Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-12-26
WHOLE NO. 1861

any one should accuse her, tell them
J what say. II you like to write i,
down | viii sign il, but you mnst be-
quick, and, Doctor, let me be buried
near my--nsar Colonel Ravesy. H..
was the only being | ever loved, and
| -and-I was his wife-not always
| he did me that justice a, last
AS the price OF a crime
We did not think it crime then,
but it was, it was; there is no use re
pining aud palayering with the truth
now. Ii you had seen low she sui
fered perhaps--Do this ~ going back
To old decisions. Ii was murder
| Inst,gated by the Colonel?'
Never mind who instigated it. =
was committed by me Now, Daci,s,.
If any one had told me month 81
what | am about to say to you nea
| should have scoffed at it. What 4.
you think ofsuch a proposition as the:
that some mysterious power should
force person to avenge, uncon
sciously, crime, unknown to her, l.,
which she has suffered
on are too I'll to
| AS there is God above me, DIR
Fletcher, Stella Lockwood has
avenged her mother by killing my
husband and me-
| Fletcher thought OF the last appear
ance OF the cracked tumbler, and was
speechless with amazement.
She prosecuted MIN into his grave, ;
continued Mrs Kirkmsn, almost an
grily, sand she began the same thing
with me. To avoid her / sold my
school. and intended to place the sea
between US, with this result. The
hand of God has struck us both
through her.
The Doctor groaned inwardly, Sand
she doesn't know even halt the truth
yet
III you can save my reputation, DR..
Fletcher, she went on after a long
pause, 'you will do so, am sure, for
old acquaintance sake; but Mrs Lock
wood must not suffer Don't let her
fathers name come in. Lay il all on
me. And Doctor, one thing more
that poison. 1t is very deadly, aud
it--yes, it might be found, and some
one taste it, or spill it where it could
get into food. Vel hid it behind
the skirting. board in the attic of the
right wing that looks over the stables.
1t was the first place | thought Of
that night put it-snd something
elsc-away there for the time, intend
ing to destroy them afterward, but l
never dared go near the spot
u will see to it, muttered the Doc
tor. His throat was dry and his brain
in whlrl. will you tell me one
thing more--how was that poison ad-
ministered p
4 changed her jug of lemonade.
Oh, Doctor is this death p
No, not Death, bat his shadow.
He was very near.
| must now take yotl back to Stella
Lockwood. "A clear case of somnam.
bulsm,' said Fletcher; sunhinge
gate, some of you, and carry her
home. Then (his to Mrs Lockwood
in whisper) cut off her clothes, put
her to bed, and don't say a word
about what has happened. l will
come in the morning as soon as can
All this was done. Her stepmother
passed the night watching her, hut 80
as to be unperceived il she awoke.
She remained exactly where she
placed her, as s,il as a corpse, bur
toward the morning her breathing b.
came more and more distinct and reg
ular At ten o clock she awoke.
why, mammle! she EXCLAIMED,
you here! Have | oversight myself?
What o'clock is it?'
She was told,a CRED, why, what
a lazy g,rl! Oh, mamme dear, DO
stay and help me dress, what pa,
papa say?'
This, to Mrs. Lockwood's wonder,
IN her old merry voice, in her old
bright manner, using the pet name
'mammie, which had not passed her
lips for nearly year. Presently she
came upon the dress she bad worn
the night before, and which had been
incautiously left on chair.
ooh, do look here 7 she exclaimed,
my pretty gown cut all TO bits. Who
could have done il p
This was q poser, bus Mrs. Lock-
wood was equal TO the occasion. An
under house maid, to whom Stella
had taken dislike, had been dis
missed and lett the house early that
morning. The damage was laid upon
this scapegoat.
sHow spiteful !! Stella observed and
so that ended.
l have only one fact TO add. Mrs.
Kirkman died at a few minutes to ten
as nearly as Mre. Lockwood could re-
member the clock was on the point
of striking that hour when Stella
awoke. From that awakening her
former healthy state of mind returned
and bodily strength and vigor fol-
lowed.
| If it hadn't been for poor, we'll.
meaning Mrs. Markby, the case might
have passed for somnambulism, CON-
plicated by one Of those troublesome
forms OF hysteria common in girls of
Stella Lockwood's age. But the sight
of the cracked tumbler on the ground
under the three beeches was too much
for the worthy dame. She clutched
her master aside, and whispered what
made further inquiry imperative. DIR.
Fletcher had to tell his story, sparing
the Colonel as he promised, and to
admit for the second time in this con-
nection that upon his word and honor
| he did not know what to make out of it.
| Nor do l, who tell this story, pre-
tend to explain it. Unless DIR.
| Fletcher is to be disbelieved, the first
Mrs. Lockwood was poisoned by her
hired nurse, and the remains of the
tated drug employed were hidden
away. If Mrs Lock wood was not
dreaming that night, she saw Stella
go to the spot described by Mrs Kirk.
man as the hiding place of the poison.
and take it ont with her. Scierce
speaks beyond peradventure. The
same set Of poison which was foune
in Coli 81 Ravesy's glass was also in
The baftIa wh,ch SfalIa WAS carr,tuo