Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1867-09-21

cy 4; but it was certainly bruited through
the neighborhood almost as soon as
had returned; and among those who
had congratulated me, thought, how
ever, in somewhat conventional man
ner, was Harriet Elbridge; and now.
for the first time in her life, she offered
nay, urged me-to accept Of parcel
of her candy.
'They were very pleasant to the taste;
but, not being overfond of such trihes,
1 ate sparmgly of them. TO my sur
prise, at this period | began to exhibit
symptoms that had been precursors to
the death of so mapy of my friends;
aud when returned to Nancy's house
she wondered at my unwonted paleness
and general lassitude In the course Of
a few weeks, however, | got over this
seemingly temporary indisposition and
on the morning appointed for our nup-
tials, [ never before felt in body and
mind, so healthy and so happy. There
certainly was just reason for my hap
piness, for was | not on the eve of call
ing Nancy my own
Standing before the altar of my God,
we were united for life; and / do not
believe there lives pair SO old as we
are who have regretted less the utter
ances of the sacred words that bind two
together as Nancy and myself. Do you
not think so, Nancy? a
The good old lady gently pressed the
hand of her companion, which she had
held in her own during the foregoing
recital, and then gently wiped away
tears-l am quite sure it was of joy and
contentment-from her eyes.
'As we retired from the church, re-
sumed my grandfather, 'and were about
to descend the steps that led to the
vestibule, dark looking object lay in
our way. A near inspection proved it
to be the body of a woman OF whom
do you suppose? 1t was that of Harriet
Elbridge, and dead
'In the right hand was folded pa
per, which, on being disengaged, was
found to be addressed to me. .s.
4 opened it, and hastily ran my eyes
over its contents. / trembled as | did
so. In it l learned for the first time
that Harriet had madly loved me, and
for years; and that l might never be-
come the bridegroom of another-and
every woman she suspected of being on
friendly terms with me she bitterly hated
had stained her soul with murder.
She admitted the candies she had given
to Nancy had been impregnated with
slow, deadly poison, and that when she
found she could no longer reach her,
had resolved that | should be placed
beyond temptation; intending herself
to die at the same time, and leave a re-
quest that her body might be placed in
the grave by the side of mine! She
concluded by saying as life would hence
forth be curse to her, she had herself
used the subtle poison she had SO sue
cessfully administered without detection
to others
lit appears that it was her intention
to have been present at the marriage
ceremony; but she had miscalculated
her strength, and died while striving
to ascend the steps. a
My happiness, children, was at once
turned to sorrow, For many days
could not get over the weight that op-
pressed my mind. Nancy asked in vain
"a cause for my strange conduct; and
although she grieved through the whole
of our honeymoon, and for weeks after,
| could not bring myself to tell her the
cause of my dependency
'At last [ told her all, but it was un-
der strict pledge from her that the
subject should never be alluded to by
either Of US again.
Until this night said my grand
father, mo one has ever been told that
the chalice which Harriet Elbridge, in
her folly, had offered to others, had, by
the providence of God, been commended
to her own lips
my ancestor said my aunt, as sho
put aside her knitting and removed her
spectacles, 'and yours, Charley, was
good man But he nor his wife, Nancy,
did not live to see another return of the
anniversary of their marriage.