The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-04-21


a lady's boudoir, but, from where 4
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 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 unravel, if / could, the
mystery of the great jewel robbery.
| could not be mistaken. The des
criptlon given nae 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 astonishment,
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, 1
the man whom | now almost dread /
ed to see--the famous doctor, Gid (
con 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 hes
itating, | stepped forward. SO sud
den and 50 unexpected was my ap-
/ pearance that the man unconscious
OF my presence until L had placed
my hands upon ais arm and gas
ped in trembling tones "Dr. West
I-I--arrest-." But the sentence
was never com pleted.
| With a cry that might have been
heard almost in the grave, the un-
hapy man shrank from me. AT
that instant | turned in the direc- /
ton to which he was pointing, with I
that agonized look upon his face,
and as l did so l loosened my hold I
and nay hands fell powerless to my /
side. In the corner Of the chamber I
hitherto hidden FROM me, | saw ore .
of those old fashioned bedstesds, T
with heavy draperies around 1t. The
curtains were silk, once 2 pearly /
white, now dulled and faded by age Z
TIE counterpart 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 woman wo-
man who must once have been fair
and beautiful to behold. Her lux
uriant hair fell In wreaths on each 1
side of her face, and was then 4
brought together over the bare white
throat. Her arms were uncovered +
by the counterpane, and, clasping
] an infant child in their embrace,
( lay folded across her breast.
As / realized all the details of
what seemed ike a vision, | confess
that my nerves failed me. could /
only look at that cold, pale face, lyl
ing so still on the pillow, with the
childs face nesting beside it; and
as I looked | realized that the still 7
ness was the stillness Of death.
Like one entranced | remained
motionless for some moments. when
fagain | was aroused to action.
A figure clothed in white-the
-face scarcely less pale than the face
of the dead, the scau1y locks of
hair, white with age, hanging loose /
ly about her shoulders, the eyes fix
ed on the bed and the hands stretch
ed out supplicatingly toward it
glided into the room. Then catch !
ing sight Of the PROSTATE figure of
the man who bad cast himself be-
side the bed, with his hands spread
out on che form that lay there, this
apparition of wee, turning on me
glance Of reprOach that will haunt
me to my dying day, exclaimed,
amid streaming tears. You have
killed him My son, my sonr
4 And now, how shall | finish my
story without wearying you with
explanations Let me 90 back to
that old question once asked by
Gideon West: "What if success
should come to late p For all the
happiness it could bring him, it did
come to late His struggle with fate,
if not long, had been bitter, one.
There fell a grievous sickness on the
neigeborhood disease and death
stalked abroad, and moved down
, their victims without counting the
numbers. Against the grim tyrants
Gideon West fought day aud night
, his energy was endless, MS courage
undaunted, and he triumphed. No,
not Gideon West, but the weapons
of science triumphed in his hands.
Disease and death were driven from
the field as they fled they shot one
last bolt at their victor-it glanced
off his armor, but left his wife and
: child dead at his side.
Yes; he had won. But what was
the victory worth ? Fame, reward, :
/, wealth, all were his; but the one
hope of his life was dead. Yet he
never spared himself-never ceased
} work for a day--never hesitated at
any sacrifice. He lived, he said, for
only one obiect-it was to wear out
his life" The old home knew him
to the end. and one faithful and.
devoted woman gave all her years
to cheer the one hero other life, the
poor struggling surgeon, the great
physician-the man who for pure
love had married her only child
! Gertrude's husband
But the end came suddenly at last,
and outwardly there seemed to be
no signs of failing power. The
mind seemed as fresh and as vigor-
Gus as ever. Only in one direction
did it give away. Years of never
ceasing brooding over his dead wife
and child did its work; aud as the
sad anniversary of his wIfe's birth
day, her marriage, and of her death,
once more approached, the strain
overpowered him. A mania seized
him he must offer her the most
costly treasures. Yet they must
not appear to come from him, but
from Others, from those who owed
their health, their life, to his skill.
They must be proofs of his fame
proofs to the dead wife of her hus-
bands triumph. The mania grew
upon him. When ever he saw any
thing that was of peculiar value ne
1900. g. oIo,,o - ~ hiu 0wn fltllv