- fixed themselves on his. Though I'M
girl did not suspect. 1t almost seemed
as II she had known. in that dim lam
to which her swoon had taken her.
| And. though they were alone, Dye
did not dare t. speak Of anything bu
| his professional duties.
/ You must go to bed now, and W
HI will talk in the morning" he sale
I'M You have done all that you coul
Hill do You could not save him, nor
lill The atropin came too late. lshoul
llln have given 1t yesterday, but wa
IVI afraid"
IlIVl She rose without speaking and lei
HIM the room. Dyce went back into h
Hill own room. And. flinging himself dow
VIII on the sofa, he felt the paroxysms
N|n deadly fear take hold CT him.
m He was a murderer, though nor
n knew of 1t but himself. He alone mu'
III bear that inner brand OF Cain for tt
| rest OF his life At that moment eve
Il the gain of Molly seemed singular
- Inadequate in the place of the so
which he had lost.
Il, A murderer! For ever and for ev
that word would be burned into h
heart and brain. The years would pa
self with Molly, and she must never kno
she must never discern the cause
ION his inner unrest. A murderer! Al
,so for her sake!
aas He saw how mad he had been.
the time he dropped the drug IN
,,,d the glass he had sincerely believ
that he was acting according to t
!. laws of human duty. Now he II
:. o., the burden OF that higher law viii
= SAYS Thou shalt not kill"
He could bear 1t no longer.
~ rose and began pacing the fioor. u
suddenly he remembered that he
~" not wholly safe from detection not
long as that tclltale bottle remain
beside the atropin upon the table.
He snatched it up. Then his ha
MS fell to his side, and he was staring
tne wild amazement at the bottle. 1t "
nile uncorked. IL had never been opene
oii- The automatism of his hand h
lone been guided, not by his cool and cal
tue latihg brain, but by some higher pt
lseu er. Perhaps 1t was God. lie !
SION given the sick man atropin after
rely and net the deadly alkai1ia. He
tion- never touched the waxed stopper
sue the macinitc,
title Suddenly he fell upon his knees
less poured forth his heart in thanksgiyl
two He had not prayed for years now
light PRAYED for mercy. that the evil thou
and might be purged from his soul e.
as the deed had been.
fore When he arose he was trarsfigur
lem- In an ectasy of happiness he har
King heard the door open until Molly ST.
ana on the threshold
lear, 20 thank God it is all right"
will cried. Il was afraid was afrai
lete- you cannot guess what | feared
e la And now you fear no longer
the Your face. Charles Upstairs