The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-10

~ ~ NOA01 49, ~
could ten-Eevery Saturday afternoon
DrueRerbymakes mp for her s small bottle
Of ouinine draught, with which, I sup.
nose. she braces herself up for the devo
lions of Sunday. Any time between two
and five on Saturday you may see the
little round phial, wrapped in IFS blue
paper, lying on the counter of the shop
A few other particulars we're added, not
material 70 the story. ~
It is seldom safe, and never agreeable, 70
profess TO trace the rise and progress of sn
evil purpose. That Richard should medi.
tate bitterly on the wealth, which was
shout as little enjoyed byits present owner
as BY himself, will be matter OF surprise to
no one
He thought with increasing frequency Of
the fearful weapon which lay within his
power. At n time, pressed by new diff
culties, he would resolve to trust in Provi
dence no mere, but with his own hands to
accomplish the evenL which would change
the world altogether to him. Then again
he would repel the temptation, and resolve
that lose what else he might, he would
never part with his integrity. BE would
rput the crime beyond his reschby destroy
ing the deadly thing. But this mention
he never carried into practice. And so,
for months more, he went on, tossed to and
fro between evil and good, his wife believ.
ing that his frequent fits of melancholy
we're only due TO cruel embsrrassments,
which now began to press down upon them
with greater hardship than ever.
One morning, when the month of Msy
was nearly half over, he tod her that, i'll
as they could afford it, he must take a short
excursion into the country, or he should
soon be as bankrupt in health as he was in
wealth.
Mrs. Richard, the most loving and I'M
selfish of wives, cheerfully seconded the
proposal. His demeanor for some time
past had been affecting her with horrible
fears, lest, under the continued pressure Of
trouble, his reason might be giving away,
and such 8 loss no future gifts Of fortune
could possibly repair. So she urged on the
plan with every argument she could call to
mind.
He was to go alone, and proposed to re-
turn within 8 very few dsys.
On the evening b. fore mis- departure he
rAmbled through different regions If Lon
don, making several purchases, and never
buying more than one thing at any single
shop,
He was 70 go TO Msilock, and thence
take 9 walking excursion into some of the
choicest scenes of Derbyshire. He gave an
assumed name at the Mstlock hotel. There
Wss little likelihood that st that part of the
year he would meet any one who knew
him. II he did they would very probably
set down his change of name to a we'll
grounded dread of pursuing creditors
One Saturday morning, having arrived the
previous evening, he started of, equipped
as for an excursion, and carrying u small
carpet-bag in his hand. He walked a good
distance out of M4tlock in a nortnsrly di-
rection then coming to a wood through
which lay q pathway he prepared for his
next proceeding. Ensconcing himself IN
the shelter of the trees, he unlocked his
carpet-bsg, and took out of it the things he
had brought from london. Among them
we're q coat and wide-awake,n greatly
differing from those with which he walked
out OF MatlOck. These he hastily assumed.
Then he took ont q black wig, q pair of
black eyebrows, and q pair Of black NOUS
tsches, placing each according to its proper
destination. Then with q mixture out Of a
bottle, he stained his face and hands, CIV
ing then the dark yellOWish tint of q Span
lard or Italian. Then, closing the bag, he
wrapped it in q large red handkerchief,
and carried it as 8 bundle. The stick with
which he had left the hotel he threw away
likewise the bottle he had been using.
Then emerging from the wood by the gate
st which he entered, he walked until he
resched, by q circuitous route, a sta
ton from which he could find his way into
Lancashire; and-to make a short story,
there is no need for prolongiDg-one o'clock
IN that day found him entering the mar
ufacturiDg village of Dsrwen. A mile or
two OF, but very little ~incommoded by the
smoke of the tail chimneys, stood the Hall,
which, had justice been done him, would
long ago have been his home.
He took some refreshments at the "Biack
Bull !" and shortly after two o'clock, walk
ed quietly up the village, looking out for
the spothecary, Nj. Druggerby. He sp-
preached the window just IS the man of
medicine placed on his counter Visible
from the s~treet) a small phial wrapped up
in biue paper.
Richard entered the shop at once.
al have got a pain in my chest" he
said; twill you mix me q little ginger and
soda, or something of that rort p
Mr.. Duggerby suggested some addition
al Ingredient and turned round to the
bottles which grsced the wall behind him.
While he did SO, Richard hastily exchanged
the phisl on the counter for one Of the
same size, which he took out of his pocket
for he had brought with him prepared
bottles Of two or three different sizes, each
contsing q quinine mixture.
Then he complained Of feeling faint and
requiring air. Ae would, he said, return
in q few minutes, and take the drsught
which could be mixed in the interval
Taking in his pocket the phisl he had
removed from the counter, aud which was
addressed, Mrs. AiLsworth, Darwin
Hall; TO be taken IS before" ne walked
slowly towards, 8 field which lay near, for
one lengthy street constituted the entire
village. When there, D. stopped down as
if in pain, and $50 carefully that one stand
ing within sfOot of him might not have de-
tected the act) he poured on the ground
the contents of the bottle he had taken,
and rehlled it from one of those be carried
in his pocket. Then be returned TO the
shop, drank off the mixture which lay
ready for him, and, watching his OppOrtu-
nity, restored TO the counter the phIAl he
hsd removed q few minutes befJre. The
blue paper had had not been sealed
up, although even for that emergency he
was not n~nprepsred. So neatly and care
fully had he done the deadly work, that
M suspicion OF the thing was more im-
probable in the last degree. Once more
quitting the shop, he walked up the village
in the direction Of the hall. So many
years had elapsed since last Mrs. Aims
worth had seen him, that, disguised as he
was, she would never detect him should he
anywhere encounter her. His friend the
CITRATE had quilted Darwin some time be-
fore. He walked 10 the lodge gates of the
house which might so soOn be- his, noted
how the grass grown walks bore witness
to the niggsrdly spirit of the woman who
barred him out of his rights. He thought,
on thai ever memorable Saturday, could it
be the will of Providence that she should
any longer eumber the world-and him2
To remain all night in the neighborhood
was too hazardous a thing TO be thought
of. A stranger. unable to give any &C
count of himself, stopping in 8 place with
which he had no sscertsinSbie connection,
lust when the ~neighbOrhoOd is startled by
The gu den death of its wealthiest inhsbi-
tsnt-this were q coincidence far too strIk-
ing to escape comment and inquiry. So,
trusting that no accident would mar his