The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-12-18

ness OF the night Ielt Dauk uoeo press
led into my hand as I entered the carriag'
once more. ii
sssDoetor, you have done your best; il is no
your fault that your efforts have not beel
| more successful. Remember you are pledge
to secrecy n.y. ~ |
The next moment I was whirling swift,
! through the November midnight with th
lstrange. unquiet feeling Of one waking sud
1sdenly from astartling dream alas! ii was
fstartling reality q s1 = $ ..,'. 4
The carriage stopped ct . cross-road nea
the village.
please to alight here, sir, said tie driver
| s.You are not far from home" ~
| I obeyed, and stood listening in the mid
| die Of the road, while the noise Of the car
riage wheels died away, losing its distinctnes
lin the shrek of the restless winds. And th
clock Of the village church tolled out TIL
ihour Of one
Late as it was, however, my surgery wa
still open and lighted up, the servant from
Haddenleigh Hall had just ridden to III
door. sSs .
aIf Vol please doctor you are wanted i'm
lmediately at the Hal. The Colonel said yos
jwere to ride my horse, if yours was not al
ready saddled, and can walk, SO there vii
be no time lost 2 FL
81 mechanically mounted The noble ANNA
that stood waiting for me, and rode of, rathel
glad Of the opportunity to revolye IN my
mind the singular adventure that had befall
| en- ME during The evening. & s.
Haddenleigh stood little back from ths
road on magnificent knoll crowned viii
century old chestnuls and beecEes; and
reached the broad stone steps in about half
an-hour, BY dint Of rapid strides.
As entered the yestibnle, Colonel Had
den, who had been pacing up and down ths
hall IN = perfect agony Of impotence, came
to meet me. So Il .s, Isl
rs that yen, Dr. Meller i Thought you
would never come, We're in pretty state
| Of conf usion here Burglars ii the house.
lmys wiife'ss set of diamonds gone nobody
knows what else but old Hopkins left his
sign manual upon one Of the fellows. They
| cant escape far For you see
+ eyes, but Colonel Hadden
ooh, ayeI understand you-yo wantt 10
| see your patient? It's Hopkins, the butler
he got an ugly blow on the left arm -and1
afterwards my wife went herself for Doctor
Maynard mo ofFense, MefIer, but lie lives
NEARER than youbut he was out. She has
l.only just returned couldn't very we'll leave
Hopkins and Mrs. MADDEN is such a kind,
good SOUL she insisted on going herself 70
fetch Maynard rs
| eBut, my dear =
stAh true! Come along to Hopkins room. =
/ ~ h,,k1 L
master, and ten times as circumstantial and
! by the time had set his broken forearm was
pretty well in possession Of all the particulars
Of the attempted burglary at Haddenleigh
And thinking Of my indulgent patient
whose life had ebbed out upon the pile Of
straw, felt strange outlines as ] listened
to Col. Hadden's eager conjectures az to the
whereabouts Of the .desperadoes who had He'd
sAnd now, doctor, we'll take glass o.
wine" said the hospitable old gentleman
slshering me into his library. %
twas brilliantly lighted, and warm with
1.-The crimson glow Of genial FIRE, before which
In 4 singularly graceful attitude, sat q lady
wrapped IN the gorgeous folds Of an Indian
lshawl. Ii =ss :sss'gs', 49,
ssNIy wife. doctor. Isabel, my lore this il
Dir M6lief tasi ~
We stood before one another il silence
| I could not speak, for 1 knew was looking
Unto thestartled, agonized eyes Of the woman
who knelt scarcely an hour ago BY the dying
couch IN the desolate cottage Col Haddensi
Enew wife, Of whose beauty had heard &C
Imuch. ss q .ssits5 s-S sssssa
The Colonel talked 81, but Ihcard not i
word that be said. z could not but marvel
at the wonderful seIfpossession Of the wos
IMAM, who smiled aud looked grave and said
IssYes' and in the right places: s
seTo be sure the Colonel was saying, as
fawoke to sort Of consciousness of his voice
the loss of IsabePs diamonds is something
serious, but Of course We shall recover them
again. Only my love il was rather careless
| of you to leave them on the table, 81 4
1T was Careless replied Mrs Hadden
calmly Doctor, You are not going Go
onel you have forgotten that curious old book
you were wanting to show DR.. Meller p, sis:tl.
T As the door closed behind the honest old
gentleman, Mrs. MADDEN glidcd up to me and
placed her cold hand on mine-it was like
| the touch Of an icicle sa 90
Doctor, you have my secret yoa surely
will not betray it r. a'ss e s.
Il am pledged to silence madam, = Ireturn.
ed coldly !; but this deceit
ut is not my fault, doctor," walled the wlo-
man, sit is my fate. . How / endure it
scarcely know; were to pause and think
should go mad. The man who died tonight
was my son! Col. MADDEN knows nothing
of my first marriage, nor Of the dreadful
secret Of my sons criminal life that has
weighed me down for years Over and over
again ! have thought to escape from II, but
it has followed my footsteps like 4 doom.
Tonight closes that chapter Of my life-oh,
heavens! how dreadful But my secret i
safe--the diamonds bave provided for that!v'
@But your husband, Mrs. Hidden r.
f She covered her palhtl, beautiful face with
her hands. sess st lEsssA g i raj s.sss d
q know what you would say Dr.. NJ slIer.
I love and honor him beyond all men; hui
what can I do? Believe me, I have never
dreamed OF "a, = ~ Sssaa
She paused abruptly Col MADDEN wass
ent4Fing the room and the smiling, casual Re.
mark she addressed 70 him filed my Eeara
with amazement lnadst admiration. ~
rode home 10 ny blue eyed LITTLE Eleanor:
feeling as entered the snug Sitting room III
it I were returning tothe homely, happy It,
mosphere Of every day life. But 1 never