The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-01-04
vANDoLF's VENGEANCE.

and no came ont Of the war W1eh hIS right arM
gone, and wound through the lungs lHis
wife attended him in his invalid condition, with
aspaienee and assiduity which were the theme
of much praise throughout the community (;
but the major was fretful and suspicious mani
and he had his reasons for believing that his
partner was anxious to be relieved of him, that
she MIGHT mate herself with companion whose
health and manhood were notSo marred az ais
we're. he was jealous, in short, of the'ha1d-
some physician who visited him professio ionallly
almost every day, and thus formed an intimacy
<, with Mrs. Vandolf that drove the disabled SOL
Ulier nearly frantic with rage.
Every day as the doctor went down stairs
from his patient, he paused while in the pari
Tor with Mrs. Vandolf, and these pauses grew
ii length from day to day, till at times, they
were so long and so torturing to the jealous
major, that he would with his left thand huri
: Che furniture of his room about, thereby efea1
ting so great row that one or both OF the stisi
peSted would have to run up, and attempt en- TO
compose him: eqg
:snd YOU long for my death, that you may mar
nv this Internal soft-handed and sweet-tongued
docsor. ] know itw
-acaAnd T." had been her cold, firm reply,
ahave given you every assurance BY word and
deed that yor do me injustice by these vile susj
picions. What more can I dot"
-r'IsYou cSn avoid this Doctor CorbetT you
can cease those mysterious, confidential and
aiiectionate closetings with him P'77gI IL ~
.sMajor Xandolph, you will make me tired
of-yeu--yoa Will make meflpng fur your deghs
il. .you continue this cruel and maddening con-
duct toward me l Must be; rude to Doctor
Gorbet.7 Why not call in another physician,
and thus ri6 your house of Doctor Corbetss
visits, if they are so distasteful to you !" "ttT
81 am not qnibe- an ass. prefer to have you
both as near under my eye as can, since mat
ters between you have progressed so far r.
,l"As you please" .r,...t..
Oftentimes these angry colloquies were much
more extended, fierce and violent at least on
rVandolfs part, and it very naturally came to
pass that the gossips of the town heard OF them;
and the verdict of the goss5psr on due canvass
ef the whole matter, Was tha. the major. had
mason fer his Jealousy. ~. ~. 81! a1lt u
However that may be-and far be it from me
on triaing evidence to impeach thehonor OF a
wife, or the. the chastity of any womanait is
certain that the major nursed and nourished
hisjealousy till it became monomania with
him. He knew that he did not have long to
live, and as he lay On his couch, or feebly tot
tered about his apartment, he fancied that Pc
oould hear his wife and Doctor Corbett down
stairs making their calculations upon his death
and the auraagements for their marriage. : 1t
qiladdenea him to an insane fury. ~, - $50
s Yet there were times when he seemed TO cast
Treating. HIS wife with every appearances OF af-
lection, and the doctor with at least the SEM
blance of friendly confidence. These intervals
we're sometimes quite prolonged. During one
them, when he hsd been unusually kind and
confiding in his manner, he insisted that Mrs.
vandolf should 60 East, and visit her family
and friends.
s'You are worn and wearied," said he, "and
if YOU do not take some holiday and recreation
from your long attendance on me, we will be
both tumbling into the grave, together, like
John Anderson, my 10, and his fond old lady y
" assure you that prefer TO remain by YOU"
she said. ave do not know what may happen
any day" -. "a 10
But vandolf insisted, and the doctor was
quite confident that Mrs. Vandolf might go
for at least one month. without alarm. So she
pens. .ssoa .s't =, ->r.-.-.l
The day after The departure of his wife, Ma.
Tor VandoIf wrote letter to Captain Alfred
Brogden, which, having carefully sealed, he
endorsed with this injunction: !"Not to be open
Cd untl three gears after receipt" he enclosed
this In another envelope, together with note,
n which he solemnly enjoined Captain Bfog.
den to faithfully carry out the. trust that be
thus committed to him. These were all prompt
lysent to mail by servant. ~ n.yoZ
A few evenings after, on the usual call of the
Doctor, Major Yandolf complained greatly pfo-
testing that his pains were incessant and most
acute, and that he could get no sleep. 1t was
unfortunate that there was no apGthecary in
the town, and DR.. Corbett or his assistants had
to compound his own prescriptions for his pa
tients. Where there is an apothecary, the
physician, be his intent Deyer so vile, has to be
exceedingly cautious in what he prescribes for
the patient whom he has no desire to save; and
the upright practitioner, in cases where some
body has fatally blundered, or criminally inter-
fered in the treatment, can boldly appeal to his
written prescripts, on the file at the apotheca-
rvs. In the present case, servant was sent
with DR.. Corbett to his Office to fetch the med
icine. ., ns.. ..
s.Who fixed this stuff?n inquired the major,
IS the returned servant handed him vial.
"The doctor himself" replied the man.
aHang him |" said Vandolf "I'm afraid of
him, and yet am obliged to trust him. Did
he say anythingf"
aHe said that he sent you but one dose,
which you must take right away, and that he
hoped you would sleep soundy."
Gle would like it all the better should
ucVcI HdAc, suspSCt! DutJ uO mdIN1l
it goes" and he swallowed the contents of the
vial. "You can go now. I,shall want you no
more tonight" - o..si
When this same servant went to his masters
room next morning, he found him dead, cold
and stiff!
As soon as the alarm was given, the room
and house were thronged with the clrious.-
One of these persons found on table in the
room brief paper in the handwriting of the
deceased, to which he eagerly called attention.
1t was as follows
II have just taken prescription of Doctor
Corbett's, which makes me feel dreadfully. |
am dying, as he has reason to wish for my
death"
That was all-but in the unmistakable
writing of the left-handed major.