The Shasta courier., 1866-05-19

LIZZIE had more than an inkling of the truth.
IL she had guarded her secret jealously, and
only let 1t appear in most tender and zeal
Gus performance of her duty towards his
children, as to which the doctor said no
words, but thanked and blessed her in his
heart.
But within the last fortnight it had oc
cured to this young woman to set herself up
IN Judgment upon the doctors conduct, and
alter mature deliberaton, she had come to
the conclusion that he had either made a
great mistake or was doing very wrong
lhe idea troubled her sorelv. Miss Lizzie
Was young lady who rather piqued herself
upon the possession of an independent Judge
ment, and paid the youthful penalty, of
course. by sometimes too much undertaking.
the experience of her seniors. Her early
training had perhaps encouraged this state
OF mind for her father, dear as she had
been to him. had not been able to steer al
toSether clear of that wre,ched system of
spelling till five, trying experiments till
nIteen, and contradicting up to twenty -
Besides all this, Miss Lizzie had lately been
studying Dr. Winslow's Obscure Diseases. (,
that most popular of scientific works. and
had rebelled against the theories therein
pronounced with all her heart "Verv
Hard Cash" had fallen in her way imme
dlately afterwards. and she had glowed with
sympathy for AlfredPs wrongs and Julia $
love, and for all the supposed victims de
tanned in thousand lunatic asylums by
commissioners in lunacy like those described
hy Mr.. Read
And now Walter Stone had crossed her
path, and 10 her dreams were realized =
lie was pleasant, handsome, and as gentle
as Alfred and, more than all, he had ap.
peaed to her compassion, and poured into
her ear piteous story of the unnatural
brother, who, for the sake of obtaining the
management of his (Walter's) property, had
condemned him to life long captivity. Liz.
zie knew as fact that his brother had con.
signed him to DR.. Holford's charge. and
that In spite of all his apparent liberty he
was narrowly watched-in itself a suspicious
circumstances, considering that nervous all
ments only were the plea for his incarcera.
ton She had ever heard DR.. Holford
ehuckle over the story of the way in which
he and Edward Stone had managed to en-
trap Walter into voluntarily giving his purse
INTO their care, so as to render his escape, by
train or other conveyance, impossible
And this was a sane mani Lzzie's brain
took fire at the thought. To dispose of the
certificate, were not all-those mad doctor 5
and DIR. Winslow in particular-readv to
swear to any mans insanity at moments
notice? And then Walter had told her that
he had himself given opportunity to his enc
mics IN some moments of excitement con
sequent on the loss of money. But the doc
tor. there was the rub. Could it be possible
that DIR Hnlfor1 ba
able, had deliberately lent himself to this
vile plot? Even Lizzie's excited imaeina
ton could not lead her to believe that. No.
the man was not mad-that was certain
hut the doctor had been deceived his keen
eye had been blinded by Walter Stones
perfidlous friends, who, though they had
cautiously avoided committing themselves by
speaking OF more than nerves." had so
cunnlngly worded their artful testimony that
the doctor bad jumped to the conclusion
without much personal observation that
Walter must be insane. That could not be
a fault--at least-wel, hardly, or ifit were,
she, Lizzie Stuart, would undeceive him,
and enable him to make atonement. And
then she went off into day dream and was
just in the middle of a speech from the doc
tor, expressive of his deep gratitude to her
for having by her woman's keen sighted
and quick judgment, disabused him of the
idea under which he had been laborine, etc..
etc., when size looked up, and behold the
moon had risen, and was already lighting up
TIE top branches of the hawthorns She
turned into the house, fully resolved to
speak seriously to the doctor the very next
morning.
The moon was high in the heavens when
Lizzie Stuart went that evening, as her
custom was, to sit in the nursery while the
nurse went down to supper. At these times
Lizzie always sat in particular chair by the
window. Nurses white curtained bed stood
in recess at the back of the room; a little
to one side, but facing the fre-still neces
sary at night-was the baby's bassinet, of
which little but the hood was to be seen from
where Lizzie sat. The other two children
slept in what was in fact, an adjoining room,
though the door of communication had long
been removed. to make the two nurseries. as
far as possible, into one. There was no light
in the room but the moonshine and the
her chair, and resumed her day dream. By
and by low knock came at the door"
.Come in,' said Lizzie, wondering that
nurse should have made such haste at her
supper.
The door opened softly. and Walter Stone
put his head into the room. 81 want to
speak to yon." he whispered. excitedly,
you must let me come in. 1t is most i'm.
portant."
There was something queer about his man
ner, but Lizzie. strong in her conviction,
was in no wise frightened Besides, he had
talked to her that day of escape, and she
longed to repeat the arguments she had used
against any such scheme, for its success
would be fatal to the doctors credit. While
she hesitated. he stole silently up to her,
closing the door behind him. No other man
living would Lizzie have allowed to remain
there, but her sympathy for Walter Stone
was deep and strong, all the more from her
love for the man who was doing him such
unwitting injury. How grleved the doctor
will be to morrow, she thought, and she let
Walter stay. He sat down by her side and
remained silent. After minute or two the
stiffness grew oppressive, and she opened
her mouth to speak As she did SO, she
looked in his face, ghastly in the moonlight.
His pleasant. careless look had sappeared,
and in its stead was dreadful expression of
fixed maign ty, of insane cunning and rage I;
the glare of maniac's eye caught and fixed
hers as she looked. Horror-stricken she
drew back. but he bent forward and said In
kissing whisper:
1--WE something to show you. I've lock-
ed the door, and we can't be interrup ed !;
no, no. Look here p' and he drew from his