Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-06-01

10 night" Awed by my manner, and per-
hans alarmed by the evidence OF my suspi,,
cions. she consented. My resolve was fixed
Il would watch; and saw in imagination
s cause celeJre--a trial at the Old Bailey or
in Westminster Hall--my name and lame
established forever. The thought was per-
hans selfish, but criminals must he punish
ed, and Justice have lis course.
| had read in French book once hew a
great criminal was detected in tho act OF
numbering his master by mirror--that the
person watching had seen the reflection OF
the assassin stAing the cries OF his victim
with \ pillow. determined to set my trap
by the same meaDs. 80.
I placed the mirror in such way as to
command the head Of the bed; and having,
with the consent Of the patient, who seemed
passive in the hands of his feudlsh VILE
strange fatuty--made the necessary dispo-
sitions for my watch, ! placed myself IN an
armchair. | sat musing on the terrible ei-
fects of the poisoning by small doses ad'
ministered by cunning hand. saw IN I'M
agination the cruel and relentless assassin
stealthily eucrouching, as serpent enveiops
its victim in its folds, day by day, on the
life and strength of their sufferer obnexi!ouls
to its designs. thought of the terrible
sufferings-the protracted agony-tne grad
ual prostration OF the victim--the ,gloating
cruelty of the prisoner, as hour by heur she
watched and measured the fading strength oi
her prey, and thinking tbus--l tell asleep.
was awoke suddenly by the door open
ing stealthily, noiselessly. All 1t is true
my worst suspicious were realized. did
not move. A figure clad in a loose dress
entered. The looking glass before me coy
cred the head Of the bed; the figure fell
within its angle of incidence. l saw at once
it was the guilty wife. She still neiselessy
moved toward the head Of the bed. Shs
addressed ssme remarks to her victim. Hf
was awake; and then saw her take irem 3
table close by tumber and vase OF anti
que form, from which, still noiselessly, she
poured a drsught. | saw it all in an in
stant--the looking glass revealed every
movement. She raised the goblet--the un
happy husband raised himself on his elbow
He was about to drink
Stay, demon'' said in voice efthun
der, addressing the lady; "wsuld you poisor
your busband2 Stay--drink not Of the &C
cursed draught--it is peison" The lady
gave shrek, and the glass fell upon thu
floor.
l seized the vase containing the fluid
! l examined and tasted. 1t was--toast aDs
water!
l received my congo next morning from I
brother practitioner. The patient was ar
M. p, engaged-from his popular manners
taste for literature, and philanthropy-a
perpetual chairman to public dinners in tn,
whitebait season, particularly those held
Greenwish. He was suffering from bilious
ness and indigestion, caused by his minis
teria duties in this respect. His 7ounl
wife, with perhaps pardonable anxiety, ha'
everrated the severity of this complaint
and | had been misaad by novels inte be
lcying that pretty women are generally de
mons. lam ,oiser noU; but this was M
first and last patient
MoRAL.-Do not accept spasmodic pic
lures in morbid fiction as the reflection Q
nature. Don't take what you see in look
ing glass to be a fact, or more than partia
evidence of the truth, and worth OF an
thing; and don't take it for granted tina
women are wicked because they are pretty