Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-01-17

cost her nothing, Melissa bad Aup
mored it.
So the autumn came. and on cor.
tain evening Miss Melissa Judd had
occasion to open a leather trunk,
wherein she kept stored away her
most valued and secret possessions.
This trunk. to be secure from Mrs.
Jollifer's pryiug, was kept in the attic,
out of reach; and thither Miss Judd
now proceeded. leaving the old lady
INDUCING in her usual afternoon nap.
From this she never woke until four
O'Clock, in time for her port wine
Cruel, and the prudent companion
would take care to be back in good
time.
On opening the trunk Miss Judd was
dismayed to find that the rain, drip
ping from leak in the roof. had
found its way through a crack in the
lid and moistened a portion of the con-
tents Among these was the little box
containing Mr.. Peck's letters. which
she Immediately fastened to examine.
They were dry and uninjured. But as
she turned them over something
strange in their appearance arrested
her attention. There were the post
marks, but what had become of the
address? Hastily opening them her
establishment increased. Beside the
date of receipt, which she herself had
written in pencil, there wss not .
word or sign written upon either Of
the two Enclosed sheets OF paper.
Melissa sat staring at the papers.
What could it mean? She had heard
of ''evanescent Xxx" and these letters
must undoubtedly have been written
with something of the kind. Then she
remembered having come upon Mr..
Peck while all alone in the Office he
was engaged in writing her name with
endearing appellations on sheet of
paper. He had been experimenting with
the ink! She remembered how hastily,
and, as she now thought, guiltily, he
had thrust away the paper and the
mulberry-colored bottle into pigeon
hole above his desk. He had in
tended that the writing should
disappear-but why? And with
the question there gradually dawned
upon the acute mind of Melissa Judd
a full perception of Ambrose Peck's
design, in all its unmitigated villainy
and duplicity. And to think that she
should SO easily have been made a
fool of. He had managed to get pos
session of her written promise of mar
riage and to destroy his own, and to
prevent her discovery OF the trick he
had requested her to seal up the let
ters. His intention was to abandon
her in case of his falling heir to the
property; and ten to one he would seek
to marry that chit, Alice Hayes, to
whom he had been paying attention of
late. Miss Judd hated Alice and her
mother. When the latter had MORALLY
offended her Aunt Jollifer by prefer
ring to share poverty with the man
she loved to remaining under her roof
as pampered slave and pensioner on
her bounty. Miss Judd had stepped in
and secured that place for herself, and
had ever since, by means of false re-
ports on either side. managed to keep
the aunt and niece apart Mrs. Hayes
was now a widow and very poor; and
Alicia woman can easily discover
what man can not about love affairs.
Alice was, as Miss Judd knew, engaged
to that impecunious young doctor who
would probably have to wait a dozen
years before he could afford to marry.
In any event. thank goodness. Mr..
Peck could never get Alice. As for the
rest, Miss Judd set her teeth and
clenched her hands involuntarily. Oh.
if she could be revenged!
She was aroused by great knocking
proceeding from Mrs. Jollifer's room.
Hurrying down, she found it long past
four o'clock, and the room full of
smoke from burning log which had
rolled off the andirons to the hearth.
Mrs Jollifer was furious. She had no
doubt but that Melissa had purposely
shut her up there to be suffocated. And
her anger and resentment reached its
when Miss Judd, after hurried
ly preparing the Cruel, presented it
with tansy vinegar instead
of wine! Melissa-ungrateful, treach-
erous Melissa-was trying to poison
her! And without moments delay
the old lady ordered her to 60 at once
for MIR. Steele; so that by night new
will reposed under lock and key in
Mrs. Jollifer's desk. Then the old
lady went to bed; and, whether from
the effects of her agitation or the tansy
vinegar. or from other causes un-
known, there she was found next morn
ing, stiff and stark in death. And in
less than an hour the news had spread
all over town. with the additional that |
the last act of her life had been to
make will entirely in her nephew's |
favor. 1t was surprising how friendly
the whole populace Immediately be-
came towards Mr.. Peck.