The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-11-20

tremblea. l took al this 10 1t . glance,
and I felt the inability to move which
Is common 10 nightmare. But, not.
withst.nding tho spell, if I may call
it 50, which was 90 me, I took in ali
the surroundings Of the room. Mics
Mason had ev identity been writing he,
table stood, Z . covered With p.pen, not
for from tho bed I glanced mseh.ni.
oally past that to the bureau, whore I
had laid I letter which had come for
Jenny from Jack that evening. This
letter was gone! At tho moment l no.
ticed this fact, Miss Mason finished
dropping the liquid she set the phial
On the stand, and bent over Jenny,
who was in a heavy stupor, as If to
give Ter the potion. At this motion
the blood rushed to my brain. l re-.
called that the medicine to be given
was in powders, not liquid; my eyes
fastened upon the phisl, which was Of
a curious shape, with glass stopple ;
1recognized having seen it on Miss Nh.
sons toilet'stand ! A sitting, Horrible
conviction came over me. struggled
to stir. She had put her arm under
Jenny'a head !; the spoon touched her
lips. 1t seemed to me that l shrieked,
but I suppose I really uttered only .
feeble sound, as I staggered into the
room. Miss Masou started back; the
SPOON fell; its contents dabbed the
bed:spread, like blood she pressed her
hand to her side, and glarsd at me With
the expression Of : somnsmbulist !;
"Thauk God !' l gas2ed, "th,t 1
have spared you the commission Of
such deed r. u,
r She seemed to crouch away from me.
Her features wore distorted and rigid J;
her right hand olatched the. fringe of
the Shawl about her, ,p.smodio.:ly. y. =.
"Miss Denby. ssve mel" che stan.
mersd out: :
"What does this meant" asked.
eyes it was 4 mean act p she 70.
piled, still as if she were not awake.
though I believed she was affecting the
manner.
'tWhat was ?" I asked.
She contiaued to stare vacantly at
mo. "What l have been doing" she
said.
Her expression appeared to me as
sumed. I was convinced that she was
acting. I felt the weight Of the re.
sponsibility which had devoIved on
me.
"Miss Mason,'' I said, as collectedly
as 1 could, "your tragical attitude
seems to me an uubecoming affeotation.
I wish you to be plain with me. My
sudden entrance has overcome you,
and interfersd with your plans. Ex.
plain to me what you we're doing -
Her influence over mo was still &c
great, that could not word what
had to say more explicitly. She re.
piled, quietly:
'"I do not understand you"
This revolted me. 1 continued,
sternly:
"When I opened the door, you we're
on the point of administering to Jenny
Brewster something which, in your agi-
tatlon, you have spilled. Whatever
this was, you were giving it contrary to
the doctors directions. I wish to
know what it was."
A gleam Of intelligence crossed he,
face. She moved, as if to possess her.
self of the phial, but 1 was nearer the
stand, and laid my hand on it firmly,
"Why-why-Miss Denby," she
said, beginning to sbiver hysterical|y-
"what do you mean ?"
81 mean that you are to tell me what
you were attempting to give Jenny
Brewster, and why? ?" I know my voice
was cruel. She broke dowo, and be.
gan to sob.
'dt was the new medicine" she said
agitatedly. 1T should have been Civ.
en- precisely at three. l reproach my
self bitterly for being behiudhaud. u
was SO dissacted-so uuhappy-"
There was q shudder in her voice..
"The new medicine r. I repeated
"Hss the doctor been here through the
night?"-
| "He was here at twelve. He va,
| called somewhere out Of town, and
stopped on tho ..y. He found some
change 10 Jenny, and altered tho msdi
cine.
"He made it up himself 7" I ssked
slaucing 1t the little ornamented phi,
and its contents.
"Yes"-shs seemed to read my sus'
piclon-"1 got my ammouis bottle. u
there was nothing in the room to con
tain the MIXTURE"
It was horrible to have it 80, but he1
words sounded false to me. did moi
believe her. My position was paioful
In face of such an explanation, j,
would have been inhuman to have rals
ed an alarm. I wished to send for tht
doctor on some pretext, to have th'
story verified, but I was afraid Il