Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-06-20
CHAPTER IL.
A PHYSICIAN IN LOVE WITH THE DAUGH
TER-A FIENDISH PLOT.

| A PHYSICIAN IN LOVE WITH THE DAUGH-
TER-A FIENDIsH PLOT.
There was residing in the same village
with Mrs. Blake and her daughter a
physician, twenty-eight or thirty years
of age-Mr Macon-who for two years
had been ardently in love with the
daughter. She had toyed and trifled
with him during all that time but he
had finally insisted upon a decided an
swer to his suit, and on that very even
inc he was coming to learn his fate. As
he approached the house he overheard
the voices of mother and daughter en-
gagged in earnest conversation, and draw
inc near to the window and mcanly
listening he had obtained full possession
of the terrible secret of Mrs. Blake's life.
Madly in love- and utterly inscriptions
he at once determine to make any use
which might be necessary of his newly
acquired advantage to secure the hand of
Hester.
On that very evrning DR.. Macon was
engaged to take tea with Mrs. Blake and
her daughter but their old housclloepcr
returned from the village with the intel
lircncp that a shocking railroad accident
had occurred in the yicinity, and the
Doctor had FASTENED off to the assistance
of the wounded.
On the return OF Dr. Macon he called
upon Mrs Blake and surprisek her with
the information that among the hurt was
Armand Landry. MORALLY injured He
was accompanied by lis daughter, the
half-sister of Hester, and she had been
stunned by blow on the head. They
were both lying at a farm house near by
| and Mr. Landry, knowing that he must
! die, had requested that Hester should
| visit him the next merning, that he
might inform her of the pecuniary pro-
vision which he had made for her sup
/ port.
| And now was concOcted one of the
most fiendish plots ever devised by the
/ human mind. 1t was suggested by Mrs
/ Blake, and acquiesced in by Dr. Macon
and Hester, that the half-sister, who was
still unconscious, should be kept in a
state of imbecility by drugs which the
Doctor should sllillfully administer to
/ her for that purpose, and Hester-whose
resemblance to her was so close as to de
! fy detection-should usurp her place as
| heiress of the immense estates entailed
upon the half sister through her mother.
The inducement to DR.. Macon was
Testers promise, on the accomplishment
of the scheme, to become his wife.
But when Hester came to read over
the letters which lay concealed in the
bottom of her half-sister's trunk, she
found among them several from Ray
mond De Lorme, a handsome young man
/ whom she remembered as her own first
lover at the South, when she was little
more than a mere child. These letters
were written in a most imprisoned
strain, and showed that between HIM and
his fair correspondent-Es Landry,
! Hester's now stricken half-siSter-a mar
riage engagement existed.
No sooner had Hester discovered this
fact than her old love for De Lorne was
rekindled, and she resolved at once to
have him also, as well as Estelle's for
tune, let whatever obstacles might be in
the way lie was now absent in Europe
to remain year or two, and her purpose
must be most carefully concealed from
Dr. Macon, but come what would, the
young man should yet be hers f.
Mrs. Blake's housekeeper, Mrs. Muller,
German woman with an American ed
ucation, was great gossip, and cum
ming, selfish, evil-minded woman. Hes