Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-11-07


as he sat with bent head and folded srms
before his neglected papers.
Ernest" said. gently. "let the happy
years which we might have spent to-
gether be copsoled for In the love Of Our
children"
III you love your child" he replied.
without e~sncIng any motion. you will
save him from the curse Of this house"
do you think that Aline Is sccursedr'
I asked. sternly.
Blakes lips trembled with the same
sensitiveness I recalled In the little lad
who had been my comrade. "Asine u an
angel" he exclaimed. brokenIy; and then
for few moments there was no posi-
bility Of connected talk.
"Tell me, Ernest" I said, when ut
length be was composed and submissive.
do you remember the ultimate reason
for your wfe's quarrel with mey
You offended her vanity"
"Yes, by advising her against the use
OF a certain cosmetic, did l not? Did she
continue its user
Certainly, though during the long
sickness prior to her death she must have
| desisted, at least to a degree. She was
! SO nervousiy overwrought as actually
not to care for her personal appearance"
But with convalescence her former
| pride returned. I suppose7'
"Ah, yes: ] never knew her to take
more pains with her toilet than she did
| on the very night OF her death. We were
going to reception. and s.
And" broke in exutantly, she took
larger dose OF that Internal beautiner
against which l had warned her! And.
owing 10 her weakened state and tho
almost normal condition of her system
through her previous absteniion. II killed
heri / thought as much; the principal
ingredient Of the stun Ia arsenic"
But they claim that the cause Of death
was not arsenic. but q more" in
II don't care what they claim" shout
ed. The cases are manifold that there
| is nothing more dangerous than for an
habitual arsenic-eater to desist from and
then to renew the habit. We can prove
! the habit, the abstention. the recurrence:
and such symptoms as at FIRST, view
seemed perplexing are perfectly oonso-
nant with this theory. A fig for another
poison! II merely comes from the poison
Gus Imagination of Lemuel Welless whom.
by George, I'll 60 and see. The triumph
OF my visit may make him indiscreet."
lost no time in putting this impulsive
| resolution into execution. Already ! bad
| an idea that Welles might have been de-
ceived in his examination. II this 10 cor
rect. 1t showed that his unholy Joy had
lessened bis care and judgment. Before
an expert swears that he finds evil
dence of a poison In a subject. he should
be positive that he himself has not UNI
Willingly supplied 1t. Through the merest
| chance l happened to know that Welles.
In his experiments, favored appliances IT
German manufacture. I also knew that
certain shallow pans, which he might
thus have used. were OF composition
which would give the very reaction on
which he now relied. Hence. I hoped
that. gloatIng over my discontinue. he
might detail the steps Of his discovery.
and then-and then
Lemuel Welles received me with wild
exultation. well. WE'LL he roared. "Ev-
erything comes to him who waits. even
so poor a thing as DIR. Peter Naughton.
So you've come for my opinion. have you?
Well. I'll be generous. and say nothing
except that, There's no fool like an old
fool Sit down and I'll tell you just how
/ found out that from the old Borgia
there had come a young Borgia. You
won't prate any more. ! guess. about
| grapes OF thorns."
obeyed, possessing my soul In patience.
for something told me that all mad an
ticpated would be realized. And, indeed.
1t was. Welles showed me MS appliances.
He had employed In his tests ono OF
those shallow dishes OF which ! knew.
He had himself unwittingly furnished
that obscure mineral poison through
which he had dared assert Aline had done
her mother TO death.
you believe in heredity, now. don't
your Welles sneered. as l made my de-
parture; why, tits the very word OF God.
Unto the third generation remember.
You fail to verify your quotations.
even as you do your autopsies." re-
torted. "You should add, of them that
hate me- Old James Blake loved God.
and kept His Commandments"
All. well; why need / recapitulate a
celebrated case Under the skilful map-
agement OF my son. Harry. the prosecu-
ton shrivelled and utterly failed. Aline
was discharged; she was indicated. Lem
uel Welles was forced to eat his words.
and to confess himself pragmatical ass.
out OF justice TO man whom l tho
roughly dislike I must say that he made
no attempt to cover his gross and mex
cusable errors. And so | did not openly
exult; though. as he passed OUT OF the
courtroom with broad jaws. solIdly set.
and heavy shoulders lurching. l could
not refrain from whispering: There's no
fool like an old fool
And the happiness that Ernest and !
might have shared was reaped by our
children. There Is no such champion
against the monster heredity as love. And
the little cherub Of a fourth generation
promises to develop ell the graces and
virtues Of its mother, Allne.