The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-04-14
A Startling Confession.

Mordecai Paine, a saddler doing busi-
ness in South Ninth street, Was called
! home from his work shop on Saturday
morning, by messenger who brought
| the melancholy Intelligence that his
wife, Barbara, had taken arsenic for the
purpose of committing suicide. and was
then at the point Of death. he has.
tened to her bed side, and found her in
more agony of mind than of body
She declared that there was something
on her mind which she wished to oou> :
fess to him before her departure with
the hope of obtaining his forgiveness.
Mr.. Paine with great emotion. desired
ter to 20 on with the disclosure. adding
that she might assure herself OF his
forgiveness before she had made known
her offence.
'Ah, Mordecai' and she you remem-
Der our large white pitcher was broken
sometime ago. Ipretended to you that
the cat broke it, bu. that was false, for
I did it myself.
oh, my DEAR said Mr.. Paine, don't
concern yourself about such trifie. I
had forgotten the pitcher, and it mat
ters not now how it was broken
There is another matter. said Mr.. +.
after some hesitation. The six silver
spoons which I made you believe were
stolen by the Yankee clock mender; l
pawned them t., raise money to pay the
inilliner for doing up my pink satin bon.
net
Never mind my love- said Mr.. Paine
encouragingly. 'Ihope heaven will for-
give you as freely as l do
After short pause, Mrs. F. began
again:
Your best razor, which,you missed
last summer aud made 50 much to do
about, snapped it away to pedlsr for
tortoise shell comb
The deucel-well. we'll, Mr.. P. re-
collecting himself, that is all done now,
and cant be amended. Think no moro
of it,
L could not leave the world with such
a thing on my conscience replied tho
fair peniten..
Go on, 90 on cried Mr.. Paine.1
told you that could forgive everything
at such time rs this
Mrs. P. resumed:
You remember our boarder, Simeon
Drake who ran up a bill for six weeks,
and then went off in hurry without
paying a cent. He and had agreed
to elope together, but he changed his
mind at the last moment, and ran away
without me-
Fire and fury do you dare to tell
me this 2 cried Mordecai in great ex-
citement. But, as you are dying
won't reproach you. I'll leave you
now to settle the affair with your own
conscience
"stay and hear one thing more"
cried the repentant Barbara. "The dose
took this morning was intended for
you. put it in your cup Of coffee,
but in my hurry to get the thing done.
I gave you the wrong cup and took the
right one myself"
"The devil fly away with you, you
jade p roared Mordecai, as he flung
himself out Of the room. In the entry
he met the apothecary who had sold
Mrs. 2. the fatal powder. This medi-
cal man had heard of the commotion At
Paine's house, and suspecting the cause
of it, he came to administer hope aud
comfort to the afflicted.
Don't be alarmed, Mr.. Paine, said
he, the drug I sold to your wife was
nothing but magncsia. I judged that
she wished to destroy herself, and /
tricked her in this way to save her life
You swindling rascal shouted
Paine, how dare you cheat customer
in that shameful manner, and obtain her
money on false pretences? Begone.'
And with this exclamation he vio-
lently elected the astonished apothecary
from his front door. The man of ply
sic. suspecting. Of course, that poor
Mordecai was deranged. sent two of6-
GERS to provide for his safe keeping
His relation of the proceeding dialogue.
however. soon obta ned his discharge
Phila. Ledger.