The Van Buren press., 1876-10-17

st!l held. After breakfast ! retired to
my private quarters for reflection.
| | recalled one circumstance vividiy--
Mrs. Wcilngsly's confidential commn'
nj alton with regard to the lady her hus.
band was to meet in New YORK III
this fact associated others that VIII oe
cur to the reader, and need not be re-
! hearsed, and also several shfintses.
Among the rest, l remembered my first
impression in regard to Wellingsly--un.
favorable | had not thought well Of
his countenanee. This Is small thing
with many , but with me it had lis weight
in full.
Later in the day learned that the car
penter had made the collin according to
the measurement made by the husband
4 himself. This was singular OF itself.
/ Wat was stiii nsvrc strange he had, nn-
assisted except by the imbecile sister,
placed the body in the collin aud screwed
it down.
Iaskedthe carpenter, from whom had
this information, what reason Wellingsly
had given for his peculiar course,
We'll, you know. sir . said he, /" there
is another person there. The gentleman
seems kind Of ashamed to have her seen
! Shes an IDIOT like, / believe, SIR
After all, it was but natural that he
should desire to guard his afflicted rela-
tive from the rude curiosity of the men
of the ship but had he no other reason
Could it be possible that he feared some
one might detect his wife had died an I'M
natural death
Anything perlshlng by such violent
agent as arsenic would naturally exhibit
! tel tale traces after the extinction of life.
These signs are SO abnormal us to be alb
soutely unmistakable. Mr.. Wellingsly,
was aware, was very shrewd man,
A thought suggested Itself. went
directly 10 the chamber of death. He
was courteous enough till limited my
object Then he looked ve1cd aud dis.
turbed.
!" Impossible" he said. "You have
no idea how revolving appearances are
in death under such circumstances as
these. The body is now screwed down
! into the eolfln and the funeral will take
place ut one o clock, This haste Is
against my wishes, but the sailors com.
pan while there's corpse aboard. /
shall thank heaven when all is over"
Remonstrance aud petition were useless.
He spoke OF his love for his dead wife.
and he would not permit sacriege; and
SO my visit was unsuccessful.
| Further reflection. after ! had quilted
him, convinced me that he was the per-
son who had given the brandy to DIR
Clarke with what object shall not state
Just now But felt that a post mortem
even the most general-wonld estab
lish that Mrs Wellingsly's disease was
not such u marre! after all.
was sitting alone in my room, pom
dering upon this, when | heard the mourn
tul tolling OF the ships bell. The hour
for the burial at sea was at hand. l could
hear the shullling of feet on deck above
me The body was about to be cor sign
ed forever to the awful deep--that grave
of so many secrets Hendcforth investi
CATION would be powerless. Nothing
could be known till the day of doom |
determined to forbid the funeral SPRING
ing from my seat. l ran ous OF my room
and np the companionway. The voice
of the captain reached me as he read the
buaial service.
| gained the deck and advanced among
them, when the sailors released the black
coffin, and 1t slid over the ships side in
TO the fathomless ocean
CHAPTER In--THE COFFIN FOLLOWS THE
snlp.
As Mr. Wellingsly passed by me. his
handkerchief over his eyes, to go down
again to his room, pulled him abrupt
" aside and led him into mine He star
ed at me in astonlsAment. l closed the
door.
Mr.. Wellingsly," said ], ~ know
all You murdered your wife. She died
by poison Look at this"
| showed him the printed label.
IL do not understand he replied,
quietly.
" You understand me well. l have
abundance Of proof. For example,
know that you gave Dr. Clarke brandy
last night, and ,ohy2' l, of course, had
only conjectured as much
He purloined the brandy from my
room
You purposely placed it where he
could get it. Now You must rest assur-
cd that your crime shall meet general pub.
lcty as surely AS it has met discovery
by me"
He smiled
Indeed! You are late. You should
have announced your wonderful discov-
cry before the body was thrown over
board In that case we might have had
proofs instead Of surmises"
"My first step shall be to unfold every
thing know to the captain. 7"
He nodded approvingly.
DO so. He finds it a gloomy day.
Give him something to laugh at In the
meantime, good Mr.. Thorndyke, permit
me to go
made no opposition.
(" | shall be CAREFUL he said, " hereaf
ter how l make friends among tae pro,
mscuous class of adyenturers and
blackmailers one is always sure to nee,
In travelling
And With this thrust he bowed sneer
iagly and departed.
was agitated and angry, and it was
rLy resolve to speak to Captain Campbell
without delay. Going up the ladder
again | met the old gray haired sailor ol
whom have before spoken His cord