The Colfax chronicle., 1892-01-16
A REMARKABLE CASE.
Squire Devenish's Death and
Cremation.

DIR. Healy could make nothing out OF
the case. Though only country ply
sician, the doctor possessed good deal
of learning and great deal OF expe-
rience. and yet never before had he
seen or read of such q case as the
squire's The man was not suffering
from any known-or, at any rate, ascer-
ainable--dlsease, and yet he was obvi-
ously very i'll, and possibly dying.
upon my word" the doctor muttered
to himself more than once; ''if it
weren't that the idea is preposterous,
should half suspect that he is being
poisoned
II tho case was a peculiar one. the
patient, as DIR. Healy knew and took
into consideration, was peculiar one,
too. Squire Devenish was a man about
sixty. He had led a very wild and
reckless youth-under the extenuating
term youth is to be included all the
period of his life between twenty and
fifty-fve. Fortunately for him, just as
he was about to take his promotion to
the ranks of elderly and helpless roues,
he happened to meet ayoung governess
named Alice Cleverly. Miss Cleverly
was a woman of undoubted beauty, and
of considerable intelligence. She was
also poor and an orphan, without
friends and without home. Squire
Devenish, in spite of his follies, was not
without generous and manly qualities.
He was much attracted by the poor
girls beauty, bat he scorned to attempt
to take advantage of her helpless
ness. After hesitating for time, he
at length made her an offer of mar
riage. The young governess, delighted
at the chance Of escaping from her
sordid and laborious life to one Of ease
and luxury, eagerly accepted him.
! Probably there was little love on
Miss Cleverly's part. 1t is hardly
possible that young girl of twenty
two could feel much affection for q
blase and somewhat obese gentleman
of fifty-five. But whether she loved
him or not she made him an excellent
wife. Every wish of his was obeyed,
every desire anticipated and gratified.
So comfortable was his old manor
house at Saxby made that he actually
began to like II. And as time passed the
feeling grew upon him until at length
he preferred the quiet pleasures of his
own hearth to the joys of Piccadilly and
Pail Mall. At the end of two years of
matrimony, Squire Devenish. to the
amusement, and perhaps also to the dis
gust, of his old companions, from being
the most inveterate man about town, had
become the most domesticated of hus-
bands.
The long years which he had spent
in dissipation had, however, left their
effects behind. They had impaired for
ever his once sound and strong con-
stitution. Again and again since he re-
turned to the manor house he had
been silinR without anything definite
being the matter with him. He was
very secretive now about his early
years, but DIR. Aealy suspected that
they were probably responsible for his
present condition. and that they caused
his present illness to be hard to rec
ognise, and made ordinary diseases
assume extraordinary symptoms. This
WAS the suggestion in which the ply
sician saw a possible explanation of his
present mysterious and suspicious
sickness.
Mrs. Devenish was unremitting in
her attendance upon the patient. All
the medicine prescribed by the doctor
was administered by her. All the
dishes ordered by the doctor were pre-
pared by her. Nothing reached the
sufferers lips but through her hands.
No length of watching, no amount of
labor seemed too great q demand ON
her gratitude to the man who had
raised her from poverty to riches, and
from dependence to position.
II was about the third week of tine
squire's illness, and he was not getting
better, but steadily worse. Several
times DIR. Healy had proposed to call in
the service of London physician Of
high reputation, but .he patient had
always objected, and Mrs. Devenish
had somewhat reluctantly acquiesced
In his objections. DIR. Healy was be-
coming more and more utterly bewil-
dered by the symptoms, and moro and
more perplexed as to their cause.
When he reached the house that
morning he found his patient in state
of great excitement, which Mrs. Dew
enish was vainly trying to soothe. DIR.
Healy Joined her in her efforts, but it
was no use.
IL won't have him here!" the sick
man cried, in q wild incoherent way.
II won't have the ruffian here. Order
him out-tell James to turn him out
He has no right to be in my house-the
coward! Doctor, you won't see me In
suited when I'm too i'll to protect my
self? You'll see that he's turned out?"
'Yes, yes, squire" /" replied DR.. Healy,
not certain whether the patient was re-
ferring to an actual person or was the
victim of delusion. "Yes, yes, squire,
make yourself easy on the point I'll
turn him out and no mistake. just you
lie still, and it will be all right"
you'll promise, doctor, you'll prom
ise?" cried Squire Devenish, eagerly.