Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-02-28

ever forget it And five minutes aftcrwar
the breathing, spasmodic and painful to hear
died into eternal stiffness.
The woman lifted the corner of the hand
kerchief, and gazed into the ghastly face. |
was that of a young man of about twenty
two, and who had evidently been marvellous.
ly good looking.
" Oh, heavens, he is dead ~
Her clear agonized voice Was ringing in
my ears, as they let me back into the dark
ness of the night. l felt bank note in my
hand as entered the carriage once more.
" Doctor, you have done you best it i.
not your fault that your efforts have not been
more successful. Remember, you are pledg-
ed to secrecy
The next moment WIS whirling swiftly
through the November midnight, with the
strange, unquiet feeling of one awakened
suddenly from a startling dream. Yet it WAS
no dream-alas it was a startling reality.
The carriage stopped at a cross road near
the village.
% Please to alight here, sir, said the driv-
er. ''You are not far from home'
l obeyed, and stood listening in the mid
die of the road, while the noise Of carriage
wheels died away, losing its distinctnees in
the shrek of the restless winds. And the
clock in the village church tolled out the hour
of one
Late as it was, however, my surgery was
still open and lighted up !; the servant from
Haddenleigh Hall had just ridden up to the
door.
d" If you please, docter, you are wanted
Immediately at the Hall. The Colonel
said you were to ride my horse, ifyours was
not already saddled, and can walk, 50 there
will be no time LOST
| mechanically mounted the noble animal
that stood waiting for me, and rode of, rath-
er glad of an opportunity to revolve in my
mind the singular adventure that had befall-
en- me during the evening.
Haddenleigh stood little back from the
road, on a magnificent knoll crowned with
century-old chesnuts and beeches, and
reached the broad stone steps in about half an
hour, by dint of rapid strides.
As | entered the vestibule, Colonel Had
den, who had been pacing up and down the
Hall in perfect agony of impatience came to
meet me.
q Is that you, Dr. Meller, thought you |
would never come. We're in a pretty state |
of confusion here. Burglars in the house
my wfe's set of diamonds gone-nobody |
hAtNo NlihA tict-buA Oiu IlppklIlb lCIt ulb /
sign manual upon one of the fellows. They |
must be caught. They cant escape. For
you sec"
" Yes, but Colonel Hadden-"
"Oh, aye-l understand you-you want
to see your patient? It's Hopkins, the But
Ter; he got an ugly blow on the left arm
Maynard-no offence, Meller, but he lives
mo- thor I,,,L L. l..
only Just returned, and | couldn't verv well
leave Hopkins; and Mrs. Hadden is such q
kind good soul, she insisted on going herself
to fetch DR.. Maynard"
d" But, my dear SIR
- All, true Come along to Hopkins room"
Hopkins, the butler, was as voluble az his
master, and ten times as circumstantial and
by the time | had set his broken forearm, |
was pretty well in possession of all the partic-
ulars Of the attempted burglary at Hadden-
leigh. And thinking of nv midnight IA
tient, whose life had ebbed out upon the pile
of straw, felt strange outlines as / lis
tened 20 Colonel Hadden's eager conjoctures
as TO the whereabouts of the desperadoes who
had fed
And now, doctor, you'll take a glass of
wine," said the hospitable old gentleman,
/
1t was brilliantly lighted, and warm with
the crimson glow Of genial FIRE, before which,
stood a lady, wrapped in the gorgeous
folds of an Indian shawl
My wife, doctor. Isabel, my love, this is
Dr. Meller''
We stood before one another in silence
could not speak, for | knew that was look
ing into the startled, agonized eyes Of the
woman who had knelt scarcely an hour ago
by the dying couch in the desolste cottage
Colonel Hadden's new wife, of whose beauty
| had heard so much
The Colonel talked on, but | heard not
word that ne said. could not but marvel at
the wonderful self possession of the woman,
as she smiled and looked grave and said
- y es' and - Mo- in the right places.
TO he sure" the Colonel was saying, as |
woke into a sort of consciousness of his voice.
the loss of lsabel's diamonds is something
serious, but of course We shall recover them
again. Only, my love, it was rather care.
less of you TO leave them on the drawing
room table"
1T was careless. replied Mrs. .Hadden calmly
Doctor, you are not gOing7 Colonel, you
have forgotten that curious old book you
were wanting TO show DIR. Meller"
As the door closed behind the honest old
gentleman, Mrs. Hadden glided up to to me
and placed her cold hand on mine it WAS
like the touch of an icicle.
Doctor, you have my secret7'
u am pledged to silence, madam" re-
turned, c0ldly 'but this deceit"
- 1t is not my fault, doctor. walled the
woman, sit is my fate. How ! endure it |
can scarcely tell : were to pause and think
| should 90 mad. The man who died tonight
was my SOM Colonel Hadden knows nothing
of my first marriage, nor of this dreadful
secret of my sons criminal life, that has
weighed me down for years. Over and over
again have thought to escape it, but it has
followed nv footsteps like a doom. Tonight
closes that chapter of my life-oh heaven
how dreadfnlly Bnt my secret is safe-the
diamonds provided for that!'
''But your husband, Mrs. Hadden
She covered her pallid, beautiful face with
her hands
81 know what you would say, DR.. Meller.
love and honor him beyond all men. but
what can do Believe me, | have never
willingly wronged or deceived him. | never
dreamed Of"
She paused abruptly. Colonel Hidden
was entering the room, and the smiling, cas-
ual remark she addressed to him filled my
heart with amazement-almost admiration.
! rode home to my blue-eyed little Eleanor,
feeling as entered the snug sitting-room as
If wsre returning to the homely, happy |
atmosphere Of every day life. But never
forgot the terrible excitement, the fearful |
suspense of that November night.
The desperadoes who had attempted to rifle |
Haddenleigh Hall were never detected or
taken.
ANGLING FOR DoG.-Another time We were
travelling on grounds we had no right to
tramp over. The only excuse was like that
of military necessity-it was better fishing
through the farm where the trout had been