Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-11-28

reaching the Countess, could retain
the real letter and allow the forged one
to go to her mother instead. The lat
ter, If the note was ingcniously writ
ten, would at once conclude that Mr..
Coningsby, when he was writing to
her, had also written TO an humber
love, and, by mistake, had inclosed the
wrong note in the envelope addressed
to her. If she could but do this with
out discovery, Lady Mary was certain
the match would be Mt an end. She
knew how jealous her mother was,
how casily,her vanity was hurt The
rage and Indignation she would feel at
his supposed duplicity and contempt
for her would soon put an end to her
love. The only objection was that it
was an extremely dangerous undertake
ing. If it were discovered there would
be an incurable breach between her
mother and herself. At the same time,
If the letter were addressed to "Tottlc"
or "Lottie," or some such common
name, it would be difficult for Mr..
Coningsby to show that it was u
forgery by anything save his own as
scrtion, which Lady Scilly was scarce
~ lhtly W bcllcNc. Ab any Tutc, IL
was the only chance, and, let the
danger be what it would, Lady Mary
determined to try it.
Next day she spent several hours
writing letter which might pass for
one of Mr. Coningsby's. She had a
pretty turn for initiating other peoples
handwriting, and before she practiccd
very long she had written some lines
which it would have taken very
clever expert to have said was not his
work. She then composed the following
note:
DEAREST ToTT1E: I am sorry shall not be
able to call on you tomorrow night, MS havo
going to marry. Sho is getting rather dis
eonsolate of late at my negligence, and so
/ have to console the poor old thing. After
extremely tired, and have to write to her. SO
goodbye, my little fairy. Your own
As she knew that Mr.. Coningsby was
to sup with them the following evening,
she took the opportunity that night when
returning from ball to post her own
production.
Next morning while the Countess.
who since their quarrel seldom came
down for breakfast was still in her bed
room, the forged letter and one from
Mr.. Coningsby arrived. Lady Mary
received them with score of others,
but so well had she initiated Mr.. Con-
ingsby's writing that for moment she
was placed in some difficulty; she could
scarcely distinguish her own bihict-domr
from his. In n moment, however she
remembered that the envelope she used
had peculiar water-mark, and hold
ing up the one letter between her and
the light, she noted tins peculiarly, and
thus settled any doubt she had Re-
tanning, therefore, the other letter, she
gave the forged one to Lady Scilly's
maid. Lady Mary then hurriedly
locked up the purloined note. She was
glad the handwritings were so identi-
cal If she herself found some diff
Guilty in distinguishing them, surely her
mother would never suspect forgery.
She had hardly got the letter secreted,
when Lady Scilly's maid returned to
her, pale and frightened-looking.
"Oh, my lady" she cried, cher lady
ship has taken ill. think she S in
Mysteries. Will your ladyship please
see herp'
HAS she sent for meP' asked Lady
Mary, very much scared.
no, my lady" answered the maid.
"Then ask her if | may come. | don't
like to intrude on her without her per-
mission
The fact was, Lady Mary was not at
all anxious to see her mother. Her
guilty conscience had already begun to
trouble her; and she was afraid that if
she went Just then into her mothers
presence her crime would in some way
or other come out. She waited I'M
easily until the maid returned, which
she did not do for considerable time;
and then, by the Countess direction,
she informed Lady Mary that her lady
ship was much better, and did not wish
to see her Just at present-news which
eased Lady Mary's mind not little.
In about an hour, Lady Scilly's maid
again came to her to tell her that her
would not be down that day to
lunch; and, in reply to inquiries, said
that the invalid was much better and
engaged in writing. Lady Mary had
little difficulty in guessing what she
was writing about. She felt so uncom-
Portable that she could no longer re-
main in the house. So, after lunch, on
the plea of having some purchases to
make, she spent n considerable time
driving about rather aimlessly.
When she returned-it was about six
o. 'clock-she noticed that the household
was in an excited state, and she soon
learned the cause. The Countess, after
writing and sending to the post two let
tiers Gone for Mr.. Coningsby and the
other for Mrs. BlunD, had become so
i'll that the butler had felt it his duty to
send for the family physician, DIR.
Killen. That gentleman was now with
her, and they were waiting to hear his
report.
Lady Mary was Mortified by this in
telligence. Her mother was, it seemed,
seriously, it might be dangerously, i'll,
and that illness was caused by her act
AN act as she had now to confess to
herself, done not for her mothers but
her own interests. What would she do
if the Countess died? Would she not
be her murderessP The thought was
terrible beyond expression. How she
bewailed her stupid anger How she
wished she had never written that let
ter. Torn with regret and fear, too
conscience-strickcn to venture into her
mother presence, shc Waileu III agony
at the bedroom door until DR.. Killen
came out.
"Oh, DOCTOR" she said, when he at
last appeared, sis she seriously ill?''
"Ycs, Lady Mary" replied the doc
tor; every seriously, / am afraid. She
must have suffered terrible shock of
some kind or another. 1t seems us if
she were going to have brain fever"
brain fever! Is that very danger
ous?"
Very replied the doctor, in sol
emn tone. "And don't think it right
to conceal from you, Lady Mary, that
nrnntly fnnr her ladNshin's case will