Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1883-09-01 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

FAR-SEEING DRUGGIST. (snistorein.) She had promised him ehe would mend the lining of his overcoat if he would wear another and leave that at home; and as he had left it, she took it from the hall rack, and carried it into her sitting room. She was Mrs Wilton, and had been married five years, and never, never, never in all that time had had one unhappy moment. Mr Wilton had been very kind and generous, and never made her jealous. She often said she was the happiest woman living. Now, as she looked at the lining, and com• pared the silk with which she was about to mend the torn portion, she was thinking these thoughts. They.had never had any children, but when people are all in all to each other there is no very great grief. All her care was for him— his for her. "And he is just the dearest, best, truest fellow in the world," said Eve Wilton to herself. "I'm not half good enough for him. I wonder what this is in his pocket; it bulges it all out of shape." She put her hand into his breast pocket as she spoke, and drew out a little package wrapped up in silver paper, and tied with blue ribbon.  " Something be has brought home for me, I expect," said Eve. "I think I won't open it until he comes home." Then she laid the silk on the coat, cut it, and sewed it down. " I wonder what it is, said she ; "it is perhaps lace wound on a card, real lace----" she took up the package again. "I wonder what it really is." Then she took up the coat" There was not ranch to mend, after all," she said, "I thought the tear much longer." Then she laid it on a chair. "Tom wouldn't mind. I'm sure it's for me, and I'll just take a peep." Then she undid the ribbon, unfolded too paper, and saw le‘ters. "Dear Tom," said she, "he must keep my old letters yet, and he has not told me." The writing, however, was not hers ; she saw I that.  "Hie mother's letters," she said ; " he loved his mother so." Theu she began to tremble a little. The letters did not begin, "My dear son." She east het eyes over them. They were love letters.  "Tom has loved another woman before he met me," she said. "Oh, what shall Ido ?" Then she cried out," 0 foolish, foolish creature that I am I Of course she died; and he only loves me now. It was all over before we met. I must not mind—," but there she paused, ' and threw the letter away as though it was a serpent and had bitten her. It was dated the 11 past week; it was not four days old." Oh, dear," I cried Eve; "oh! what shall I do? Oh I where shall I go ?" At every cry a thought pierced her breast like an actual stab. "Tom, my 1 Torn! he is false! Oh! I have gone mad! No; there they are—those letters I Why do I not die? Do people live through such things as these?"  Then she knelt down on the floor and I gathered up the letters, and steadily read I them through. There were ten of thorn—such love letters ; they were absurd love letters, such ' as are sometimes read in cases of " breach of I promise." calling him" lovey-dovey," " darlingparlingy," " popsy-wopsy," terms used by those , who have the complaint " really bad." " It's all true," said poor East, wringing her , bands. "I trusted him so ;I believed in him so. I Oh, Tom, my Tom, false !" Then she wiped her eyes, gathered up the letters, made them up just as they were before. , and returned them to the breast-pocket, and I hung it on the hall rack again. "Tom shall never know," she said. "I will not reproach him. I will never see him again; when he comes home I shall be dead. I will not live to bear this." Then she sat down, and began to think of the best means of suicide. She could hang herself with the window-cord to the chandelier, and then she would be black in the face; she would drown herself, but then drowned people looked worse than strangled ones; she was too much afraid of fire-arms to shoot herself. Happy thought, she would take poison! Yes, that would be best; it would not alter her appearance, and Tom would see her after death, and I he might experience remorse. Eve took a miserable comfort in the thought that Tom would kneel besides her coffin and burst into tears and passionate exclamations .rf I regret, which she, perhaps, might see from some spirits! post of observation. So, having put on a hat and black veil, Eve betook herself down the street to a druggist's shop, the only one in the street, and kept by a German. The druggist was an old man, with red cheeks sad a smiling mouth ; and when she asked for 'poison for rats,' he said, "Just so," and beamed knowingly upon her.  "I want it very strong," said Eve. "Just so," said the druggist. 'But not to give more pain than is necessary,' said she.  "To the rats ?" asked the druggist. "Yes,' said Eve; "of course; and it must be quick, and not make one black in the face."  With a grave countenance he compounded a powder, and handed it to Eve. She took it, handed him all the coppers she had in her hand, and walked off. Once home she retired to bed, taking the powder with her, hoping it would not be very disagreeable to take, but finding it sweet, she bravely; swallowed it. "It is over," paid she. " Heaven forgive me, I and forgive Tofu !" and then she laid herself I down. .  Just as she did so the familiar sound of a latch-key in the door startled her. Tom never came hone at noon, but there he was now; no one else could walk in that cool way, and now he was calling her. " Eve I Eye! Eve I Where are you ?" Never before had she refused to answer that voice. Why had he come to torture her dying moments? Hark! now he was bouncing upstairs; now he was even in the room. " Gh, dear!" said Eve. "What is the matter? Are you ill, Eve?" he exclaimed. _ _  "No," said she, faintly, 'only tired." Alit you look tired, little one," said he. "I came home to get the overcoat. I suppose you've found out before this that in the hall is not mine. I wore Johnson's overooat from the °Moe last night by mistake, and he is anxious about it. He askid me if there was anyone in the house' who would be apt to meddle with papers in