The Van Buren press., 1876-10-17

/
ladys return To consciousness, that be
thought the matter nothing very serious
but merely the result OF over-exertion
and SO they retired, amid general regret
to their apartments.
| The following morning neither having
appeared at break fast, knocked at their
room door. Mr.. Welingsy answered
and earnestly invited me to enter
complied
His wife was sitting, paler than usual
in al easy chair. Through the door tina,
led INTO the adjoining chamber perceiv
ed figure dressed IN deep black, hcl
back to me, and standing by the little
window that looked out upon the sen
This person was, of course the afflicted
sister. S
My call, which had intended shoult
| be very brief ana cercmonlous, extended
somehow to visit My new acquant
antes proved more agreeable than evel
--in short, when lett them they were nc
longer simply acquaintanees, but friends
From this time forth the lady remain
ii constantly in her apartment. She was
| yisiyly IN fast declining health, the reac
ton dating from the tainting fit during
the eharade. She did not seem to los,
| flesh, but from her descriptions as TO hos
she felt. could not bat perceive that thu
vital power was slowly but surely decay
| ing.
| One day, when we were alone, by ac'
cident she suddenly said in whisper
with quick glance at the imhecile, vile
was. as always in the next room.
+" know | am dying, Mr. Thorndyke
| but ii is not mat er OF regret"
Offered some commonplnce-I forge'
what.
Mo- she replied, declining any such
polite formula: "my husband will be
made happier man. | was not his frs
love. There WAS lady in New York
whittier we are now bound whom he wor
slipped DISQUALIFICATION he rcmem.
bers still with affection, regret, and | can,
not help but believing, with hope rs we'll
He will marry that lady il | do not sur.
eive this voyage
Before | could well fathom this, our
confidential situation was, to my regret
interrupted Another opportunity did
not come to pass, although l visited my
| friends several times day The surgeon
of the ship, at my request, also saw the
lady. He toid me he could make moth
| ing out OF the case.
But he was not in my opinion, yer,
competent man, and, moreover, he had &
| disease of his own, which injured bis
| Judgment materially, and made his opn.
ions of little value He was seldom So
| ber
Thus matters went ON for a short tint
/ further. and then, suddenly, one morning
soon after davbreak, ! was aroused from
sleep by some one knocking at my door
| | had not locked it Mr.. Wellingsly en-
tered and said:
Come with me instantly My wife
| is dead!''
| dressed hastily ana followed him
The dody was lying, still aud rigid upon
the bed Death--old as ! am nnnerves
me | shall not say that I am afraid OF
a corpse but | do not like to approach
one closely. stood some distance of
and heard the account of the lady's dis
solution She had been taken with vic
| lent illness but half an hour before
| He left me there while he went to in.
form the officers of the ship | glanced
around uneasily. In this wandering eX.
animation Of the room, my eye fell upon
something lying on the floor by the bed
1t was a scrap of printed paper l picked
it up and found it to be an apothecary' s
label. On it was printed the single word
Arsenic" For an instant | was thun
derstruck The symptoms he had de-
scribed were those of poisoning by arse
mic Before | could examine my mind
carefully { | am by habit cautious in this
respect Mr. Wellingsly returned.
. IL is no great matter now that she is
gone he said sadly" ~" but the circum-
stance is shameful of itself. DR.. Clarke
sat up all night over bottle of brandy
and having just gone to bed is not in q
condition to leave it "
| LETT him for walk on deck. The
newt had already got about that Mrs
Wellingaly was dead. Three of the sail
ors, with stern and gloomy faces, were
| holding a coniab.
No luck while there's corpse
aboard" | heard one of them say
shaking his ay head, IL hope it will
be put out OF the way a soon as the box
is ready"
! The others assented heartily. Captain
| Campbell made his appearance, and or
dered them to their work.
You, Tom Brown" he said, address.
/ ing one of the men. who eyed him with d
somher stare, 90 and send the carpen
ter to me. There's coffin to be made