Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-11-05

il. Fifty thousand dollars, So 1t was on
Monday. the first Of November, that
gave her the last dose OF the metal.
When Saturday came, and / took her on
board the boat and led her to her state
room and prepared to say good by. she
started up. and rousing herself from
Iethargy, she threw her arms around my
neck and begged me not to ask her to leave
me. She said that even If she had con-
sumption, and if the air OF New York was
killing her. she would die willingly by
nv side: she would rather die by my hand
than leave me thus. ! soOthed her and
comforted her. and told her that should
Join her in few brief months. Then
went to the ship Doctors room and pre-
pared sleeping draught for her, which
administered lust before the boat lett
the dock.
Then stood. watching the vessel sail
ing away. watching Lillian pass from ny
sight as before she had passed from my
heart. Then returned to my laboratory
to the laboratory which would soon be
known to the whole scientific world. as
soon as had received money enough to
enable me to perform the many expert
ments lack of means had alone preventt
my attempting; as soon as ! had receIv-
ed that fifty thousand dollars
I knew that the end would soon come
knew that within eleven days after had
ceased TO administer the arsenic. Lillian
would die | knew that her death would
be laid at the door of that demon of travel
ing-sea-sickness. | knew the eleven
DAYS would expire on Friday. the thir
teenth of November. And so it came to
pass-ilst as | had planned.
In month all was over the news had
come that the ..Dcutchland" had arrived
safely, hut unfortunately one passenger.
lady, the wife of an eminent American
scientist, had died from the effects of sea-
sickness during the voyage and had been
buried at sea. In month. official proof
Of her death had come and had been CIV
en- TO the insurance company; and in
month mad received the fifty thousand
dollars
A few day after received it, Christmas
came. The world was happy, or pretend
ed to be. and was miserable. A fierce
Joy had filled me when first clutched
convulsively, and yet calmly the precious
papers worth the enormous sum had so
long and so ardently avn ited. And then
| despaired; had gained and had lost
What? Happiness. Happiness as | had
felt it by Lilian's side in the Tyrol happi-
ness as knew it when led her to the al
tar All gone. And nothing remained
but bundle of papers, and the opportuni-
ty of scientific investigation no longer
hungered for, since had made great
discovery already and could tell no one.
On New Years eve | saw her figure;
saw her beckon me to come to her. |
rushed away from the laboratory where l
had been sitting and thinking and dream
ing. Science no longer had any charm
for me it could offer nothing but the bit
tcrness of ashes.
And then took my resolve-she was
dead; | must die; she had died by the
sudden stoppage of arsenic eating; must
die the same death This was my resolve,
and have tried to carry it out, but my
strength has failed me. began arsenic
eating; felt the burning pangs within
me ; gradually but rapidly increased the
doses. Twelve days ago | took four
grains of arsenic; since then have not
tasted it. Eleven days have elapsed and
ought to die tonight. But my strength is
greater than hers; my constitution is
stronger. fight harder against the sud-
denly-released power of the poison.
Arsenic may not kill me to-day. Remorse
has not Killed me vet. But die to-day |
Shall She died Friday. the thirteenth
day of November; and to-day. Friday, the
d ~ of November, shall die -
Fiction.