The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-01-19
hit. The countess has revived little

on the subject-ideas that l am now con-
vinced are correct. keep strict watch
over everything that the countess takes.
I make her beef tea myself, and l 60 out
to get fresh cream for her every morning,
and both beef tea and cream keep locked
up in the closet till she wants them. 1t
is the same with her medicines and her
mineral water. Yet she gets no better,
and indeed I can see that she is getting
weaker day by day.
June 5.-I took, the other day, por-
ton of the medicine that the count
brought home to his wife, q few weeks
ago, to q chemist in Paris, to have it an
alyzed. YESTERDAY went after it. The
old man look d ut ME very inquisitiyely
as ne handed me back the bottle, and gave
me back the paper containing the result
of his Investigation.
'sDo you KNOW" he asked, "that ar
senic Is one of the ingredients in the liquid
you have brought me?"
came very near saying thought as
much, but 1 controlled myself and said,
indifferently, "Indeed!''
eyes," continued the old chemist; $50
a certain degree of precaution is necessary
in administering it,
ssHow much" I asked, "would it be
safe for person to take in the course of
q day9''
'The dose ought not to exceed q tea
spoonful, and two or three during twenty
four hours are as much as can be taken
prudently by person Of m ordinary con-
stitution.''
Now, Nine. de Viana, as I happen
to know, never takes more than two tea
spoonfuls daily, one on Weakening in the
morning and the other Just before she is
settled for the night. I know this to be
fact, for always give her the stuff my
self, and keep the bottle containing it in
my own room.
This is very puzzlng matter. Can it
be that the poor lady is really dying from
some mysterious internal malady?
June G.-I tried this morning to get
peep at the upstairs room so frequented by
the count. had just given the countess
her medicine and n glass or two OF water,
and she had fallen asleep, as she now does
from weakness two or three times day.
The count had gone out for a ride on
horseback, and was safe not to come back
for two hours at the very least. So armed
myself with duster and slipped upstairs
to the room that has so tried my patience
and provoked my curiosity. But the door
was locked and the key had been taken
away. I tried to peep through the key
hole, but could see nothing save table
with white cloth thrown over it. Just
then heard Antonio coming upstairs and
whistling an air from "Q Trovatore." So
I got out of the way as fast as possible.
One thing is certain: I perceived very
powerful and peculiar odor issuing from
the room while I was making my investi-
cations ut the keyhole.
June 10.-The countess is much worse
today. think, poor child, she begins to
despair Of her own recovery. In an inter-
val of comparative ease she sent her maid
to bring her her jewel box, and spent
some little time in tying up various
trinkets in little parcels, each OF which
she marked with the name of some one OF
her young friends or schoolfellows.
could scarcely help crying when she
turned to me and put pretty brooch in
my hand, saying, in her soft, low tones:
ri hone, Sarah, that you will sometimes
wear that in remembrance Of me. You
have been very good and patient with me,
and YOU always take SO much trouble
| with me-, Then she selected pair of
beautiful solitaire pearl earrings and put
them in Il little box: "These want Carlo
to have mounted as shirt studs when-I
mean some day." Just then she became
very faint from her eXertions and the
Jewels were taken away.
juno Ill have done O very daring
deed today have begged the countess to
send for another physician. Long ago,
when was in Paris, heard good deal
~ doctor Ior
Warner, who, it is said, possesses q pecu-
liar insight into the nature and origin OF
all sorts of obscure maladies see by
this mornings Galignani that hei now IN
Paris. So told the countess that he Is
within reach. And, affecting confidence
that Iscarcely felt, said, ssDear madame,
if one can only find out what really is the
matter with you, think the question OF
your recovery would speedily be settled" :"
IT am so tired Of doctors and physic,
Sarah,n she said, with q wan smile, "that
it seems to me impossible to try any
more"
But I coaxed her and persuaded her,
and finally she said that ''she would ask
Carlo" 1 wonder if he will consent?
Three o'Clock.-He has consented, and
Antonio has gone Of. with the carriage to
fetch DR.. Warner.
June 12.-The mystery Is solvedl Lord,
what fool have been!-what fools we
have all been, for the matter of that!
1t was early in the evening when the
doctor arrived, and he went straight to
the invalid's bedroom. There he sub
| jccted her to thorough Investigation
her pulse, her tongue, her general symp-
toms, etc.-though so gently and kindly
| that he neither worried nor wearied her.
And then, after q few pleasant, reas-
spring words, he went down stairs, fol-
lowed by the count and both gentlemen
went into the drawing room and closed
the door. But they did not get ahead OF
me that way. Iquietly slipped round by
the balcony o,the little sitting room be-
yond the parlor, and ensconced myself be-
hind the curtains. For I had made up my
mind to know what the American doctor
thought of the case, even if 1 lost my
situation through my curiosity.
The first words that were spoken fairly
mado me start, so fully did they justify
my suspicious. For DR.. Warner, without
preface or circumlocution, quietly re-
marked: "Your wife, count, is dying from
repeated doses of arsenic
"Arsenic!n cried the count. "What! Is
anybody trying to poison her? Do you
suspect any one, doctor?"
s'I do not say that any one is trying to
poison her. Only she has been taking
arsenic for some time past in dangerous
| quantities. Now, where does she get it?''
s'Do you imagine, doctor, that have
been administering it:'' began the count
hotly, but DR.. Warner checked him with.
decisive gesture.
~ repeat that I accuse nobody, and z
suspect nobody; but Nine. de Viana has
been nearly killed by arsenic in some
shape or other, and it is my duty to find
out where it comes from. Did you bring
with you the prescriptions for the medt'
cines she has been taking?"
The count produced from his pocket
book some half dozen prescriptions
which the doctor spread out upon the
table before him, minutely scrutinizilg
them one by one. Finally he selected one,
and passing it to the count, asked, GLOW
long has Nine de Viana been taking this
potion:'
sat intervals for over year. 1t was
prescribed to her to relieve her from an
eruption which had made its appearance
on her forehead"
"And has she ever been in the habitiof
drinking mineral waters-those from the
springs of La Bourboule, for instance!n