The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-03-19
The Postern-Door.

drn4ingroom. Who do you think &
there p
WhoP' questioned Miss Canterbury, won
dchng what had put Millleeais Eee IN
glow,
Thomas Rage. lie came down by Ii,
train lie wants TO see YOU
Millieent-or Leta, as they called her
sat down IN she spoke, and Miss Canterbury
prepared TO descend,
Are you not coming also, LetnP'
MOI ! am not wanted
Your visit is unexpected said Miss Can.
terbury, as she heartily shook hands with
Mr., Kage, but ! am very glad to see you.
MY visit is to Millicent, he observed. i
have come to ask her to be my wife. ]
should have asked it long ago, but that
briefs did not come in quick enoughI but
they have taken a turn Of late
And what does Milicont say
Mllicent ran away, and said nothing he
answered, with a smile.
a good sign laughed Miss Canterbury.
j fancy you and Leta have understood each
other for some time she added g'Is Il not
SOP
'Tacilly, think we have. And ] hope
Milleent has understood why il was only ia
city. was too poor to speak
'Millcent's fortune would have helped you
ON Mr., Kage,'
1T is that fortune which has kept me from
her. he replied.
1t need not 1t is only ten thousand
pounds
Thomas kage raised his eyes, bright with
amusement to Miss Canterburys face
'OHiy ten thousand very pultry sum, no
doubt, 10 the Miss Canterbury, reared to
their hundreds Of thousands, but Golconda
to a struggling barrister.'
Reared 10 their hundreds Of thousands
yes" rctor,ed Miss Canterbury, with sweA-
ing hear, but not enjoying them
Mrs. Dunn, once lydia Canterbury, came
to dinner she was visiting another sister,
Jane, who married the rector, Austin Rufort.
The three sisters assembled at dinner pre-.
scntcd marked contrast. Olive, loityin
mind, lofty in manner, tall and handsome
Mrs. Dunn, short and stout, and an invctc-
rate tOlker and Nillicent, much younger
than either, quiet and graceful
Mr.. Kage,' impaticn,y began Mrs. Dunn,
the instant the servant had Withdrawn after
dinner, who gave the poison to that child,
Atlle Tom Canterbury? /?
That is problem | cannot solve was his
reply.
4 was abroad at the time Of the dreadful
occurrence, and ! know nothing she pro
ccedcd you we're on the spot. DO tell me
the particulars.
lie had been dangerously III with inAama-
ton Of the Ghost, bat Wns getting bettcri in
fact was nearly we'll said M. Kdgr, 'dHd ms
mother, Mrs. Dawkes. determined TO take
him to the Rock for change of air. That
same morning, the one they ought to have
started, he was found dead In his bed
And had died from a dose Of opium. But
now, who gave it him p
The facts were shrouded in mystery con-
tinued Mr.. Kage, and the corouer's jury re-
turned an open verdict. The nurse was per-
fectly trustworthy, and the child had not
been out of her sight the whole Of the pre-
vious day She undressed him, gave him
his regular medicine, and put him into his
bed by the side of her own. She heard
nothing Of him in the night; and in the
morning, when she came to take him up, he
was dead
What was that medicine p suspiciously
asked Mrs. Dunn.
Harmless, proper medicine, as was proved
at the inquest. lie had been taking Il de-
tablespoonful three times day.
Some one must have got into the bedroom
and administered the poison, that's clear
said Mrs. Dunn. The nurse, Judith, was
truh.worthy, I'll give her that due. She
was one OF the house-maids at the Rock, be-
fore we left it, or my fatScr has made a sim
pleton of himself by marrying that Eighty
child, Caroline Knge. When the changes
came, and the new baby was born, Judith
became its nurse. Yes, she was to be trust
ed, but somebody must have got into the
chamber while she slept
No one went in said Mr.. Kage.
'Oh,ay,I know it was asserted contempt
uously returned Mrs. Dunn, but the boy
could not have found bottle Of laudanum
in his bed, uncorked it ready for use, and
swallowed it down. II does not stand to
reason, Mr.. Knge.'
Judith deposed that she never left the
room after the hoy was in bed, not for one
second. She put up some things that would
be wanted for the journey in the morning,
and then went to bed herself, the door being
locked and it was so locked when she rose
in the morning, no one having entered
We'll, all know is, that poison cannot, be
taken into n child's stomach, without its be-
ing put there and you are the first person
that ever heard say it could, Mr. Koge.'
He glanced nt Mrs. Dunn with a spice of
merrimenti but for the grave subject he
rninht have lannhnd onirinhi- .Did say IL