Smyrna times., 1871-03-01

Garlick' house was within stones throw of
It. ln my vexatiOn | would not wait. | made
for the house, and met them in the lobby, the
carriages at the door, There was the perfdious
Augustus Maunders among them.
greeted not my state bridely. | stalked up
to Lieutenant Maunders.
y Slr! L thundered, " | know all ~
Tbe Lieutenant gazed at me feebly; Miss
Garllck clasped her hands her father. A ha.
bitual dotard, simply bnked his ewes as he did
under all circumstances which passed his com.
prehenslon, and as most worldly circumstances
ana pass his comprehension, always excepting
the combination of metals and gasses | paid
little attention to him.
Don't attempt to deny it, Mr.. Maunders,
| added sternly; have discovered one of
your notes in a work box"
10 my amazement Miss Garlick gave a shrek
and fell into hall chair, apparently lfeiess
No sooner did her idlotic parent behold the
spectacle, than he, too, uttered a howl and fell
on the mat.
ooh, my pa my pal" cried Euphemia,
reviving suddenly. He cannot bear excite
ment.; it flies to his head Help help save
| him from extinction! ~
Rushing to the old mans head, II had de.
monlacal desire to sit ON it, as they do to hor-
ses, | called for water. A servant brought a
tumblerful. Meanwhile had found in his
walstcoat pocket vial of cOoless liquid.
" tonic or stimulant, thought, and hur-
rledly, emptying it into glass of water, poured
| che whole down his throat 1t had an awesome
effect The old man nearly startled to his feet
struggled, kicked out, sputtered, foamed, and
fell back stiff and iusensible.
What have done ?"
You have poisoned the old man, sir" hs
remarked, quietly. 1.-The label says, PrussiC
acid. "
A cloudy horror seemed to close upon me.
Everybody set up shrieking. Miss Garlick
went out of one fit of Mysteries into another
vision OF cousin Edie was among the fitting
phantOms around me; vision of Maunder!
supporting my bride, and-as it seemed to my
Der nothing more till | found myself in tn,
hands of the police, charged with murder
had made up my mind to go to execution
contesslng nothing. On the whole preferred
hanging to the chance Of marrying Euphemi
Garlick, now that had found out how dea
. and how faithless was Edie Many men woulC
have married out of spite under such circum
stances, but to me it seemed | should spit
myself most in so doing.
was glad at the prospect of being hanged
but it turned out that old Garlick was NO
, dead. The prussic acid had been his ow
preparation; it was insufferably nasty, causin
him intense. pain, but was not bit genuine
He recovered, and himself procured my re
lease, On condition that the marriage should a
once proceed groaned in spirit for the a
tentative was worse than death.
; Again the happy Fates stepped in. Mis-
5 Euphemia, whose nerves had been terribl
shaken, confessed ALL 1t was to her tina
the compromising letter had been written;
was she who had philandered with the boob
: Maunders it was her work-box which ha
e contained the damaging document. She ha
= made over her work box as present to Ed
e on the eve Of her wedding-made it over as
= stood, forgetting the one article it held. Ed
e had not explored its contents, but when sh
n saw the letter in my hands she anticipate
j, tragic results if should guess the truth, an
; held her peace. She even suffered herself
: be wrongly accused for my sake and my bride
n Poor Edie
e undeceived her. | showed hel that n
heart was unbroken by Euphemia's duplcit
" l transferred my bride to Maunders, and e
n her father consent. And then | spoke s
n riOusly to Edie, and from our talk there $ re-
J. son to believe that the day when Miss Euph
L mia Garlick becomes Mrs Maunders, Ede al
o | may swell the parish register.