The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-06-15
CHAPTER III.

A PHYSICIAN IN LOVE WITH THE DAUGH-
TER--A FIESDIsH PLOT.
There was residing in the same village
with Mrs. Blake ana her daughter a phy-
siclan, twenty-eight or thirty years Of
| age-Dr. Macon-who for two years had
been ardently in love with the daughter
She had toyec and tritled with him dur
ing all that time but he had finally
insisted on IA decided aDsw to his suit,
and on that very evening he was coming
to learn his fate. As he approached the
house he overheard the voices VI mother
and daughter engaged in close con versation,
and drawing near to the window and
meanly listening, he had obtained full
possession of the terrible secret of Mrs
Blake's life. Madly in love, and utterly
INSCRIPTIONS, he at once determined to
make any use which might be necessary
Of his newly acquired advantage to secure
the hand of Hester.
On that very evening DR.. Macon was
engaged to take tea with Mrs. Blake and
her daughter; but their old housekeeper
returned from the village with the in
telligence that a shocking railroad ucci-
dent had occurred in the vicinity, and the
doctor had fastened of TO the assistance
of the wounded.
| upon Mrs. Blake and surprised her with
| the Information that among the hurt was
Armand Landry, mortally injured He
was accompanied by his daughter, the
half-slster OF Hester, and she had been
stunned by blow on the head They
both were lying at a farmhouse near by,
and Mr.. Landy, knowing that he must
die, had requested that Hester should visit
him the next morning, that he might in
! form her Of the pecuniary provisions
which he had made for her support.
And now was concocted one of the most
fendish plots ever devised by the human
mind. 1t was suggested by Mrs. Blake,
and acquiesced IN by DR.. aeon and Hes
ter, that the half-sister, who was still un.
conscious, should be kept in a state of i'm
becility by drugs which the doctor should
sklilfuily administer to her for that Dur.
pose, and Hester-whose resemblance to
her was so close AS to defy detection. -
should usurp her place AS heiress OF the i'm
mense estates entailed upon the half-sister
through her mother.
The inducement to DR.. Macon was Hes
tiers 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-ssters trunk, she found among
them several from Raymond DeLormc a
handsome young man when she remem.
bered as her own first lover at the south.
when she was little more than mere
child. These letters were written in A
most imprisoned strain, and showed
that between him and his fair correspond
ent-Estelle Landry, Hester's now
stricken half-sister-a marriage engage
ment existed.
No sooner had Hester discovered this
fact than her old love for DeLorme was
rekindled, and she resolved at once TO
| have him also as well as Estelle's fortune.
let whatever obstacles might be in the
way. lie was now absent in Europe, TO
remain year or two, ana her purpose
must be carefully concealed from Dr. Ma
con- but, come what would, the Young
man should yet be hers
Mrs. Blake's housekeeper Mrs. Muller.
German woman with an American edu-
cation, was a great gossip, and II cunning,
selfish, evIl-minded woman. Hester. nj
her mothers suggestion, had turned the
key on the outside Of Mrs. Muller's s,eep.
ing apartment, while their internal plot
had been planned; but the suspicious
woman happened TO be awake, and she
had risen, ana emerging through win
dow, crept around where she could listen
to all they said. She too, now, meant TO
have her profit out Of the scheme, the Sc.
cret of which she had obtained unknown
to them.
On the following day Mr.. Landry felt
his end rapidly approaching. lie had
forbidden peremptorilly that Mrs. Blake
should be admitted to his presence; but
Mrs. Blake had determined TO see him be. |
lore he died. He was very anxious for a |
,1phle'sor and was finally told that al
sinoush 'here was no priest accessible, u |
sister oil charity might be obtair ed. This |
assurance Afforded him great relief, and he |
ing for her. :" ''"u-
Mrs Blake determined to improve this
opportunity to see him, without his recog.
nlzing her, and to visi, him in the disgniso
OF Il Sister. s'0
1t was arranged that after NIGHT wbo,
the room was dimly lighted by sino,s
candle, she should 90 in and listen 10 such
confessions as he wished to make, In them
If he spoke of her tenderly, compassions,slv
she would forego the dire Vengeance ~
had planned to inaict on him when he law
helpless before her, breathing his soul
in