Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-06-11
CHAPTER ri.

4 PHYSICIAN ~ LOVE WITH THE DAUGHTER -
A FlENDIslI PLOT.
There was residing in the saline village with
Mrs. Blake and her dang liter physician,
twculv-eighi or thirty years of age pr Ma
c,u-who for two years had bceu ardcntly in
love with the daughter. She had toyed and
,rt,d with him during ali that time bat he
had finally insisted upon decided answer 10
his suit. and on that very evening he was com
inw to learn his fate. As he approached the
house he overheard the voices of mother and
daughter engaged in close conversation and
drawing near to the window and mcany lis
tcning he had obtaIucd tul possession vi the
terrible secret Of Mrs Blake lite. Hladly in
love, and utterly inscriptions. he AT once de-
tcrmncd to make a'y use which might be ne
ccSSaiv oil his newly acquired advantage To Sc
cure the hand of lleStur.
On that very evening DR.. Macon WAS enya-
urd TO take tea with Mrs. Blake and her
daughter but their Ii hous, keeper returned
from the village with the intelligence that Il
shocking railroad accident had occurred in the
vicinity. aud the Doctor had ha>Irnc! of TO
the assistance Of the wounded.
On the return of Dr. Macon he called upon
Mrs Blake and surprised her with the lntor-
nation that among the hurt was ARMAND Ian
dry mortally injured He was accompanied
by his daughter, the hall sister of Hester. aud
she had been stunned by Il blow on the head.
| They were both lying at farmhouse near
by. and Mr. Landry. knowing that he must
die, had requested that Hester should visit
him the next morning that he might lntuinl
her Of the pecunary provision which he had
made for her support
And now was ooncoctcd one Of the most
ienl!S!l plots ever devised by the hulnan mind.
It was suggested by Mrs Blake, and acqui,
esced in by DR.. Macon aud Hester, that the
halt.SiSter, who was still unconscious should
be KEPT in state of imbeGility by drugs which
the Doctor should Skiiully administer to her
for that purpose. aud llcSter-whoSc rescm-
blanuc to her was 50 close az /" defy detec-
tion-Should u>urp her place as '!urrsS Of the
immense estates rntaIlcI upon the hall-sl>c!
through her mother.
The iuducencnt to Dr. Macon WIS Hester :
promise on the accom- lIsh,neut ot' the Schcnlc,
To become his wife.
But when Hester came to read over the let
tiers which lay concealed in the botom of her
halfsister's trunk she found among them
several from Raymond De Lprnc. a handsc me
young man whom she remembered as her own
first lover at the South, when she was little
more than mere child. These letters were
written 10 most imprisoned strain, and
showed that between him and his lair cores
pondeDt-Estelle Landry, Hester now strlck-
en- halt-slster-a marriage engagement ex
listed.
No sooner had Hester discovered this fac,
than her old love for De Lorme was rekindled,
and she resolved at once to have him also,
as we'll as Estelc's fortune. let whatever OBJ
,,~,.I H.. ~, L., nj,
sent in Europe: to remain year or two, AMI
her purpose must be most carefully concealed
from DR.. Macon but. come what would, the
young man should yet be hers
Mrs Blakes housckccpcr Mrs. Muller, Il
German woman with an American education,
was great gossip, and u cunning, selfish,
evil-minded woman. Hester, at her mothers
SUGGESTION had turned the key Oh the outside
of Mrs. Muler's sleeping room, while their in
iernal plot had been planned : but the >lls
picious woman happened to be awake, and
she had risen, and 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 secret of
which she had obtained unknown to them.
On the following day Mr.. Landry iell his
end rapidly approaching. lie had forbidden
peremptory that Mrs Blake should be admit.
ed to his presence but Mrs Blake had deter
mined to see him before he died lie was
very anxious for a contessor and was finally
told that although there was no priest access
bic, Sister OF Charity might be obtaiucd. =
This assurance anOred him great relief and he
desired that no time might be lost IN sending
for her
Mrs. Blake determined TO improve this OPP
portunity to see him, without his recognizing
her. and 10 visit him in The disguise Of
Sister.
1t was arranged that after night. when the
room was dimly lighted BY single candle, she
should 90 in and listen to such confessions as
he wished to make In them. if he spoke Of
her enderly, compassionately. she would fore
20 the dire vengeance she had planned to in
hict on him when he lay helpless before her.
breathing his soul away in doubt and dread Of
what the future life might bring to him. II
he Judged her hardly aud cruelty at the
last she would have no mercy on him.
When Eunice deaf and dumb servant girl
at the farm house, was safely asleep, Mrs Blake
made such alteration in her dress as was he
ceSsary. \ white handkerchief was drawn low
down on her forehead and folded over her face
in such Il manner As to conceal the greater por-