ing
has gone wrong at the drug store, Minnie."

I could hardly breathe. I had the most terrible vision of all the guests
lying around like Arabella, twitching and foaming, and me going to
prison as a wholesale murderess. Any hair but mine would have turned
gray in that minute.

Mr. von Inwald was watching like the others, and now he came over and
caught Mr. Thoburn by the arm.

"What do you think--" he asked nervously. "I--I have had three glasses
of it!"

"Three!" shouted Senator Biggs, coming forward. "I've had eleven! I tell
you, I've been feeling queer for twenty-four hours! I'm poisoned! That's
what I am."

He staggered out, with Mrs. Biggs just behind him, and from that moment
they were all demoralized. I stood by the spring and sipped at the
water to show I wasn't afraid of it, with my knees shaking under me and
Arabella lying stock-still, as if she had died, under my very nose. One
by one they left to look for Doctor Barnes, or to get the white of egg,
which somebody had suggested as an antidote.

Miss Cobb was one of the last to go. She turned in the doorway and
looked back at me, with tears in her eyes.

"It isn't your fault, Minnie," she said, "and forgive me if I have ever
said anything unkind to you." Then she went, and I was alone, looking
down at Arabella.

Or rather, I thought I was alone, for there was a movement by one of the
windows and Miss Patty came forward and knelt by the dog.

"Of all the absurdities!" she said. "Poor little thing! Minnie, I
believe she's breathing!"

She put the dog's head in her lap, and the little beast opened its eyes
and tried to wag its blue tail.

"Oh, Miss Patty, Miss Patty!" I exclaimed, and I got down beside her and
cried on her shoulder, with her stroking my hand and calling me dearest!
Me!

I was wiping my eyes when the door was thrown open and Mr. Pierce ran
in. He had no hat on and his hair was powdered with snow. He stopped
just inside the door and looked at Miss Patty.

"You--" he said "you are all right? You are not--" he came forward and
stood over her, with his heart in his eyes. She MUST have known from
that minute.

"My God!" he exclaimed, "I thought you were poisoned!"

She looked up, without smiling, and then I thought she half shut her
eyes, as if what she saw in his face hurt her.

"I am all right," she assured him, "and little Arabella will be
all right, too. She's had a convulsion, that's all--probably from
overeating. As for the