Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1890-08-15
lC0NTExUED.l

-ThAt," said the doctor, Quletly, II the
purse-the new nurse-the stranger" He
took OF the handkecch from Oxbye's
face looked about he room As II careful
that everything should be in its right
place, and went out to admit the woman.
Lord Harry sprang TO his feet and passed
his hand over the sick mans face.
rs 1t done," he whispered. Can the
man be poisoned, Is he already deadi-
already Before my eyest"
He laid his finger on the sick mans
pulse. But the doctors step and voice
stopped him. Then the nurse came in.
following Vimpany She was an elderly,
Quiet-looking French woman.
Lord Harry remained standing at the
side Of the sofa, hoping to see the man 70
New" said vimpany, cheerfully, here
u your patient, nurse. He is asleep now.
Let him have his sleep out-he has taken
bis medicine and will want nothing more
yet awhile. II You want anything let me
know. We shall be in the next room or
IN the garden - somewhere about the
house. Come, my friend" He drew away
Lord Harry gently by the arm. and they
left tbs room.
Behind the curtain Fanny Mere began
tewonder how she was to get of unseen.
The nurse, left alone, looked at her pa
e1ept who lay with his head turned partly
round. his eyes closed, his mouth open.
"A strange Sleep" she murmured; but
the doctor knows, suppose He Ii to have
his sleep out"
"A strange sleep. indeedr' thought the
watcher She was tempted at this mo.
Aent to disclose herself and to reveal
what she had seen; but the thought OF
Lord Harry's completely stopped her.
With what face could she return to her
mistress and tell her that she herself was
the means Of her husband being charged
with murder' She stayed herself, there
fore, and waited
Chance helped her at last to escape.
The nurse took cff her bonnet and shawl
and began to look about the room. She
stepped to the bed and examined the sheets
and pillow-case, as a good French house
wife should. Would she throw back the
ourtainf II so-what would happen nextf
Then It would become necessary to take
the new nurse into confidence. otherwise
L Fanny did not put the remainder Of
thu sentence into words. 1t remained q
terror; it meant that il Vimpany found out
whore she had been and what she had seen
and heard, there would be two. instead Of
enc, cast into deep slumber.
The nurse turned from the bed, how
ever. attracted by ths half-open door OF
the cupboard. Here were tRs medicine
bottles. She took them out one by one,
locked at them with professional curiosity,
pulled out the corks, smelt the contents,
replaced the bottles. Then she went to
the window, which stood open: she stepped
the garden, looking about her to breathe
the soft air of noon among the flowers.
She came back, and ii again seemed as
x she would examine the bed, but her
attention was attracted by small book
case. She began to pull down the books
enc after the other and to turn them over,
~ . half-educated person does in the hope
OF finding something amusing she found
Q book with pictures. Then she sat down
In the armchair beside the sofa and began
70 turn over the leaves slowly. How long
was this going to lastf
1t lasted about half an hour. The nurse
laid down the volume with a yawn,
stretched herself, yawned again, crossed
her hands and closed her eyes. She was
going to sleep. IL she would only fall SO
asleep that the woman behind the
ain could creep away!
But sometimes at the sleepiest moment
> sleep Is driven away by an accident. The
accident in this case was that the nurse be-
fore finally dropping off remembered that
she was nursing sick man, and sat up to
look at him before she allowed herself to
drop on
6tupg with sudden inspiration she Rprang
70 her feet and bent over the man. Does
he breathe," she asked. She bent lower.
''His pulsed does it beatf" She caught his
wrist.
'Doctorr' she shrieked running into the
BE is deadr'
Fanny Mere stepped from her hiding
place and ran out of the back door, and by
the garden gate into the road.
She had escaped. She had seen the
crime committed. She knew now at least
what was intended and why she was sent
Away The motive for the crime she could
not guess.
CHAPTER xLvL-wHAT NEXT.
What should she do with the terrible
secret,
She ought to inform the police. But
there were two objections. First, the
nurse may have been mistaken In suppos-
ing her patient to be dead. She herself
had no choice but TO escape AS she uIo.
next the dreadful thought occurred to her
that she herself until the previous day had
been the mans nurse-his only nurse,
bay and night. What was to prevent the
doctor from fixing the guilt Of poisoning
upon herself Nay; 1t would be his most
alone all the morning: the day before he
had shown every sign of returning
strength: she would have TO confess that
ahe was in hiding How long had she
been theref Why was she In hidings Was
u not after she had poisoned the man and
when she heard the doctors footstepf
Naturally ignorant of poisons and their
symptoms. It seemed to her as if these
facts so put together would be conclusive
against her. Therefore, she determined
70 Keep Qultt IN IATlS tudl uds, ouu "
Gross over by the night boat from Dieppe
IN the evening. She would at first disclose
everything to Mrs. Vimpany and to
Nountjoy. As to what she would tell her
mistress she would be guided by the ad-
vice Of the others.
She got to London in safety and drove
straight to Mr.. Mountjoy's hotel. propos-
ing first to communicate the whole bust
ness to him. But she found In his sitting.
room Mrs. Vimpany herself.
I'VE must not awake him." she said,
whatever news you bring His perfect
recovery depends entirely on rest and
quiet. There"-she pointed to the chin
neypiece-"is letter in my lady's hand
writing. / am afraid know only too well
what il tells him."
What does it tells"
''Thi. very morning." Mrs. Vimpany
went on. 81 called at her Lodging. She
has gone away"
Gone away, Ny lady gone away'
Where is she gomez"
"Where do YOU think she II most likely
to have gomez"
'Not.-ehi-net to her husbandf Not to
him?-ohi this is moro terri6le-fAI more
terrble-that you can imaRfner
Yea viii tell me why IL il now % much
more terrible. Meantime l ind that the
cabman was told to drive to Victoria
That is al know. have no doubt, how
ever, but that she has gone back to her
Respondent condition ever since she ar
rived in London. Mr.. Mountjoy has been
- kind as usual; but he has not been able
to chase away her sadness. Whether she
was fretting after her husband or whether
but this hardly think-she was COM
pairing the man she had lost with the man
Ale had taken-but do not know. AL
Dc know is that she has been uneasy ever
sinoe she came from France, and what
believe is that she has been Representing
herself with leaving her husband without
good cause"
"Geod eauser' echoed Fanny. "Ohi
geod graciousi II she only knew, there's
cause enough to leave Z hundred hus-
bands!"
Nothing seemed to rouse her." Mrs.
Viupany continued, without regarding
the interruption. Il went With her to the
farm to see her former maid, Rhoda. The
Girl's health il re-esta blished; she II en-
Gagged to marry the farmers brother.
Lady Harry was kind, and said the most
pleasant things: she even pulled Oh enc of
her prettiest rings and gave il to the girl.
hut could see that it was an effort fer
her to appear interested-her thoughts
were with her husband all the time.