Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-12-12

petrated In the bosom Of his own fam
lily, overwhelmed him with consterna-
ton.
'Dead by the hand Of the secret pol
soner! the baron and his daughter,
too! the baron whose whole life had
been one long act Of the noblest benef-
icence. and his child, whose days had
beer ever devoted to the happiness Of
all around her! their benign lives cut
off by poison! Impossible! impossible!
1t cannot be! it is not so!
"4And yet, and yet the s~uddenness
and the s~trangenesS of both deaths,
and the mquestionable competency Of
the physician who attended them In
their last hours, and who now makes
this dreadful assertion!
"And il this is so, by whom, great
Heavens? BY whom has this afro
ciOus crime been perpetratedI and for
what purpose? Who could have any
interest in the premature death of this
noble man and lovely girl?
NO one but-oh, Heaven! but Eu-
dora! She is their heireaS; the estate
is now hers. but she is innocent! my
life, my honor, my soul wiz | stake
upon her innocence. And yet, If this
ldllAti anu tiIhjtl small bc IioNEA W
have died by poison. how black the
evidence may he made to appear
against her, and how weak her
position! She is an orphan and friend
less, and though on her fathers side
of English E~arentaEe, she is Of foreign
birth and education, and has been in
this county too short a time TO es-
tablish a character. She has no good
N Enaaln,Afl fn Eat a 90 inEf this IpanH-
full charge with the strong testimony
that may be brought to support it.
She was the third in succession to this
estate, and, consequently, her mercen-
airy interest in the deaths of the baron
and his daughter. She was the con-
stant attendant of the late Lord Lea
ton, and prepared the drink of which
he died. She watched last night by
the side Of Agatha, and administered
to her the so-called fatal draugnt.
If they are proved to have died by
poison ii will ruin her indeed. She
will be called q second Brinvilliers.
She will be a%rraigned, tried, condemn
ed-oh. Heaven of Heavens! what I'M
speakable horrors remain in store for
her, innocent as an angel though /
know her to be-"
Such were the maddening thoughts
that coursed through his brain and
caused the sweat of agony to start
from his brow. He wiped the beaded
drops from his pale forehead. and
sprang up and paced the room with
disordered steps, labOring in vain for
the cOmposure that he could not OBJ
tain.
The death Of the nOble-hearted baron
in the prime of life, the death of the
sweet young girl in dawn of youth,
were m0urnful enough ever though
they died from natural causes, and II
they persisted by poison administered
by treacherouS hands their fate was
dreadful indeed. And yet it was moth
ing 10 be compared with h unutter-
abe horror Of that train Of mtSfortunes
which threatened the G:Qhan stranger,
the innocent Eudora. And thus other
emotions OF sorrow for the loss OF
his near relatives We're swallowed
up in anguish for the fate of the or
phan girl.
And so hea stroye for self-cOmmand
and coulness and clearness Of mind,
that he might be prepared to assist at
the approaching investigation, In the
hope of discovering the truth and
clearing the fame of Eudora.
He paced up and down the library
door until he had obtained h neces-
sary state of calmness to deal with
this mystery.
When the doctor had left the library
he was met in the hall by a servant.
Fastening towards him In great agita-
ton, and saying: ~.
.tSir. | was Just coming to see YOU.
The Princess Pezzilini begs that you
will hasten at nee to her ladyship's
bedside. as her ladyship is in the
death throesn,"
Without a word Of reply the doctor
turned and hurried up the stairs and
along the corridor leading Il Lady
Ieaton's apartments.
When he entered the chamber he
found Lady Leaton in violent %convuls-
ions, and restrained from throwing
herself out of the bed only by the
strong arms of the Italian princess,
which, thrown around her shoulders,
supported her heaying form.