Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-09-06
Continued.

I speak to you undisturbed?'
A little startled, yet too secure il
her own mind to be actually alarmed
she led the colonel to the kitchen, the
fire being out in her own room.
well, sir, what can l do for your
she asked somewhat defiantly, having
busted a chair and placed it for him
"Some time a@o-nearly three weeks
ago, / suppose-Mr. BoWyer accidently
took some poison that must, it was i'm
agined, have been given him in a cup
Of tea that he drank that afternoon
MADE and given by Miss Ellen
quickly.
$50 far you are right; but one fact
you have withheld-that the poison
was placed in the sugar-basin by you,
and that consequently it was not Miss
Warde but you who were responsible
for what occurred.
The woman had turned ashy white,
and clutched the table for support, yet.
overcome as she was, she made a
desperate effort to defend herself.
ct is false-false, 1 tell your she
gasped, convulsively.
at is Unexpectedly true-and you
know it"' he retorted, calmly. "Shall
| go On?"
You can say what you choose; |
would not dare attack me so. Am /
have no one to protect me, or You
to be made the scapegOat for Ellen
Warde's sinsY
keep Miss Warde's name from your
Ups, if you please, or l will not an
Wer for my patience. 1t is useless
90 deny anything I say. You have
proofs to fight against-not mere idle
accusations When Mr.. BOwyer was
80 i'll that you supposed him dying,
you gave him a tumbler of what you
asserted to be hot brandy and water;
but the cook noticed that there was
no smell of spirits, and tasted what
was left. 1t was merely hot water
and salt which you gave him as an
emetic."
1T saved his life''-dOggedly.
"At that time no one knew that he
was poisoned, so that your acting on
that knowledge alone would damn you
in any court of justice"
at was because | suspected her.
Enthusiastically Such prevar-
ications and denials do no good; they
only iniure you Further, you were
seen Immediately afterward to go and
empty the contents of the Sugar-baSln
and put fresh sugar in it. Are you
satisfied now that | know all? A de-
tective has been here ever since, and
connecting several incidents, each in
sigificant in itself, but incOntrOverti-
BILE when taken with the rest, has the
whole chain of evidence against you
complete. He IS here now to act on
any instructions that Mr.. BOwyer may
give him."
The woman reI upon ner knees with
a sob, and covered her face with her
derss fighting no longer against what
she felt to be stronger than any de
Tense she could invent.
ION my honor sir, l never meant to
do him any harm-I swear it!' She
protested 81 only wanted to brighten
him, TOTO"
ITO throw suspicion on TO Miss
Warde. l know that too. That in
itself is a criminal offence"
Forgive me-forgive me! l never
thought-never realized what l was
doing. I'll never lift finger against her
again. I'll beg her pardon on my
knees; I'll do anything you tell me
promise anything-sign anything-if
you will only let me off,
at is not for me TO judge you; it is
Mr.. Bowyer who will decide whether
you deserve forgiveness or not"
you will not tell him"-in a tone
of agonized alarm.
"How can / do otherwise? Can / let
Miss Warde remain under suspicion of
having attempted murderY
mot murder-oh. good heavens, not
murder! You don't really believe /
meant t?'-horror Enthusiastically
stamped on her face.
"No. [ do not believe it-nOt because
you assert your innocence so loudly,
but because | happen to be aware of
the conversation between you and the
chemist of whom you purchased the
poison Shall I repeat it to you?
S"e gazed at him IN speechless, hope
less nazement: and he went on re
morselesSly, feeling that every blow he
struck was only avenging a slight part
Of the pain she had caused to the
woman he loved.
You said you had a horror of poi
son, and, under cover of this pretense
found out from his exactly how much
1t would take to kill man and how
much merely to make him i'll; but, III
your excess of caution, you neglected
to elicit from him the information tina
much less quantity can be takeI
with impunity by a sick person thar
one in full health and strength. 0
being murderess in intent I do no
accuse you: but you nearly made your
self Liable to a charge Of manslaugh
ter"
Alarmed by the gravity of his man
ner as much as by his words, Mrs. Pr
olo could not restrain a shrill scream
Utterly broken down now. and at hi
mercy. she was rocking herself back
ward and forward in the chair int
which she had fallen, incapable o
thought or resistance Of his will
The sound arrested the attention o
Ellen Warde. who happened to be o
the higher flight of stairs almost e1
actly above the open kltchen-doo
She thought some one was hurt. an
ran down at once to see; but sh
-, troll Hob