Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-03-12

that fell upon Us oS my accents die
away-shall / ever forget 1T? And fiv
minutes afterward the breathing spa:
, modic and painful to hear, died to etel
nal stiffness.
The woman lifted the corner of tn
handkerchief and gazed into the ghasi
ly face. Itwas poung man Of abOu
two-and-twenty, and had evidentl,
been marvelously good-looklng.
oh, heavens! he is dead!
Her clear, agonized voice was ring
ing in my ears as they led me back in
to the darkness of the night. / felt
bank note pressed Into my hand as
entered the carriage Unre more.
Doctor, you have done your best; i
is not your fault that your efforts hav,
not been more successful. Remember
you are pledged to secrecy!'
The next moment / was whirlinl
swiftly through the November mid
night, with the strange, unquiet feel
ing of one wakening suddenly from {
startling dream-alas! it was a start
ling reality.
The carriage stopped at cross-road
near the village.
please to alight here, SIR said the
| driver. You are not far from home.
1 obeyed, and stood listening in the
! middle of the road while the noise o.
the carriage wheels died away, losing
its distinctness in the restless winds
And the clock in the village church
tolled out the hour of one.
Late as it was, however, my surgery
was still open and lighted up; the. SER
want from Haddenleigh Hall had just
ridden to the door.
IF you please, doctor, you are want
ed Immediately at the Hall. The Co
lionel said you were to ride my horse,
if yours were not already saddled, and
/ can walk; so there will be do time
lost
mechanically mounted the noble
animal that stood waiting for me, and
rode off, rather glad of an opportunity
to revolve in my mind the singular ad-
venture that had that evening befalien
me.
Haddenleigh stood a little back from
the road ,on magnificent knoll, crown
ed with century old chestnuts and
beeches; and reached the broad stone
steps in about half an hour, by dint of
rapid riding.
As 1 entered the vestibule, Colonel
Hadden, who had been pacing up and
down the hall in a perfect agony Of
patience, came to meet me.
is that you, DIR. Meller? l thought
you never would come. We're in a
pretty state of confusion here! Bur-
glars in the house-my wife's set of di-
amonds gone-nobody knows what
else-but old Hopkins left his sign
mnnual on one of the fellows. They
must be caught; they can't escape far.
For, you see
Yes, but Colhnel Hadden-'
'Oh, ay-I understand you-you
want to see your patient? It's Hop
kins, the butler; he got an ugly blow
on the left ARMAND afterward my
wife went herself for DIR. Maynard
no offenfe, Meller, but he lives nearer
than you-but he was out. She has
only just returned. I couldn't@1ery
well leave Hopkins and Mrs. Hadden
is such kind, good soul, she insisted
on going herself to fetch Maynard
But, my dear sir
'Ah, true! Come along to Hopkins's
room.'.
Hopkins, the butler, was as commu-
nicative as his master, and three times
as circumstantial; and by the time 1
had set his broken forearm was pref
ty well in possession Of all the particu-
lars of the attempted burglary of Had
denleigh.
And thinking of my midnight pa
tient whose life had ebbed out upon
the pile of straw, felt a strange guilt
iness as listened to Colonel Hadden's
eager conjectures as to the wherea-
bouts of the desperadoes who had fed.
sAnd now, doctor, you'll take glass
of wine,' said the hOspitable old gen.
tleman, ushering me into his library.
1t was brilliantly lighted, and warm
with the crimson glow of a genial fire,
before which, in a singularIy graceful
attitude, sat a lady, wrapped in the
gorgeous folds of an India shawl.
My wife, doctor. Isabel, my love,
this is Doctor Meller.'
We stood before esch other in si-
lence. could not speak, for knew
that / was looking into the startled,
agonizing eyes of the woman who had
knelt scarcely an hour ago by the dy-
ing couch in de-olate cottage-COlo-
mel Hadden's new wife, of whose beau
ty had heard SO much.
The Colonel talked on, but l heard
not a word that he said. l could not
but marvel at the wonderful self-pOs-
session of the woman, who smiled and
looked grave and said yes and mo-
just in the right places.
sTo be sure the COlOuel was saying
as woke into a sort of consciousness
of his voice, the loss of Isabel's dia-
monds is something serions; but, of
course, we shall recover them again.
Only, my love, it was rather careless
of you to leave them on the drawing
room table,
Il ,oas careless replied Mrs. Hadden,
calmly. Doctor, you are not going?
Colonel, you have forgotten that Curl
Gus old book you were wanting to show
DIR. Meller.'
AS the door closed behind the honest
old gentleman, Mrs. Hadden glided up
to me and placed her cold hand on
mine-it was like the touch of an icicle.
doctor, you have my secret-you
surely will not betray it"
Il am pledged to silence, madam l
replied coldly; this deceit
1T is not my fault, DOCTOR walled
the woman, it is my fate. How 1 en-
dure it scarcely know; were 1 to
pause and thlnk, L SnOulu go mao.
The man who died tonight was my
son! Colonel Hadden knows nothing
Of my first marriage, nor of this dread
full secret of my sons criminal life that
has weighed me down fer years. Over
and over again have thought to es-
cape from it, but it has followed upon
my footsteps like a doom. Tonight
closes that chapter of my life---oh
Heaven! how dreadfully! But my Sc
cret is safe---the diamonds provided for
that
But your husband, Mrs. Hadden!'
She covered her pallid, beautiful face
with her hands.
4 know what you would say, DIR.
Meller. / love him, and honor him,
beyond all men; but what can do?
Believe me, I have never willingly