Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-06-17

and famous, and that your husband
has many friends. See These are
gifts from those whom have rescued
from death. They are thank offerings
10 the doctors wife Here is a
bracelet. Il is set with emeralls
No rarer could be found. All. how
charming it looks on that dainty
wrist ! And here is something a prin.
cess might wear. It is tiara Of dia.
monds; and it is yours. All, my
wife, let me place il oa your brow
Oh, my queen, my queenr'
Unable to restrain myself longer,
cautiously drew aside the tapestry and
peered into the chamber beyond it.
1t was comparatively small, but rich.
ly furnished, though in the fashion Of
olden times. 1t was, | thought A Ia
dy $ boudoir, but, from where I was
concealed, only portion of the room
was revealed to my view. 1t was not
the room that arrested nv attention,
but what it contained. On a small
table, almost within reach, lay those
very ornaments-the earrings, the
necklet, the pendant-of rubies and
pearls, the loss OF which had first led
me to unravei, If | could, the mystery
OF the great jewel robbery. | could
not be mistaken. The description
gwen me had been most minute. An
exact counterpart of the set was not
In existence, and here it lay on the
table before me.
As looked on with establishment
from the part OF the room could not
see, there approached me, slowly and
with pensive step and bowed head,
like one walking in his sleep, the man
whom | now almost dreaded TO see
the famous doctor, Gideon West.
Could he be the author of these
mysterious thefts could not be.
lieve it, and yet the proofs of his
guilt lay before me. No longer hest.
tating, | stepped forward. So sudden
asd so unexpected was my appearance
that the man was unconscious of my
presence until | had placed my hands
upon his arm and gasped in trembling
tones:
"Dr. West-I-arrest-"
But the sentence was never COM
pleted.
With a cry that might have been
heard almost in the grave, the unhap-
py man shrank from me. At that in
slant turned in the direction to
which he was pointing, with that ag.
onized look upon his face, and as
did so / loosened my hold and my
hands fell powerless to my side. In
the corner Of the chamber hitherto
hidden from me | saw one of those
old-fashioned bedsteads, with heavy
draperies around it. The curtains were
OF silk, once pearly white, now dul.
led and faded by age. The counter.
pane and pillow, once like driven
snow, were white no more. Lying on
the bed with her head on the pillow
and her body partially copcealed BY
the bed linen, ! saw the form of q
woman-a woman who must once
have been fair and beautiful to be.
hold. Her luxuriant hair fell in
wreaths on each side of her face, and
was then brought together over tn,
bare white throat. Her arms wer.
uncovered by the counterpane, anc
clasping an infant child in their EN-.
brance, lay folded across her breast.
As | realized all the details of what
seemed like a vision, ! confess tha
my nerves failed me. | could onl,
look at that pale, cold face, lying 81
still on the pillow, with the child fac,
nesting beside it, and as | looked
realized that the stiffness was III,
stiffness OF death.
Like one entranced, | remained mo
, tIonless for some moments, when agar
| was aroused to action.
4 figure clothed in white-the fac,
scarcely less pale than the face of tn,
dead. the scanty locks Of hair, whit,
with age, hanging loosely about he
shoulders, the eyes fixed on the bed
and the hands stretched out suppl
catingly towards it-glided into th
room Then. catching sight of tn
PROSTATE figure Of the man, who ha,
east himself beside the bed, with hi
hands spread out on the form tha
lay there, this apparition of woe
turning on me a glance of reproacl
that will haunt me to nv dying day
exclaimed, amid streaming tears:
"Iou have killed him! Ny son
nv son -
Aud now. how shall | finish IN,