ONE CHANCE IN A HUNDRED

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 73, 21 March 1908, Page 4

ONE CHANCE IN A HUNDRED

Farrington turned the night lamp low, drew a screen round the couch, and threw himself down. He felt for the packet concealed in the lining of his coat. Yes, it was tliere; and how hard he had worked t) get those six little white pellets! It had taken two weeks to abstract them, one by one, from the doctor's medicine ease—the doctor's e yes were watchful, and hc seldom left, the case within reach. _ As Farrington lay in the darkness ho lived over the scenes which had brought him where h e was; the scene wherein the star of his hopes, his ambitions, liaj gone out in utter eclipse. He saw the crowded courtroom, the faces of the jurors as they listen-;d eagerly to his iinaJ plea for the defence. -He saw the judge's eyes fixed on him approvingly. He was making the effort of his life; the case was practically won —he would be known, famous, a career • lay before him—and then, as his voice i rose in the brilliant climax of his speech • something seemed to snap in his head. The courtroom grew dark, the jurors' ! faces became a blurr; dazed, muttering . incoherently, sobbing like a child, he was led away. * Farrington wrung the truth from the ■' doctors. " One chance in it hundred that ' the tiny particle of foreign matter now ' pressing on the brain might disappear ' as mysteriously as it came, but they ' could do nothing at present." "And { the other ninety-nine?'' he had demand- ' oil piteotisly, "With absolute mental * rest, freedom from all excitement, his i reason might yet be retained." Farrington opened the packet. * "If those doddering old idiots think l

I'm going to wait till a speck of dust on my grey matter collects cobwebs enough to darken my upper storey, well, I'll show 'cm!"

He counted out three pellets. "I'll make it a sure thing—no overdose—three now, the rest when I Iwgin to feel sleepy." As he raised the pellets to his mouth he heard a faint scratching on the window pane. He listened; the scratching was repeated, followed by the muffled snapping of the severed giass. Farrington lay back and waited. "Host inopportune," he thought crossly. "Why couldn't the fellow have come a little later?" He heard the window fastening slide back, felt the cold air rush in as the sash was cautiously raised. A Hash of light illuminated the room for a second, then darkness again, followed by the soft pad of a foot on the carpet. " I could do a letter job than that myself," called Farrington sharply. " Hurry up and close that window—l'm a sick man, don't keep me in a, draught." The screen fell with a crash and Farrington looked up into the muzzle of a "' .38."

"Oh, don't waste your ammunition on me—l'm not worth it. Put out that pocket battery and turn on the lights—keep me covered, if you're afraid; I'm unii nned, and there isn't a soul within call."

His untimely guest backed to the door and switched on the lights. "That's lwtter; may 1 get up? Thanks. Tack a seat and make yourself comfortable—have a drink!" Farrington drew up a small table and poared out two glasses of brandy.. His guest, perched uneasily' on the edge of a chair, regarded him with amazed distrust.

" Here's to your .success.'' Farrinyton raised his glass and tbc two drask in silence. Then tor the first time tho other spoke. ~~

\ " You're a cool un for a sick man. What's the matter wid you—abts'i" "Xo; 'bats' will appear later; 1 am suffering from an infinitesimal partijle of oxtraneous matter pressing on the left lobe of the brain. A disintegrated molecule, and superinduced by overtaxed mental faculties."

"Holy smoke! Can't you take somethin' fer it?"

" 1 can, and Fm going to take it to-night." As Farrington set down his glass six little pellets dropped from his hand.

"You've doped me!" cried his guest, springing to his feet. "Now, don't get excited; 1 wouldn't dope you if I could—sit down." "Wot's them pills?" suspiciously. " Medicine, which I was about to take when you—cr—entered. By the way,'' Farrington leaned over the table and spoke in a whisper, "are you a good shot?"

"None o' your business! An' wot's more, I'm goin' to git outer here before 1 gits batty myself." Farrington slammed his guest 'back into his chair with a force which surprised both. " See here," he panted, "you're here on business; do it, and do it quick; 'twill be daylight in half an hour—you'll be seen going out. Over in that desk is 400 dollars cash; my watch is there, too, and a ring. Any ' fence' will give you pretty near what they cost, an even 500 dollars.

"Now, muss up this room, turn out the drawers, upset tlie furniture—if you're any kind of a 'second storey' man you'll know what to do. I'll stand here "—Farrington stepped directly under tin; lights—"and you shoot. Aim for the heart; don't bungle." He threw off his coat. "Now, are you ready!" The sweat stood out on his guest's forehead.

" For Cod's sake, man, wait a minute; 1 couldn't hit the side of a house—look at this!" A hairy paw was extended, which shook visibly.

•■ You're a cur and a disgrace to your profession," remarked Farrington disgustedly. ''However, there are tricKsin all trades; I'll show you one now with which you may be unfamiliar." He crossed to the table and gathered the six pellets in his hand. "Three of these contain enough morphine to put a man to sleep." ton raised them to his mouth. The other three" But the sentence was never finished. A hairy fist—it didn't tremble this time—struck Farrington squarely on the jaw. He dropped like a log.

When he opened his eyes lie saw the | doctor standing over him. '•Most remarkable," the doctor was saving. " Most remarkable." " What's remarkable!" asked Famngton irritably. "My bov, your recent little experience has worked wonders. Upon examination 1 find that the bit of extraneous matter, which would undoubtedly have wrecked vour mental apparatus, was [ dislodged'in-er—the process." Farringtoii felt the lump on his jaw reflectively.

"How'd you do it, doctor; operation or a sledge hammer?" The doctor chuckled.

■■ Your recovery" is due to a prescription, one heretofore unknown to the Materia Medica. I found it on your desk this morning." Farrington took the extended bit ot paper and read. "You called me A cur an a disgra'.-e 2 mi perfessiou but i never shot a man in Cole Blood an i never hit a Sick man befoar eatlier but i only had a ehamt in a 100 To git outer here afore soiikthin happened an i Took it i hoap J did not hurt roil much but twould served vou damr'ite if i had i didn't touch iiothin o youru ccpt the bottle of brandy i was sliakin like a lefe and needed a hvaci'iv" I -ilerlrudc M. Moorhousc.