Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-07-06
CHAPTER XlIi.
4 Subtle Plot.

| All is ready:
Everything My housekeerer, Whom
we can trust, Will act as nurse and i
in the :leXt room. will receive thu
| Marshalls when they arrive and pave
the way for you
| Make no mistake"
1t was the afternoon Of the cay sue
cecding that which had Witnessed Beat
rice MERGERS strange act CT generosity
Beatrice hepself, In prOrria persona
the disguise she had hitherto adopted
row Abandoned. lay upon {, couch IL
one corner of her sleeping apartment
She WIS no longer disguised. bu
| 1bare was II rhlii"e II, her from lel
ordinary appearance that was most re-
markablc.
| Her face looked thin and wretchedly
white, her eyes heavy. AS she lay
back on the pillow her laborcd breath
ing and hectic cheeks seemed to indi-
cate hot. burning fever.
4 hot. burning fever she had, but
produced by artificial means. This
| ruthless s:.lclner had paused ut nothing
| to accomplish her ends. TO further her
| schemes ln assumption of mortal i'll
ness had been necessary. and her
worthy coadjutor. Dr. Simms. had not
prcvarica1ed when he told her that
the contents Of the little phial he had
given her the day previous would bring
about the result she desired.
These two had plotted well in uni
son. and as he entered the outer room
Of the suite he assumed that grave,
serious expression Of face that the aver
age physician wears while attending a
patient in the last extremity.
He opened the door with warning
noisclcssncss as there came Il tap final
ly \ servant stood there, two per-
SONS at his side.
"Gcntlclnan to see Miss Leslie. siy,"
he announced. withdrew, and Doctor
SimmS uShcrcd his two visitors into the
room and pointed to chairs, his serious
manner evidently surprising them.
Col. Marshall was the one, his sO1l
Raymond the other. The former was
i'll curiosity and excitement AS to
Raymond, as he sat gazing vacantly at
the floor. his hollow cheeks, haunted
eyes and detected bearing generally
told that the present visit had no inter-
! est for him.
Doctor Simms.!' calculated the colo
mel. Why. l came to sec-'
Miss Leslie"
Yes
Miss Leslie is dying woman,
Colonel Marshall
What
With an incrcduous gasp the colonel
started to his feet.
Yes, she has been i'll for some time.
l was summoned yesterday afternoon.
I found her fevcrcd. almost delirious.
She asked me to receive YOU
Doctor, you amaze me! This strange
lady"
Has an iron will even in death. She
has explained everything TO me. She
insists upon seeing yourself and your
son, even in her dangerous condition.
l told her that the shock might kill
her. but she insists
Doctor. / am at a perfect loss to
understand this lady's remarkable gen
crosby in my behalf-the mystery sur
rounding her.
Here are the notes she took yester-
day. She babe me destroy them in
your presence"
Wait! Don't. really cannot accept
all these favors from stranger
The colonel spoke too late. The docu-
ments We're blazing on the hearth. He
was n free man. A stranger had liber-
ated him from all the financial cntan-
clements Of the hour.
"DOctOr.' he painted. this mystery
is maddening. Who is this lady!''
You will be surprised when you
know. Come; you, too, Mr.. Marshall"
to Raymond.
Ito be Continued.)