Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-06-11
Nv voice partl- reused her she was dream.

"Aunt-get up" / implored; Bernard is
ILL.,"
Hnll-whats thatg' she cried, opening her
eyes, and fully arousing herself TO the pres
ent.
"ohl aunt, for Heavens sake don't lose
time; follow me-"
/ fastened again to his door, and this time
without ceremony, / pushed il open wide.
tIIeayen! shall | ever forget the shock | sus-
tanned? Demands face was white rs death,
and he stood leaning against the mantel-
piece, and gasping for breath. / shrieked
aloud for assistance, and my aunt came run
ming In.
"My goodness!' she exclaimed, lifting her
hands; "how the room Smells of oil OF al
monds."
"Oil Of alRondsp' 1 repeated, huskily.apd
rushing 10 Bernard. Bernard, dear, what
is the matterg' 1 cried. Speak 10 mer'
He clasped my hands, and turned his eyes.
unearthIy hollow, and wide open, upon me.
ale is suffering from Madness" I cried,
shuddering, TO my aunt.
4 At that moment she rushed Ia his side, and
his head fell back upon my shoulder.
"May the Lord help you To bear ~this-your
cross, poor child,'' she said, assisting me TO
hold his head, and desperately endeayOring
to speak calmly. "IIe is poisoned-seew
and she clutched n small phial from his
hand.
'Send for the doctor" / cried.
Too late, child" she answered. placing
her hand to his heart; she is dead
He is deadl How many times did | findmy
lips uttering those words; how they rang in
my ears for months after. There are realities
in life which although we know TO be facts,
seem TO rise before our visiSn like a dread
nightmare. IL seems impossible for us Ia be-
heye them until the healing physician--time,
gradually reconciles lis TO all things.
What a contrary effect trouble has on diff
fcrent personsl How it alters the DISPOSE
ton. asters the tenor Of their whole liyesl
There are sOlne whom il brushes 10 earth
finally, who never lift their heads again; but
this IS really In a measure ''selfshness," for
we have the living to think Of, and this world
requires action. There are others who be-
come adamant-it kills them. don't mean
that il actually quenches the vital spark Of life
Itself, but hardens the heart, deadens the
brain, nunbs the senses, and stagnates all
the sensibilitIes. With regard To myself, /
can't say that It actually had that effect. but
it certainly changed me wonderfully.
1t was some time before | awoSe to the
truth. Bernard had died from the effects of
the poison; was it suicide, OF murder
II suicide, what reason was there for such
an act-what drove him to Up If murder,
who was the culprit? Who could haye.possi-
bly, put poison into that phial? What a week
of horror il was 10 all of us.
There was an inquest held the following
day.
Thank Heaven, no horrible slur rested on
the venerable grey head of my aunt, nor any
Of the establishment.
Questions were asked, as TO who were in
the house on the previous day. We inform
ed the coroner that Grace Merton was the
only visitor.
l ~shuddered, as / uttered that woman's
name, and though no lingering thought
struck any of us before, yet, as | faced the
coroner, and his penetrating eye rested upon
me, l felt the live blood leave my Frame.
Good Heavens! surely she was not his
murderess!
The vision of the dark silent figure, thick
ly yelled, who entered the house on the pre-
text of looking for her music, flashed upon
me with horrible distinctness.
Ny appearance must have told volumes
as these thoughts fitted in my brain. for the
coroner said earnestly:
IF you kRoW Of any cline, you must speak
up; in a case Of this sort you must not shield
anybody"
1t seemed very dreadful that | should be
the means of laying a stigma of murder
against the very woman whom | had once
all, only a few days back-loved as a dear
friend. I stated facts, though, just as they
really were. and the verdict al once went
against Grace Merton.
She was searched for In all directions by
detectives, and al last found. She was ar
| rested, and taken tO await her trial. Ny own
heart told me she was guilty, and that | had
not been the means OF arresting an innocent
woman. How often my aunt's saying rang
in my ear: There is no end to the trail of
the serpent
What a wicked, inscriptions wretch this
| woman had proved! Truly | had taken a
viper to my bosom when / took her under
my protection.
Had she done this deed ont Of frantic, mad
love, or was it merely a bitter revenge to-
wards me-poor, wronged me-who had not
injured a hair of this creatures head; who
had simply endeavored to prevent her from
committing q vile sin?
/ will not lead the reader through the laby-
rinth of a court of JUSTICE Suffice 1t to say
| that the trial was held, and a verdict Of FAC
| quIttal' on the ground of insanity returned.
Grace Merton was ordered to be detained
during Her Majesty's pleasure, and was sent
10 an asylum for criminal ~lunatics.
Thus the hope of my early youth was cruel
~ wrecked in the morning of life. and my
existence for some years rendered "A blank;
but time, which heals all things, healed me,
and ten years afterwards l married. Did |
| love my husband? Well, that question takes
a little time to answe Perhaps the love
was not of the same kind.
Fifteen years change the disposition Won.
derfully, and the woman of thirty-lve looks
upon lifein adiffereht light to the girl OF
twenfy-sne. Yes; think l loved my hus-
band, although he was not exactly my ideal.
In the first place, he was a widOwer with a
family, and a wrysbusiness-like man. l al
ways had rather an aversion to n business
like man.
Poor Bernard had boon so very opposite
that 1t made my taste fastidious. 1t Is almost
as well that a woman should not meet her
ideal too early in life; ii often spoils her for
the realities Of after years.
/ had no children; but my husbands fsmt
lywere quite enough to keep me well occu-
pied, randI was always of a disposition to
suit myself to circumstances.
i know now that I twas simplya business
mars wife, and not the bride of all officer of
rank and position. as / might have been. My
aan lived with me, andtook much of the re
spopsibility of tutoring a large family of my
iands; l had plenty of money. my husband
heing a wealthy merchant.
Some women would have eneled my posi-
ton; but my aunt thought 1 ought TO have
done bette, bayiIg sprung FROM afamily Of
gerfus, alifhesh reared; in q school .where
! Manmon was notsthe only God. Yes; ] was
tolerabiy happy, and yes, Notwithstanding
my present comforts, l would sometimes find
myself wandering aboatthat little cemseery
at Rothsey. Where sgrecn. mound aads whIte|
stone bQretRe remefibfahce0f my early
and yet | had not been:tvue y his Insmoyy.
AZ n not IN human mature 70 be faithIul 10
the dead for ever. 1lcsfcIy In is HfeeolzAl
judgment, ordsinsR 0fierwise; . yell a OBJ
livion is thrown oysrt the past
ONT early eyslln8}n . ulys having fnlsAed
the dutieso( 6 day, a1d a aliRiSJef1f 40
thecomfor< okiny ilonsch0lA I wAs tcn(ptcd
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