The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-01-30
4 pRAucHT OF POISON.

trag1cai event SO mysterious yet full
Of suspicion in it's details as to rival
any fiction put forth by a writer of
romance, and by which the public
curiosity was intensely excited. L
was at ono time intimate with the
family, and obtained in writing from
a member of it, the particulars which
1 now give you.
1t is very painful to me to write it,
$50 began Miss Halliwells letter, but
you knew my dear sister before you
left home for India, and are naturally
anxious about her fate. I need not
tell you that we two elder ones, land
lucy, have prospered in the school
we established in London. Mary,
who was much younger than we were,
married DR.. Gofing, and they were
prosperous too-as we always thought
and happy in each other. She
went with him to his home in Middle
bury, which was an easy davis
journey from London, where he had
large and successful practice. A
piece of good fortune happened to
Mary after her marriage; her god
mother lett her an annuity of $500 a
year, which was to relapse back at
her. death.
DR.. Goring was pleasant, gentle
man-llke man, generous and affable.
and favorite with all, especially the
ladles-to whom 1 used to think he
was rather too fond of talking non
sense, but he was kind, affectionate
husband to Mary. L did not often
go to see them-once every three or
four summers.
They had been married about six
teen years, lit seemed nothing to
look back toD when Mary had a
dangerous illness; and as it was. our
midsummer holidays and leisure
time with me, went down to Middle
bury. They had then six children,
without counting the infant who
had just died)-Mary, the eldest, a
gentle, good girl of fifteen, Just like
her mother. 1 found nv sister i'll
indeed, and for the first fortnight I
did little but watch by her bedside.
Now L am apt to take likes and
dlsllkcs, when [ meet with strangers
for the first time. People say It is
preJudlce-so l suppose it is; but lis
q prejudice sometimes for and some
tames against. And I may mention.
IN defence of this prejudice,
(which I can no more keep from mo
than l can keep the sun from shining
on my house,) that I never vet
found the instinct to mislead me.
There was governess when [ went
down to DR.. Goring's this time, a
Miss Howard. Sufficiently we'll
looking she was, with colorless face
and very subdued tone and manner
vi sspeaklng-so remarkably gentle as
to lmpart the idea Ito me at least) that
1t was more assumed than genuine.
took strange antipathy to this
lady when [ first saw her, though
she appeared willing to be on friendly
terms with me; that instructive
power within me never warned me
more strongly against any one. She
was about five-and-thirty, but she
dressed herself to look younger.
L sat one afternoon in my sisters
room, thinking over the observations
l had made during my fortnight's
stay. [ did not like them all. 1 saw
my relatives were living at high rate
of extravaganza, and which no in
come snch as theirs could possibly
justify. and / felt sure that that
governess was schcming to attract
Matthew Goring towards her. He,
upon the slightest inducement, was
ever ready to fiirt; and Middlebury
knew it.
"What made you think of taking a
governess in the house, Mary?" I
suddenly asked, letting my work,
which was new nightcap for one of
the children, drop n my Jap.
"We did it by way of economy"
was Mrs. Goring's reply. .sThe two
girls school bills were frightfully
heavy, and little Jane is coming on
now"
L woa!d have retrenchcd home
expenses, Mary, and have kept the
children at school," l returned
"Your rate of living is enormously
extravagant. ="
cit really is. But we have some
how got into this style ofhouse-keep-
Ing, and Matthew would not like TO
retrench. I fear, though he will not
acknowledge it to me, that we are
living beyond our income. And if
L had died during this illness, as was
too likely at one period of it, my