The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-09-25

the doctor, was permitted to approach
him. Once to my great Indignation !
heard my mothers name mentioned by
the sick man. He had evidently been
frequently in the habit of asking for
has sister.
"'Why does not Mary come and sec
me-? he was asking.
"'I have written to them several
times replied Whitney.
'The liar! Almost had mind to
tear aside my disguise, rush in, declare
myself and com fort him.
"And have spoiled every thing. My
uncle had never seen me. While
Whitney would have been futtered a,
first, he would have soon recovered
himself, and should have been igno-
miniously thrown out of the house.
""rake some more of this medicine
heard Whitney saying.
"'No, no! No more of that. Medicine
won't save me. don't like that stuff,
Samuel. l think it does me more harm
than good
IA new light broke in upon my brain.
had heard of such things, but dis
missed the idea as too utterly improba-
BILE. Whitney could never be re-enact-
ing in the nineteenth century the crime
peculiar to the age which produced the
Borgias==he could not be slowly killing
this man by poison.
"But though dismissed it the idea
returned to me with tenfold force that
night as 1 lay in my narrow cot AL
though 1t was long past midnight, l
could not sleep. 1t was very close, sui
try night. arose and opened the door
of my room to have more air.
las l did so I caught the sound of
voices
"'What was that?' 1t was Mrs. Whit
ney who was speaking.
Nothing replied her husband.
"'But heard noise.'
"1t Is nothing, l tell you; rats or
something like that. Go to Sleep
The Whitneys were lying in bed,
awake, and their door was open. Beyond
it was the room of the sick man. An ir-
resistible desire to hear further prompt
ed me to steal softly from the room into
the passage way. My foot caught in
the mat. I could hear Mr.. Whitney
raise himself up in bed.
who's that?' he called out.
''My heart stood still for moment
It's Emma, sir! replied.
What are you doing out in the pas
sage this time of night? he asked sus-
piciously.
"'Why, I amt in the PASSAGE I re-
piled. 1T was hot and l just got up to
open the door,
"'Well, 60 back into your room,' said
Mrs. Whitney, and don't let me catch
you out of it till morning.
"But would not 60 back. Something
l could not define recalled my suspicious
of previous evening. felt intuitlvely
that they meditated some evil against
my uncle.
What are you standing there for?
Why don't you go back into your room
again? called out Mr.. Whitney.
ut was trying moment. knew
that if once shut the door could not
reopen it without making some noise,
which might lead to suspicious, which
suspicious might lead to an investiga-
ton of my trunk and effects which
would be only sorely discomforting.
Yet as it was l ran an awful risk. l
stood here my natural self; no rouge
no wig, no spectacles, just as had risen
from my bed. Every dictate of pru-
dence told me to go back; yet an inner
consciousness whispered: Go forwardv
Are you going to stand there all
night?' came the now exasperated voice
of Mr.. Whitney.
"'No, I'm not snapped out; but
it's hard a poor servant gal can't get a
! breath of fresh air. And / banged the
door to with much unnecessary violence,
| as if had got out of temper.
"Had reiterated into my room?
''No. 1 had resolved to brave every
! thing. In that brief moment of time
there had come vision to me of my
poor helpless uncle in the power OF
these wretches. 1 had banged the door
to, but had left myself outside stand
ing in the passage, with beating heart
and limbs which trembled, for I knew
that the flash of light might reveal me
at any moment, and had learned by
this time the desperate character of
these people, the Whitneys. Beyond a
doubt of it they were slowly poisoning
! tho man whose wealth they coveted.
1T had been impossible to get to the
sick chamber; it was too we'll guarded
for that; but had had to wash some
| medicine glasses, and had drained in to
a little vial the contents of one not en-
tirely swallowed. A local druggist
whom I took into my confidence had
told me it was undoubtedly arsenic.
"'Well, that hussys out of the way,
| 1 heard Whitney remark, when had
shut the door. DO you know, dom
like the looks of that girl. Discharge
| herv'
Discharge herr said Mrs. Whitney.
I wouldn't do that. She's the best girl
I've ever had, and she's such fool, too.
Pm sure she suits in every way
"1f l thought she suspected any
thing growled Whitney, I'D soon set
tie her. boy think she's asleep yet?'
"'Why, no, give her little time,' re-
piled Mrs. Whitney. How impatient
you are. Wait ten minutes
81 am Impatient; wouldn't you be?
Think of all have put up with from
that old dotard in the next room. The
years of labor, of weary waiting; the in
dignities to which he has subjected me;
| how I have had to toady and cringe to
him to get small share in the business
or course, Pm impatient. Will he never
drop off, wonder. That last dose
should have done it.
'All this time was standing almost
paralyzed with an unspeakable horror
| An indefinable dread took possession of
me, deadly terror seized upon my
heart, my knees trembled, I dared