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

ymptoms. Mrs. Hurd, her nurse, remained
IN tho room, and added many little important
items Of information.
When she spoke Of her husband, IL was With
sort Of hopeless sadness, which distressed
me greatly. Not q breath of suspicion: and I
felt sure that at present she knew nothing Of
what Mrs. Hard had such serious apprehen-
sions. was glad il was so, for, with her
finely strung organization II might have pro.
luced serious results. | made my examina-
tion Of the patient as closely as | could, and
drew my conclusion. | could have sworn
that Mrs. Spencer daily swallowed arsenic in
small quantities, and the deadly drug was
telling fearfally on a constitution never ro-
bust.
She said, answering my questions, that she
had no physician except her husband. He
had thought himself better qualified to
treat it. lie never left any medicine with
her to take; he always brought it fresh from
his office, and always administered il promptly.
The only dependence seemed TO be 10 Mrs.
Hurd. To her l unbosOmed myself freely.
| told her without reserve that believed DR..
Spencer was killing his wife by slow poison,
aud besought her to be constantly on watch
to save the victim, and to discover some proof
BY which We could fasten the guilt upon him.
A charge, Of course, l could not mako
against DR., Spencer without the amplest
proof. II | hinted a suspicion, every one
would at once set it down to my professional
prejudice and, If | could not substantiate
my statement, the doctor could make me pay
dearly for such slander uttered against him.
She smiled grimly and promised obedience.
| gave her a powerful antidote for the poison
| suspected, and went home perturbed aud
anxious in my mind. did not sleep that
night, and all the next day | was n high
fever Of excitement.
Dr. Spencer returned home the morning
after my visit to Clifton House. He looked
wretchedly, the nurse said-appeared depress-
ed and gloomy. Miss Melrose came with him,
and was dccorously sad over the death Of her
sister. Women of her stamp always do mourn
ing to perfection. They neither overdo nor
underdo the things as women of feeling are
likely to do.
Dr. Spencer came at once to his wife's chaI4.
Der. He thought she looked i'll, and prescri-
bed cordial at once, saying that he would
90 and fetch it.
You are always ordering cordials for her"
said Mrs Hurd, musiugly. "You look like a
ghost"
lie eyed her keeBly, but replied composedly;
| think | will take some of the cordial
myself, for do not feel quite well Alicia,
DEAR shall bring it here and drink your
health ?"
Mrs. Spencer smiled sadly in assept--she
never disputed her husband--aud he went
out. Presently he returned with two glasses.
Both contained liquid colorless aud iuodorous.
Mrs. Hurd was watching him with her heart
in her throat, for she told me she felt that the
, decided moment had come. There was some.
thing in the gray pallor of the doctors face
which told her ofa desperate purpose in the
mans soul.
lie lifted the glass on the right Of the tray
aud gave it to his wife.
, Drink it, dear" be said sits panacea
for all ills. | also am going to take glass
OF it," and he pointed to glass still on the
tray.
Mrs. Spencer accepted it, and was putting
/ it to her lips, when Mrs Hurd interrupted !:
If you will bring her tumbler Of water
doctor. Mrs Spencer complains that the cor
: dial leaves bad taste in her mouth, and my
o old bones are so full of rheumatism that it
|, nearly kills me to 90 down stairs.
D The doctor turned and bent on her such 4
look as If he would read her through. But
{ she kept her face passive. If he had any
suspicious her manner queted them, and put
log down the glass he left the room. Then
Mrs Hurd secretly changed the position of
the glasses.
When he came back--and he was gone but
a moment-the nurse stood just where he had
eft her, aud Mrs. Spencer was lying back in
her chair with her eyes closed.
Again he lifted the glass--this time it was
the one intended for himself-and put it to
his wfe's lips. She drank the contents swal-
lowed little Of the water he had brought her,
aud thanked him in her sad, sweet way.
Now for my cordial" said he, with affect
ed gaiety "I indulge myself in something
stronger :" and as he spoke he tossed off the
mixture.
at made me stone cold to my fingers ends
to rec him do it," said Mrs. Hurd, relating
the circumstances to me "but US heaven is
my witness | felt not single twingc Of
conscience. | argued like this if it was as
simple as he had said, it would do him no
harm. fit was poison, his blood would be
upon his own head.'
lie went to bed soon afterwards, complain.
ing of fatigue In the morning they found
him dead.
| was called to the post-mortsm examina-
ton, and we found in the stomach Of the
deceased a sufficient quantity of the deadlisst
poison known TO modern science to kill half
dozen men.
My brother physicians agreed that the man
was insane, aud had taken the dose 10 one Of
his unsettled fits OF mind.
did not dispute them. but even before
Mrs. Hurd told her story had my own the
ory in regard to bis death.
There was no public exposure, however.
Mrs. Hurd and | agreed that it would profit
no one to make the wretched affair public, and
30 we kept our own counsel.
Miss Melrose, in spite Of my conviction
that she had been an active party in the con-
spiracy against Mrs. Spencer's life, | could
not help plying Such a miserable, forlorn
and haggard face as hers have never seen;
and when they buried Dr. Spencer she was
confined to her bed with brain fever.
| attended her in her illness, but although
she recovered her health she was never her
self again. She was harmless maniac, whose
delight was in gathering flowers and decorat-
ing the doctors grave with them.
She is living still, and she still gathers
flowers aud lays them on the grave, singing
to herself meanwhile sort Of low incantation
which no one pretends to understand.
Not until Mrs. Spencer had been many
years my wife, and the faithful Mrs. Hurd
slept under the vioets, did Alicia ever know
the perfdy Of her former husband.