Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-08-06


consent of my mistress | came for you,
and oh, DR.. Lockwood, L pray you to
saye my dear mistress. I nursed her
when her mother died and left her q
helpless infant; all through her inno-
cent youth she was like an own child
to me; and now to see her fading hour
by hour before my eyes. Good
heavens. If knew beyond a doubt
that he was guilty, bis life should pay
the forrest
1 was already beginning to feel a
deep interest in Mrs. Spencer, although
| had never seen her, and like her
own nurse | was beginning to feel a
great snimosity for DR.. Spencer.
Mrs. Spencer received me in her
bed chamber. IL was on the second
floor, and was furnished with exquisite
elegance.
Everything in the room bespoke
the delicscy and taste of the occupant.
The warm air was fragrant with the
faint odor Of heliotrope; and glancing
around l saw the purple blossoms and
green leaves in an alabaster case on
the edge of the south window.
She was woman who, when once
seen, could never be forgotten. I
have met In my life many beautiful
woman, but never one SO lovely.
She was tall and straight, with a
purely oval face, liquid brown eyes,
and dash of hectic in her cheek,
which is never seen in perfect health.
She received me, as know she did
everyone, gacefully, and though there
was slight embarrassment in her
manner when I spoke of her illness,
she answered my professional inquiries
without hesitation.
AS for myself, I laid aside all false
delicacy and questioned her plainly as
to her symptoms. Mrs. Hurd, her
nurse, remained in the room, and add
ed many important little items of in
formation.
When she spoke of her husband, it
was with a sort of hopeless sadness
which distressed me greatly.
Not breath of suspicion against
him in her answers to my questions,
and I felt sure that at present she
knew nothing of what Mrs. Hurd had
such serious apprehensions. I was
glad it was so, for with her finely
stlung organization, it might have
produced serious results. | made my
examination of the patient as closely
as l could, and drew my own conclu-
sions. l could have sworn that Mrs.
Spencer daily swallowed arsenic in
small quantities, and the deadly drug
was telling fearfully on her constitu,
ton.
She said, answering my questions,
that she had no physician except her
husband. He thought himself better
acquainted with her case, and there
fore better qualified to treat her. He
never left medicine with her to take;
he always brought it fresh from his
Office, and administered it promptly.
There was little enough | could do
in such case. Anxious to do every
thing, the very circumstances of the
affair left me nearly powerless.
A charge of such nature of course |
could not make out against DR.. Spen-
Ger, without the amplest proof. If |
limited a suspicion, everyone would
set it down to my professional pre-
judice; and if I could not substantiate
my statement, the doctor could make
me pay dearly for such slander uttered
against him.
The only dependence seemed to be
IN Mrs. Hurd. To her unbosomed
myself freely. I told her without re-
serve that l thought DR.. Spencer was
killing his wife by slow poison, and l
besought her to constantly watch to
save the victim, and discover some
proof by which we could fasten the
guilt upon him.
She smiled grimly and promised
obedience, and I gave her powerful
autitode for the poison l suspected,
and went home perturbed and anxious
in mind. did not sleep that night
and all the next day [ was in a high
fever of excitement. A ring at the
bell made me tremble-.a step on the
gravel outside my Office stopped my
breath, and 1 hardly knew what l ex
pected to hear. | felt sure before |
slept should hear something.
And now 1 must tell the story as it
was told me-
DR.. Spencer returned home the
morning after my visit to the Clifton
house. He looked wretchedly, the
nurse said; appeared gloomy and de-
pressed. Miss Melrose came with him
and looked decorously sad over the
death of her sister. Women of her
stamp always do mourn to perfection.
They neither overdo nor. underdo the
thing, as women of feeling are likely
to do.
DR.. Spencer came at once to his
wife's chamber. He thought she
looked ill, and prescribed cordial at
once, saying he would go and fetch it.
lE'You are always ordering cordials
for her." said Mrs. Hurd, musingly.
why not take something yourself?
You look like a 0hostp