The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-01-15
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the desire Of her dying father, Alice
Herndon became James Spencer
wife. Before that shewas healthy
blooming girl; Immediately afte'
this marriage she began to fail. D, ),
You see anything strange in that?
i "Not necessarily"
"Let me enIighten you further lei!
DR.. spencer was at one time but
gagged to Miss Lucille u MIeaand mar.
he broke the engage4nnl Miss
ried my mi!strPpoor as jobs tul'
Melrose W2Serndon was an heiress
key ~ Spencer was deeply in debt
(Rd hard pressed by creditors: dc
vou see anything strange in that ?
| "Perhaps. Go on.
"NVhen my mistress married
spencer she was only seventeen
and had been taught to obey hel
father in everything. She was a
gentle, affectionate child, and II
would have been easy for Spencer
to have won her love. But he aid
not care for that. 1t was her money
he wanted. 1t paid his debts and
bought him fast horses; it set MS
table with nice, costly dishes, and
put it in his power to keep Miss
Melrose robed like queen. And
all this time my mistress has been
slowly but surely sinking; and
look you, DR.. Lockwood, l believe
she is not dying of disease, but O
- she lowered her voice to
whisper as she spoke the word
"poison !" =. -,
"Impossible! This is a grave
charge"
"0f poison given her by her hus
band, who, at her death, will hay
sole control of her property, and b'
free to marry Miss Melrose. There
is no time to explain to you in de
tail the thousand and one circum
stances which have led me to tn
belief, for we are almost at tn
Idoor. It is never the case tina
Miss Melrose and Spencer are GU
| at the same time, or I should hav'
called another physician before; bu
tonight they are called away by tn
death of Miss Melrose's sister, an(
will not be back until tomorrow
With the consent of my mistress,
came for you, and oh! DR.. Lock
wood, I pray you save my dea
mistress. I nursed her when he
mother died and left her a helpless
infant; all through her innoeen
youth she was like an own child t.
me; and now to see her fading hou
by hour before my eyes! Goot
heavens if I knew beyond doub
that he waa guilty, his life shoult
pay the forfeit"
I was already beginning to fee
deep interest in Mrs. Spencer
although l had never seen her, and
like her old nurse, 1 was incline(
to feel great aniniosity for Dr
Spencer.
Mrs. Spencer received me in he
|bed-chamber. It was on the secont
floor, and was furnished with ex
quisite elegance.
Everything in the room bespoke
the taste and delicacy of the occu
pant. The warm air was tragran
with the faint odor of the hello
trope; and, glancing around, | saw
the purple blossoms and greer
leaves in an alabaster case on the
Hedge of the south window.
She was a woman who, when once
seen, could never be forgotten.
have met in my life many beautiful
women, but never one SO lovely
She was tall and straight, with
purely oval face, liquid brown eyes
and a dash of hectic in her cheeks
which is never seen in perfect
health. She received me, as [ know
she received everybody, gracefully
and though there was a slight EN-
barrassment in her manner when
spoke Of her illness, she answered
my professional inquiries without
hesitation.
AS to myself, I laid aside all
falso delicacy, and questioned hel
as to her symptoms. Mrs. Hurd
her nurse, remained in the room.
and added many little important
items of information.
When she spoke Of her husband
it was with sort of hopeless sad
ness, which distressed me greatly.
Not a breath Of suspicion against
him in her answer to my questions,
and I felt sure that at present she
knew nothing of what Mrs. Hurd
had such serious apprehensions.
I was glad that it was so, for, with
her finely strung organization, it
might have produced serious re-
suits. I made my examination of
the patient as closely as Icould, and
drew my own conclusions. [ could
have sworn that Mrs. Spencer daily
swallowed arsenic in small quanti-
ties, and the deadly drug was telling
fearfally on constitution never
robust. "
She said, answering my questions,
that she had no physician except
her husband. He had thought
himself better acquainted with, her