The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1871-12-14

but no ono ever saw brr. She was at
invalid. and Miss Mclrose-a friend Of
the iamily-presided over the estab.
lishment aud sat ut the head of the
table.
Miss Melroso was yet beautiful, and
won the admjra ion of all whj visited
Clifton HOUSE, by her grace of man-
ncr and ia~cin,tIug convcrsation
AS we walk along" said my com.
pani3u, let me explain just what is
necessary You should know. Ny mis-
tress is very i'll.
81 beg your parlon--is it Mrs
Spencer or Mis-. McIrosc p
She laughed bitterly.
Miss Mclrose ! | would stab her
to the heart sooner than own her as n
mistress My mistress il lady no
BILE, royal, an Of gentle birth. Ii il
an honor to serve my mistress
And is sh, i'll? Hlw long since ?''
"Evor since she married him curse
him. she muttcrcd in fierce UNDER
tone, "but | must not get excited. !
must tell my story, or rather hers
Two years ago, through the desire Of
her dying father. Alicia Hcrndon be
came James Spcnccr's wife. Before
that she was healthy blooming giri;
Immediately after this m,rrisg, she
began to fail DO you see anything
strange in that ~ she asked hcenlv.
"Not ncccssarially.'
"Let me cnlish,en You further. DR..
| Spencer WAS at one time engaged 10
Miss Lucllc Mclrosc, but he broke the
engagement and married my mistress
ipstead Miss Me'rosc was as poor A.
jobs turkey Miss lIcrudon was MI
heress And DR.. Spencer was deeply
in debt and hard preS-el by hi> cr.ii
tors. Do you see anything singular
in that q
"Perhap. 70, Go on.
/ when my mistress married Spen-
Ger shc was only seventeen, and she
: had been taught to obey her father in
everything. She was gentle, alice
tiona,c child, aud it would have been
easy for Spencer to have won her love.
But he did not care for that. |,
was her money he wanted. 1t paid
his debts aul bought him fast horses;
it set his table with nice costly dish
os, and put it in his power 10 keep
Miss Mcrosc rubcd like queen. And
all this time my mistress had been
slowly but surely sinking. And Look
YOU, DR. Lock wood, | believe she i.
not dyin. of disease, but of - she
lowered her voice TO u whisper rs she
spoke the word, poison"
"Impos'ible This is Il grave chrSe. ="
"Of poison given her by her hns.
band, who, ut her death, will have
sole control OF her property, and be
FREQ to marry Miss Mclrose. There
is no time to explain to yo1 in detail
the thousand aud ono circumstances
which have led me to tbs belief, for
we are almost at the door. 1t is ne,
yer the case that Miss Melrose and
Spencer were out at the same time,
or | should have called another ply.
sician before ; but to night they are
called away by the death of Miss
Melroes's sister and will not be back
beforeito Tomorrow, With the consent
of my mistress | cams for you, and
oh DR.. Lockwood, pray you, save
my dear mistress. nursed hor when
her mother died and left her a help
less infant all through her innocent
youth sho was like an own child to
ne aud DOW to SEQ her fading hour
by hour before my eyes . Good lI,a'
ven IL knew beyond u doubt that
he was guilty, his life should pay the
forfeit
was already beginning to feel n
deep interest ia this Mrs Spencer,
although | had never sceu hor, anl
like her old nurse, was inclined to
feel great animosty for Dr.. Spencer
Mrs. Spencer received me in her
bed-chamber. 1t was on th, second
floor, and was furnished with cxqli-
site elegance. Everything in tho room
bespoke The taste and delicacy of tho
occupant. The WARM air was fra
graut with the faint odor of heiio,rop,;
and glancing around, saw the pur-
pie blossoms aud green leaves in au
iIabaster cas-, on the ledge Of the
south window,
Sho was woman, who once seen,
could mover be forgotten. l have met
in my life many beautiful women but
never one so lovely.