Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-10-03

for assistance, and what was the duty
of wife in the circumstances? Surely
to ascertain the nature of the advice
given in reply, and to carry it out with
all the discretion and devotion possible.
There was no difficulty in the first
part OF this programme. A letter, OBJ
viously from Sir Robert Ballantyne,
was delivered during Jacks absence
from home, and the nature of its con-
tents could be easily discovered with
out exciting suspicion. Now, however,
that the desired information was within
her reach. Dolly hesitated.
Suppose" she thought, ''her sus-
picions were unfounded, and her hus-
bands letter had no connection with
the alteration in his manneri Suppose
him, instead, the repository of some
guilty secret, or to be himself involved
in some criminal enterprise" Such
hesitation, however, was only momen-
tary.
The notion of Jack engaged in any
evil project was too preposterous to be
entertained, and with a conviction of
the correctness of her original suspic-
ions, Dolly opened the letter. 1t ran
| thus:
DEAR JACK: Though delighted TO hear from
you again, must admit that am very sorry
] for the reason which occasioned your letter, and
| IL thought my remonstrances would have any
effect should recommend you most strongly TO
| abandon your intentions altogether. l. hovev-
| cr fOa To Eap N md N civ N
! my best advice on the professional point you
| put
| L should recommend arsenic. As your object
| is to divert suspicion, and TO give the impress
| ion Of accidental death, you should employ a
| drug which is used both in medicines and YER
min killers. Arsenic moreover, has a special
advantage, from the fact that it is often taken
| for the benefit OF the complexion. 1 should sug-
/ gest its administration in small doses, at con-
| siderable intervals. Too sudden a death might
| lead to investigation which would be avoided
/ If the symptoms were those OF a gradual and
progressive illness. This is important, because
if your beautiful heiress' becomes acquainted
| with the suspicious circumstances attending the
| death OF No, /, she might naturally object to
! becoming No. g But once more, advise you
| TO give up your project altogether. 1t is a very
heavy risk, especially to one il your position.
Yours ever,
| ROBERT BALLANTYNE."
The room where Dolly was sitting
was light enough. The handwriting
of the letter was legible enough; but
had it been traced in unknown char
acters or studied in darkened room
its meaning could not have been less
Ineligible. What was Jacks secret,
and what the heavy risk he ran? What
this mysterious suggestion regarding
the employment of arsenic? And who
was the intended victim whose death
must be guarded from the attendance
of suspicious circumstances? mo. l!
No. 2p' "YOur beautiful heiressr'
Then suddenly the whole truth stood
disclosed in a revelation surprising in
horror The widest of Dolly's previous
apprehensions. She saw it all at last,
and realized herself to be the object OF
the detected conspiracy! No wonder
now at the alteration in her husband s
manner. No wonder at his restless
nights and his moodiness and irrita-
bility.
Your beautiful heiressr' How dare
her husband allow the use of such
terms! And about a woman, too,
whose claims to good looks he had al
ways denied.
Your beautiful heiress, indeed!"
Strange that at such a time these
words should rivet the attention of
their reader almost to the exclusion of
every other consideration; that at the
moment of the discovery of a deliber-
ate plot against her own life. Dollys
mind should dwell less on the awfnl
nature of the contemplated crime than
on the motive for its commission!
The idea that Jack should plan her
death with the object of marrying her
former rival seemed by far the darkest
feature in the terrible revelation. For
the meaning of the allusion was easily
apprehended. Your beautiful heiress"
could have reference only to the girl
whose Partially for the attractive
Jack Rivers had been notorious.
Kate Argent. indeed, with her hand
some face and fortune, had been a
seriously disturbing element during
Dolly's engagement, and her existence
had not been forgotten. And thus in
the first transports of pique and jeal-
ousy the real horror of the situation
was overlooked, and the discovery ac-
cepted rather with indignation than
alarm. But not for long.
By the time that she had restored the
letter to its envelope and replaced it
among her husband s other correspond
ence. she fully realized the danger of
her position. And what should she
do? She had no friends in London
whom she could conide in. She had
only few shillings in her possession,
and. in any case, she shrunk from the
idea of presenting herselfa her fathers
house as a runaway wife.
What should she do? Should she
make her discovery public, and throw
herself on the protection of the police,
or should she conceal her knowledge
of her husband 5 intentions, and await
some more favorable opportunity of
escape? Something, at any rate, must
be done. But what is this-this strange
sensation which seems first to numb
her heart, and thence to radiate
through every nerve and pulse? Dolly
was awake and perfectly conscious of
her Surroundings; she was sitting in
her own room, among her own familiar
furniture and ornaments. She could
see the sunlight on the wall playing
with the shadows of the laburnum