The Argosy, January 1907 — page 54: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

236 it or not! Would you have a man die rather than have your infernal soda- fountain queered? Hurry up!” Radford’s mouth opened for a minute ; his eyes stared blankly. His brother, less easily excited, grasped his arm and shook him. “Brace up!” he cried. “ Don’t be an ass, Bert! You go for Dr. Foster. Vu go the other way and try to get Donald- son.” The druggist nodded acquiescence and jumped from behind the prescription- counter. At his heels, as he passed into Main Street, came his brother. Without a word, they separated, one going one way and one the other. Getting a doctor quickly in the down- town part of Bondville is not the sim- plest ntatter on earth. The big detached houses and the ample grounds that prevail throughout town have placed the heart of the resi- dential section well away from the busi- ness portion, and it is here, naturally, that most of the medical profession are located. Near to the Drug Emporium, however, are Dr. Donaldson and Dr. Foster, and_for them the brothers started —to learn that when one seeks to make haste it is often made slowly. The editor was stopped by his young college man, who insisted upon confer- ring with him, then and there, about the amount of space to be devoted to the trolley excitement. He ran with him to the home of the physician and button- holed him at the gateway of the house. As concerned the druggist, excitement made rapid progress rather impractica- ble. He did his best, but succeeded in colliding with one out of every four men he met on the street. Even at that, he was first to return to the store—alone. Some half a block away, he saw Robert, also hurrying back, also alone. ‘The sufferer within seemed doomed to suffer unalleviated. ‘Didn’t you get him?” the druggist asked. ° “Donaldson’s out. I left word for him to come as soon as he returned. How about Foster? ”’ “Out, too!” the druggist panted. “Ffe’ll be here as soon as he gets back, I think, but = “Never mind,” Robert said sharply ; THE ARGOSy. ‘probably the fellow’s better by this time, anyway. Maybe it was his con- founded crankiness that struck in. Come along and we'll see, Bert.” He entered the store briskly, the drug- gist just behind him. | snside the door, they listened instinc- tively. ‘There was no sound whatever from behind the enclosed counter. “ Better?”’ Radford called. There was no reply. ‘The brothers glanced at each other for an instant. The druggist heaved a sigh of relief ‘as he led the way back. Very likely the man was over what- ever sort of attack he had suffered— very likely he had left and was waiting outside for the car to start. But as he turned the corner and dis- appeared behind the stained glass an inarticulate cry escaped him. hurried to his side: Albert was staring. Robert followed his gaze and started back with a gasp. There, prone on the floor, ominously still, lay the figure of the smaller man— alone! Of the other, there was no sign whatever ! With a groan, the druggist bent over him. He turned him on his back and gazed’ into glazed eyes. He looked up at his brother, and his cheeks were white as the prostrate man’s. “Bob!” he gulped. ‘TI don’t know much about medicine or anything of that sort, but—this man’s as dead as a door- nail!” CHAPTER. III: ~ THE STRONG FINGER OF SUSPICION. ~ ‘Deap!” The editor, until now by far the calmer of the two, stared with dropped jaw at the gruesome length on the floor. His face whitened, and his eyes were very wide. As his perturbation brother’s lessened. 3 To Albert, the first shock had been rather severe. His existence in Bond- ville-had run a beautifully smooth and easy course. To have a man walk in and partake of his orange phosphate and then become violently ill was both an- noying and exciting to one of his tem- perament. increased, his com ClOOOLKS The editor To return fifteen minutes: (C@)