Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-04-19
VOL. XXXv. NEW SERIES VOL XIII

~ Nl4d5C
please to alight here, sir; you are no
!ar from home"
obeyed and stood listening in the middl,
# the road. while the noise Of the carriag,
wheels died away, losing distinctnoss in tht
the shrek Of the restless winds. And tht
clock in the village church tollod out III,
hour OF one.
Late as It was, however, my surgery va:
stiil oren and lighted up; the servant from
ladlcnleiSh Hall had Just ridden to thC
door
AT you please doctor, you are wanted i'm.
mcdIatelY at the Hail.. The Colonel said
you were to ride my horse, if yours were
not already saddled, and can walk 50 there
wall be no time lost
! mechanically mounted the noble animal
that stood waiting for me, and rode of,
rather glad OF an opportunity TO rcyolyc in
my mind the singular adventure that had
that evening beiallen me.
Iladionleigh stood little back from the
/ road, on n magnificent knoll crowned with
/ century old ohestnuts and teechos. and !
reached the broad stone steps in about half
an hour By dint Of rapid riding.
A. | entered the yestibule Col. llliicn,
who had been pacing up and down the hall
IN perfect agony OF impaticacc, came 10
meet me
"Is that You, Or. Menor, Thought you
never would come. We're IN q pretty state
of confession here. Burglars in the house
my wlfc's set Of diamonds Couc-a0t1iy
knows what clc-blt oli Hopkins left his
sign manual on one of the fellows They
must be caught they couldn't have escaped
FAR. For yJu sec
'.Ycs, but Colonel llaldcn-
"Oh, ah-I untcrstani-you want 90 see
your patient Its Hopkins, the butler;
he's got an ugly blow on the lcf, armand
afterwards my wife went herself fr Or.
Naynard-no offence, Meier. fu, BE lives
nearer than you-hut he was 1ut. She has
only Just returned. ! couldn't very well leave
llopkins-and rs IIadicn is such kind,
good soul, she insisted IN going herself
But, my dear sir"
"Ah, true. Come along 50 HOPKINS
room.
Hopkins was as yolulIe as bis master,
and ten times as circumstantIal and hy the
time had set his arm. ! was pretty wei in
possession Of all the particulars 7l the at-
tempted burglary at Iaddenleigh
And thinking Of my midnight patient,
whose lite Lad obbed out upon the pile Of
straw. I felt strange outlines as / listened .
% Coz. Iad1en's eager c0nicctures IS 70 |
the Whereabouts Of the desperad1cs who lad .
lied.
And now, doctor, you'll take q glass Of .
wine. " said the hospitable old gentleman, I
ushering me into his library.
Il was brilliantly lighcd, and warm with
the crimson glow 5f genial fire oei]rc
which. in q sinEul rly graceful attitude. sat
o. lady. wl7YrcI in thc Gorgeous folds Of on
INDIAN shawl.
NJ vic. doctor Isabel. my l.yo- tlis is
Us N.llc-."
We stood er1l, ne another 81 silence. .
r.uld not sICak. Tor knew that ! was look
Ia- into th- startled. aganlZ1d eyes oi the
woman who lad knelt scarcely an hour ago
hy tie diving couch IN the d-sIlatc c5t.1gc-
Col. ll4dicn's now wife, oi who's, trauty .
bad often heard So much.
10 BE sure" the Colonel was saying "a,
/ woke into sort ai c1nsci0usuc-s ui his
voice. the loss OF Isalel's diamonds is some
thing sCrloa-. but Of course We shall recover
them again. only, my love, It was rather
careless ol You % lgayc them 90 o. draw
ing-ro0m table"
/, WIS careless. replied Mr.. liatlcu,
calmly " Doctor. you asc not going
Colonel. goa have forgotten that curious
old book yoG were wanting 10 saoW hr. Md
Ter
As the door closed behind the honest Old
gentleman, Mrs. Hadion glidcd up 20 me and
placed hcI cold hand ga mine Il was like
the touch of an ieicle.
Doctor, YOU haze uy scCTD. -v1u surely .
viii NOT ietlgy it
Il a-. rf-.1.rr
shis deceit
at Is not ny fault, doctor, t is my fate.
How endure il / scarce know were 10
pause and think ! should % mad The man
who died tonight was nv son Col. lladicu
knows nothing Of my first marriage, nor Of
this dreadful secret Ofmy sons criminal life
that has weighed me down for years. Over
and over asain | have thought 70 escape
from it, but am doomed to disappointment.
Tonight closes that chapter Of my lile--oh
heaven how dreadful but my secret is safe
the diamonds provided FOR that
But your husband
She covered her Talld, beautiful face w.th
her hand.
IL knew what you would say, DR.. Mcllcr
/ love and honor him beyond all men; but
" hat can / do? Believe me, / have never
willingly wrongcd or deceived him. ! never
dreamed of-of-''
She paused abruptly. Col. lIadl,u was
entering the room, and tic smiling, casual
remark she addressed to him filed my heart
With amazemcnt-almost admiration.
rode home to my blue eyed little Eloan-
Or, feeling, as | entered the snug sitting
loom, as if / were returning to tie homely,
happy atmosphere Of every day life. Bat !
never forgot the terrible excitement, the
fearful suspense Of that night
The desporadoes who had ATTEMPTED t.
rife lladdenleigh Hall were never detected
al traces Of them seemed TO have utterly
vanished out Of the earth
And were it not for tie bank note which
most literally rccompcnsad my services, and
the everlasting witness borne by Mr. Had
dcn's lovely, startled face, | should almost
have been tempted to fancy that all the
events cf that marvellous November mid
night were the fragments Of a dream.
his was my advonture-the first. and
last that ever crossed the pathway Of my
life.