Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-05-22
DIR. Spencer's Crime.

DIR. Spencer's Crime.
...
was s'V,ng III iny ONCE nan uoA'hg over
an lnterminaDle article on defective nutriment
'n m ISe ies' Mea'eaf hee'e'1'
Inc nre 10 tue crate was low the night was
Stolniy' auu even 'ne CLOCK was on .ne stroke
OIL e'eyen. l was about TO turn on tue gas
anu retire. lor, oeing oacheior' slept IN
room connected win my ONCE "nen there was
pun al my pell
TOOK my n'go, lamp ana went 70 the door
a strong gust oi damp sleety WIND nearly ex-
'ingulshed the iight. but shading 1t with
my hand' dimly discerned the form OF
woman.
"Come IN" | said, holding open the door
but she declined with gesture OF lmpatlence.
You must come out, she said, in sharp,
inclsive tone "and be quick about it."
l put on my oyercoat without demur
locked the surgery door, and stepped into the
storm. AS did so, the woman LAID hrm
hand on my arm, and, putting her face close
to mine, said
Or. Lockwood, can you keep secret y
think so, madam.
swear H.
Is TINS secret OF yours OF professional
character That is, is 1t anything you wish
to conhde to me as medical man y
" tits"
very well then | swear it,
That is right"
WHITTIER are you taking me, and for wha,
purpose ~
10 clifton House, to see the mistress
clifton House was the old mansion re-
Gently taken by DIR. Spencer stranger tc
everyone In Middebury. Spencer was tall
dark, rather distingulshed-looklng man, who
had hung out MS sign IN the village only
lew doors above NINE but as yet he bad got
no practice
ho was unsoc'ai IN the extreme avoiding
n's pe'gnoofs pers's'en'ly' ana when ne did
sPeaS' " was IN sueh eaI', haii-'avage way
mat one was not iiAeiy TO attempt prolong'ng
'ne conversation
lne Doctor hau wite' II was SAID, put no
one ever saw Ler' ohe was an invalid, and
Mss Melrose' iflend oI the family pre-
s'ueu over inc es'apllsnhent ana sat at the
neau Oh tho taoie' one was yet oeautllul,
ana won tue admiration OF all who visited
Cli'ton House by her grace OF manner and
fascinating conversation.
As we walk along SAID my companion
let me explain 10 you wnat II Is neeessar!
you should know. MY mistress Is very Ill.
beg your pardon is 1t Mrs Spencer or
Miss Melrose
one laughed bitterly
MISS melrose wouid s'ao her 70 .ne
hear' sooner 'nan own her as mistress MY
mistress is lady-hooie' royal ana oil gen
Tie olrtn. 1t Is an honor 10 serve my
mistress;
Ever since she married him-eurse him.
she muttered' III herce tone; but must
not get excited. must tell you my story, OF
rather ners' Two years ago. through the
desire oil her dying father Alice Herndon
became James Spencers wiie. Before thal
she was healthy, blooming glrl lnmedi'
ateiy alter this she began to iaIl. DO you
see anything strange IN that
Not necessarily
Let me enlighten you further; Doctor
spencer was at one time engaged to Miss
Lucille Melrose, but he broke the engagement
ana married my mistress instead. bliss Mel
rose was as poor as Jobs turkey Miss Hern-
don was an heiress' and Dr. Spencer was
deeply IN debt, and very hard pressed by his
creditors DO you see anything singular IN
thatY'
Perhaps. 10 on
" When my mistress married Spencer she
was only seventeen, and she had been taught
to obey her father IN everything. She was a
gentle and aifectionate child, and it would
have been easy for Spencer to have won her
love. But he did not care Tor that. It was
her money he wanted. 1t paid his debts,
and bought him fast horses it set his table
with nice, costly dishes, and put It in hispower
to keep Miss Melrose robed like queen.
And all this time my mistress has been slowly
but surely sinking, And look you, DR.. Lock
wood, believe she Is not dying Of disease,
but of'-here she lowered her voice to
whisper as she spoke the word" poison"
impossible That is grave charge.
"Of poison given her by her husband, who,
on her death, will have sole control OF her