The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-03-16
A TERRIBLE MISTAKE

Dora Guild was the daughter of an In
cdian general who died covered with fame,
and left her alone and literally friend
less in Bombay, where ne breathed his
last.
His dying words were: eco home,
my poor girl, to your Aunt Arlingford,
at Elmsley, near London, and stay with
her until you are married to Walter"
For General Guild and Colonel Cary
had been friends together, and comrades
in many a battle, and had long ago aft
anced their motherless children to one
another, the wedding to take place as
soon as the young man had attained his
majority.
go here was the orphan girl nearing
the end of her journey, and gazing visit
fully at the strange and unfamiliar land
of her birth.
There was one clause in her dead
fathers will which had required to Dora 5
mind with ever present pain, ever since
she had first heard it; and that was,
should she, upon making the acquaint-
ance of Walter Cary, refuse to marry
him, the bulk of her fortune should be
passed over to her cousin, Penelope
Arlingford
That her dear father should think it
necessary to coerce her into compliance
had rung from her many tear. Wholly
IMMERSED in the strong minded ways of
some English maiders, she had never
dreamed of disobeying him, or of choos-
ing mate for herself.
The journey was over at last.
Miss Guild found herself in a quiet
country house, surrounded by the most
fervent assurances of welcome from her
sole surviving relatives, who, of course,
knew all about her affairs, and treated
her with the most delicate consideration.
Mr.. Arlingford was a bluff and hearty
gentleman farmer; Mrs. Arlingford a re-
served lady, who, however, seemed kind
ness itself; while Penelope, the only
daughter, and Dora's possible rival for
the fortune, was gentle faced chestnut
haired girl of twenty, who greeted Dora
by winding her arms around her and lay
ing her cheek to hers without word.
In the course of the evening of Miss
Guilds arrival, while she was giving her
aunt some account of her voyage from
India, she observed her cousin Penelope
standing out on the lawn, talking earn
estly with gentleman.
1t was brilliant night in midsummer;
the moon, white and searching as great
time-ight, shone on the pair, and showed
Miss Arlington's companion 10 be not
only young, and handsome, but also
lover
His hand held hers, and his stately
head was often bent in unmistakable
alteration close to her tresses, while she
leaned towards him in all the loving con-
tidence of returned affection.
Very soon they entered the parlor, and
Walter Cary was directly presented to
Miss Guild.
And the lover of Penelope.
Dismay, CONSERVATION, tell upon the
heart of the orphan. There could be
no mistake-every look, every action of
the two betrayed it.
She was atfianced to a man whe loved
another
The cold touch of his hand on hers,
the distant salutation, as If she were the
merest stranger, proclaimed that he was
resolved to ignore the contract which
was between them.
Dora shrank into the darkest corner of
the room, and bitter disappointment
filled her soul.
Very soon however, the conversation
going on round the table arrested her at
tention. Walter Cary was telling Mr..
Arlingford and Penelope an account of
a strange murder which had lately oc-
Cured.
The man" said he was rather a
clever chemist, and accomplished his pur-
pose in a manner savoring more of the
exploits of the Arabian Nights epoch
than those of our day He got posses
sion of her journal, and impregnated its
leaves with a sort of volatile poison,
which she of course inhaled the first time
she made a record in the book, the result
being q mysterious death which no one
could account for"
The eyes of Penelope Arlingford were
fixed upon the narrator with pulsatinr
eagerness which arrested the attention of
the orphan.
What could it have been?" she al
most whispered.
Don't believe it," remarked Mr.. Ar
ingford sententiously.
The lovers were gazing at each other.
and there was half smile on the feat
ures of each.
Soon after this, Dora, being considered
weary after her railway journey, was con-
Quoted to her bed chamber by her cousin
who again embracing her in a mute.
clinging fashion, hoped she would rest
well, and left her.
Not one word had been said about her
betrothal to the young man in the parlor.
Her claims had been wholly ignored.
Her cousin was likely not only to rob
her of her inheritance, but of her
husband also
The young girl retired to bed with
feeling of desolation at her heart which
may be easily imagined, and fell asleep
weeping bitterly for her old, happy In
dian life, when she was the idol of her
father, and a darling of her ayab.
She woke-or, rather, she struggled
back to consciousness-with these words
running through her mind" the result
being a mysterious death, which no one
could account for"
1t was disagreable remark to occur
TO one in the middle of the night, and it |
reused her To a preternatural wakeful- |
ness,