Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-11

| ouIbb6y Jou WIZ 81. -.~.
me In those days. II the CLOUDS we're
dark your eyes were always or'sns ,
| if the heavens were overcast your
smile drove away the storm; your
voice was the music Of my lie,
YOUR ceaseless trust was my lode
star. But al has changed. Those
days have passed. ! am rich now;
thew saw am famous. The day is
now too short for my work and the
night too short for rest. And yet |
need rest. / feel ! cannot live much
| longer il ! may not rest. Ny brain is
ever Keeling with its WEAKNESS, yet |
cannot sleep. Night after night is one
| lore vigil. No sleep, no rest, nc peace !
have been waiting for this night, for
,ou. my love, for you! And now the
hour has come. 1t is Christmas morn
ing. Hark already hear the sound
| Of the Christmas bells. All no won
der, for my wife, my beloved, has come
back to me at last--come back to me
| from the dead !"
In feverish excitement | listened.
But there was no answer, not a sound.
when that trembling voice ceased, to
break the stiffness Of the night.
Presently it began again "They
tell me it is thirty years ago. Non.
sense. That is only dream. 1t was
yesterday, that you spoke
to me for the last time-yesterday that
you bade me goodbye, and kissed me
when went away. And to-day you
are as you were then. No change, no
change, none at all. You are as young
and as fair as when | first took your
hand in mine and called you wife,"
Then there was pause, and was
conscious of some movement beyond
the tapestry, behind which was guilt
lily hiding.
What followed startled me, but it
called me back to life. With voice
thrilling with emotion the man once
mole broke the silence. " Gertrude .
These are yours. This is your birth
day, and our old weddingday, and |
have not forgotten you. You do not yet
believe that am rich and famous, and
that your husband has many friends.
See These are gifts from those whom
have rescued from death. They are
thank offerings to the doctors wife,
Here is a bracelet. 1t is set with
emeralds. No rarer could be found.
All how charming it looks on that
dainty wrist And here is something
a princess might wear. 1t is tiara of
diamonds and it is yours. An, my
wife, let me place it on your brow
Oh, my queen, my queen :"
Unable to restrain myself longer,
cautiously drew aside the tapestry and
peered into the chamber beyond it. 1t
was comparatively small, but richly
furnished, though in the fashion Of
olden times. 1t was, / thought,
lady's boudoir, but from where | was
concealed only a portion Of the room
was revealed to my view. 1t was not
the room that arrested my attention,
but what it contained. On small
table, almost within reach, lay those
very ornaments-the earrings, the
necklace, and the pendant-of rubies
and pearls, the loss Of which had first
led me to unravel, if could, the mys-
terry of the great jewel robbery. |
could not be mistaken. The descrip-
ton given 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 believe
it, and yet the proofs Of his guilt lay
before me. No longer hesitating, |
stepped forward. So sudden and 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 completed.
With cry that might have been
heard almost in the grave, the unhappy
man shrank from me. AT that instant
turned in the direction to which he was
pointing, with that agonized 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 bedstesds with
heavy draperies around it. The cur
tains were Of silk, once pearly white,
now dulled and faded by age.
The counterpane and pillow, once
like driven snow, were white no more.
Lying on the bed, with her head on the
pillow and her body partially concealed
by the bed linen, | saw the form Of a
woman--a woman who must once have
been fair and beautiful to behold. Her
luxuriant hair fell in wreaths on each
side of her face, and was then brought
together over the bare white throat.
Her arms were uncovered by the coun.
terpane, and, clasping an infant child
in their embrace, lay folded across her
breast.
As realized all the details Of what
seemed like vision | confess that my
nerves failed me. could only look at
that cold, pale face, lying so still on
the pillow, with the child face nesting
beside it and as looked Irealized that
the stiffness was the stiffness Of death.
Like one entranced | remained mo-
tionless for some moments, when again
| was aroused to action.
A figure clothed in white-the face
scarcely less pale than the face Of the
dead, the scanty locks Of hair, white
with age, hanging loosely about her
shoulders, the eyes fixed on the bed,
and the hands stretched out supplica-
tingly toward it-glided into the room.
Then, catching sight Of the PROSTATE
figure of the man who had cast him.
self beside the bed, with his hands
spread out on the form that lay there,