Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-18

polsULcu. lie once admitted 10 me as
much, though in the most guarded manner.
Here J. saw that large drops OF sweat were
%glistening on the old gentleman's fore
head. "Well," he presently continued,
This suspicion was a true one. And my
polsOner Is my % dduQhter. D0nOt look
incredulous. l saw her empty the con-
tents of a via which she held, here in
this glass Jug of water at my bedside. l
saw this, l tell you, as plainly as l now
behold your face. She seemed perfectly
collected and tranquil. Her visage wore
a slightly more serious look than usual,
but that was all. Now examine the con-
tents Of that jug, please"
/ dld so, holding it close against the
light. A hlm Of whitish sediment mad
gathered at it's bottom.
"What motives" 1 murmursd, after a
pause, ''could she possibly nave had?"
The old man closed his eyes for a mo-
ment with a s%huddering sigh.
"ohe bas always tried TO excuse and
eXOnerate her BROTHER he at length said,
''for faults which she knew that he pos
sessed. DOu btless he has spoken bitterly
to her Of myself. He may nave told her
that ] am a stumbling block in his path.
thought she would have given her life TO
save mine, rather than
He paused, covering his face with both
hands, and sinking back on the pillows.
a soon made up my mind, with a
rapidlty for which my absent friend
would, / was certain, have given me
praise. ] shook violently the contents Of
the glass jug, aud then poured into a quar-
ter Of d pint vial when 1 luckily carried
On my person enough to fill it with the
liquid.
Shortly after this Mr.. Weymouth grew
much catmer, and l TOOK my leave of him,
enJOlning upOu him TO keep absolute ST.
lence regarding what had occurred, and
promising him a visit on the morrow.
Already | had dimly shaped 4 scheme for
future action. Meanwhile l filed the jug
with fresh waterdra~n from a faucet near
at hand, gave my patient q sedative and
bade him be of good courage till l came
again.
"What mockery to speak thusl" l
thought, as l passed forth into the dark
ened outer hall. ''His heart is bleeding
with the anguish caused by his daugh-
ter's murderOus treacheryW
Still, l somehow had doubts of Elena's
guilt, and wnen she suddenly opened the
door OF an apartment near the head Of the
vague stairway which l was about to de-
scend, her worried look, combined with
the almost sanity sweetness Of her per-
sonnet, gave me an acute pang of selt-re-
proach.
"Do you think papa will pass an easy
night, doCtOr?" she asked of me, with
much wistful anxiety. II have never
known him to treat me so strangely be-
fore. He will, indeed, scarcely speak to
me or notice me. Can it be possible
that his mind is affected by continual ill
health 20
81 see no evidence Of it, Miss Wey-
MOUTH was my reply. "Perhaps he Will
be better tomorrow l will call then and
observe his condition more closely"
The sad gaze of her beautiful eyes fol-
lowed me out into the still, dark streets.
Could it be possible that so much vile
ness was hidden behind so much seeming
purity? And yet, Ger fathers testi-
monyl That Mr.. Weymouth was abso-
lutely sane did not admit of the Iemotest
doubt.
went straight to the residence of an
analytic chemist, who vas my intimate
friend, rang him up, and conhded my fill
ed via to his charge. He promised me
that before the next evening he would
have given it's contents. the most rigid ex-
animation.
At about II O'Clock the next day l again
called upon Mr.. Weymouth. found him
in a stronger and better physical cOndi-
tiOn than on the previous night. The
same elderly servant who had brought
mt his message was in his room. But
before l entered this room, Elena, look
ing as lovely and guileless as when |
had seen her last, again met me in the
hall.
"Old Catherine is with papa" she said
to me, quite TREMENDOUSLY. ''He dlslikes
my very presence in his apartment. On,
DR.. Lodge, 1t pierces me to tne.very soul!
He has never been anything to me before
except the ideal of fOndness and indul-
gence."
A few minutes later l was saying in
most emphatic undertOne to Mr.. Wey-
mouth: III you shrink from your daugh-
ter's cOmpaniOnship, sir, you must as
sumo a liking for it, and assure her that
your past GOODNESS has been merely the
result of an unfortunate moody caprice"
And why p he asked.
then told him my scheme for the COM
ing night. l desired to be admitted into
the house at about IL O'Clock, with the
utmost privacy, il such a procedure were
in any way feasible. There CHANGED to
be a large closet e the bed with "A door
over which hung two curtains Of some
light, lowered material, such as we often
see in bedrooms. | had observed this
closet on the previous evening. My plan
was TO secret myself behind the curtains
of this closet and wait events. IL moth
ing occurred tonight l would repeat the
experiment on the next night, and again
on the next night.
do you assent L nnally asked, ITO
this arrangements"
Yes be answered, YEARLY. "But 1
see you doubt me-
81 merely wish, If possible, ocular cor
roboraGOn Of your wv statements" was
my reply.
Aud there may be some mystery be-
hind all this matter which neither you
nor | ave guessed
"What mystery? p he asked.
Don't ask me-" | responded. 81
scarcely dream. myself. Now viii this
servant of yours, whoris b usying herself al
the other end of the room, be my trust.
worthy accom- lice ~
81 will see that she is" he answered,
"CathSriIo has been in my service for
years and viii obey any orders | may
give her. / think you may be certain
that h will execute them to the letter.
And she did. But before Cathariue.
with the utmost care and caution, had
admitted ne into the house and thence 10
her masters room that night, | had learn.
Ell a certain rather agitating truth from
my friend, the chemist. Tint small white
particles which he had found undissOlyed
in the water OF the vial were q mineral
poison. seldom used even in medicine. and
noted for its slow but sure debilitating
and fatal effects when steadily admins
tered.
/ confess that my feelings, as / waited
IN that semi-darkened room, behind the
hlmsy yet amply coucealiug curtains OF
the closet. were in every manner diga.