Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-07-20
CHAPTER vn.-pocroGISG II DOCTOR.

voice occupied, as he supposed, in reading
aloud. Inc door being opened for him.
he surprised her striding mp and down the
rsSm with n book In her hand; grandly
declaiming without anybody to applaud
her. After what Hugh had already heard.
he could only conclude that reminiscences
OF her theatrical career had tempted the
solitary actress To make "a private appear
auce. for her pleasure, in one OF those
tragic character to which her husband
had alluded. She recovered her self-pos-
session on Mountjoy's appearance. with
the ease OF q mistress Of her art. Pardon
me-" she said, holding up her book with
one hand, and tapping IL indicatiyely with
the other; shakespeare carries me out of
myself. \ spark Of the poets fire burns
In the poets humble servant. May ]
hope that | have made myself understoodi
You look as If you had u fellow feeling for
me-"
Mountjoy did HIS best TO I'LL the sympa
thetic part assigned To him, and only sue.
ceeded in showing what a bad actor he
would have been, If he had gone on the
stage. Under the sedative Influence thus
administered, Mrs. Nimpany put away her
book, n descended at once from the
highest poetry TO the lowest prose.
Let us return TO domestic events" she
said. ind~ulgent!y. Have the people at the
inn given you q good linner;',
The people did their best" Mouutjoy
tAA1 " 1'Af
Has my husband returned with your"
Mrs. Vimpany went On.
Mouutjoy began to regret that We had
not waited for Iris in the street. He was
obliged to acknowledge that the doctor
had not returned with him.
Where il Mr.. Nimpauyg"
"At the inn"
What is he doing therep''
Mountjoy hesitated. Mrs. Vimpany rose
again into the regions OF tragic poetry.
She stepped up to him. as If he had been
Macbeth aud she was ready to Use the
dagger.
81 understand but too we'll" she de
| clared in terrible tones. MY wretched
husbands vices are known TO me. Mr..
Vimpany is Intoxicated
Hugh tried to make the best OF il. "Only
asleep" he said. Mrs. Nimpany looked AT
him once more. This time il was Queen
Catherine looking at Cardinal Wolscy.
She bowed with lofty courtesy, ana opened
the door. "l have occasion" She said, 'tc
20 out, y and made an exit.
Five minutes later, MOuutjOy STANDING
al the window. lmpatiently on the watch
for the return of Iris saw Mrs. Nimpany
Ia the street. She entered a chem St,
shop, on the opposite side of the way. and
came out again with Il bottle in her haud.
IL was enclosed in the customary medical
wrapping OF white paper. Mujcsticllly,
she passed out OF sight. III Hugu hnd fol-
lowed her, he would have traced the doc
tor's wife to the door of the inn.
The unemployed waiter was on the
house-steps, looking about him-with moth
Ing TO see. He made his bow 20 Mrs.
Vimpany, and informed her that the land.
lady had gone out.
You will do as WELL" was the reply
us Mr.. Vimpany heret'
TIL waiter smiled. and led the way
through the passage TO the foot of the
stairs tNan cnn haar him r.afnn, - II
was quite true: Mr.. Vimpany's snoring
answered for Mr.. Nimpany. His wife as
cended the first two or three stairs, and
opped to speak again to the waiter. She
asked what the two gentlemen had taken
To- drink with their dinner. They had TAX
en- ''the French Wine"
And nothing clsef"
The waiter ventured on a little joke.
Nothing else" lie said, aud more than
enough of il, too"
Not more than enough. | suppose. for
the good Of the house" Mrs. Vinipany re-
marked.
IL beg your pardon, ma'am: the claret
the two gentlemen drank is not charged
for in the bill"
"What do you mean?"
The waiter explained that Mr.. Mountioy
had purchased the whole stock OF the wine.
Suspicion, as well as surprise, appeared in
Mrs. Nimpany's face, She had hitherto
tiOuEHA Al lihti. tHGi MISS f1cDltS = gem
tlemanlike friend might be secretly in love
with the young lady. Her doubts of him,
now, took a wider range Of distrust. She
went on up the stairs by herself, and
banged the o Of the private room as the
easiest means of waking the sleeping man.
To the utmost noise that she could make
in this way, he was perfectly impeuetra-
BILE. For a while she waited, looking at
him across he table with unutterable con-
tempt.
There was the man to whom the religion
of the and and the law OF the land, acting
together in perfect harmony, had fettered
her for life! Some women, in her posi-
ton, might have wasted time in useless
self-reproach. Mrs. Vimpanv reviewed
her miserable married life with the finest
mockery of her own misfortune. "Vir-
tue, y she said to herself. lis its own re-
ward"
CHANGING with careless curiosity at the
disorder OF the dinner-table, she noticed
some wine still left in the bottom of her
husbands glass. Had artificial means
been used TO educe him to his present
condition. She tasted the claret. No:
there was nothing in the flavor of il which
betrayed that he had been drugged. If
the waiter was TO be believed, he had
only drunk claret-and there he was, in Il
state OF helpless stupefaction, neyerthe-
less.
She looked again at the dinner-table and
discovered one, among the many empty
bottles, with some wine still left in it.
After a moment OF reflection she took
clean lumber from the sideboard.
Here was the wine which had been an
object Of derision to Mr.. Vimpany and his
friends. They were gross feeders and
drinkers; and 1t might not be amiss to puu
their opinions to the test. She was not
searching for the taste Of a drug now: her
present experiment proposed to try the
wine on its own merits.
Al the time of her triumphs on the coun- !
try stage-before the date of her unlucky
marriage-rich admirers had entertained
the handsome actress at suppers which Of Fl.
fered every luxury that the most perfect
table could supply. Experience hai maize |
her acquainted with the flavor of the
nnest claret-and that experience was re- /,
newed by the claret VIII ch she was now
tasting. Ii was easy TO understand why
Mr.. Mountjoy had purchased the wine,
and. after a little thinking. his motive for
Mr.. Vimpany To dinner seemed
10 be equally plain. Fooled in their first
attempt ut discovery by her W prudence
aud tact, his suspicious had set their
trap. Her gross husband had been Tempt
ell 10 drink aud 10 talk AT random lor
Mr.; Mounljoy's beneht) in a state OF in-
t~oxicationl
What secrets might the helpless wretch
NV nave oelfayeu utiorc the wine hal i
completely stupeiied him!
Urged by rage aud fear she shook him
tufiously. He woke: he glared at her with
blood-shot eyes; he Threatened her with
his clenched fist. There WAS but Que way
OF lifting his purblind stupidity &c the
light. She appealed to his experience Of
himself, ON many former occasion. You
you have been drinking ~agaiu-and
there's a patient waiting for you.' To
that dilemma he was accustomed; the
s!atcinent OF Is partially rousci him. Mrs.
vimpany tore OH the paper mrapping ami
the medicine Dottle which she had
brought with her.
lie stared AT IL; he muttered TO himself.
us she going To poison lne,' She seized
his head with one hand, and held the open
bottle 10 Ills nose. Your own presci1p-
ton" she cried for yourself and your
hateful frienis!'
He nose told him what words miGht