The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-01-16
A CASE OF POISON.

opo and read:
My daughter Is very i'll. Disease unknown.
Como at once. HELM TREVOR.
1 had never met Mrs. Trovor, though
hor name was familiar to mo as that Of a
widow of largo fortune md high social
position, residing with her daughter upon
a handsome cstato q few miles from town.
/ found Mrs. Trevor in n state of tho dcop-
est anxiety and distress. Her daughter
had boon Ill for some weeks already and
was growing slowly and steadily worse
every doy. The disease, which seemed to
DO a strange, painless decline of strength,
without visible cause, had baffled tho ut
most skill and experience of the physicians.
Mono of them could even give 1t q name,
and ono aftor another they had retired,
confossing their defeat. She had heard Of
me, she said, in connection with some re-
marknblo cures. Ipromisod to do my best.
1 was shown TO Miss Trevor's room.
She wns about 10, and despite her languor
and palcness ono of the most beautiful be-.
1ngs L had ever seen. After u long and
anxious examination l, too, was compelled
to acknowledge my complete ignorance of
tho nature of the malady from which sho
was suffering. 1 could detect no fever, no
organic lesion, nothing but q slow, fatal
sapping of tho vital forces. Whilo L was
questioning tho girl there was q cautious
rap ut tho door, and n voice inquired,
May 1 como in, dear Holen?"
What was there in tho voice that affect
cd mo disagrccably? I am not given to
%fancies, but something i'll those smooth,
persuasive tones chilled mo like u noto of
warming. l saw tho person who had spo-
ken-tle impression was dceponcd. Sho
was a woman of GO or %, tall and slender
of figure, palo of complexion, with very
light hair u prominent features. Her
eyc5l L Ind mover seen such eyes in a hui
man conntenancc. They wcro of u dull
blue, SO faint as to be hardly discorniblo
from tho surrounding whites, and whom
her face was in shadow thoy seemed to dis
appear in q sort OF grcenish haze. The
effect WAS not pleasant.
This person was introduced to, mo as
Miss Misanc, II cousin of Mrs. Trovor's
deceased husband. AS sho leaned over tho
sick girls couch, touching tho laccs about
her neck with liur long, gaunt fingers, L
had an ugly idea that those fingers would
gladly clasp tho soft, white throat and
press the frail young lifo out of tho body.
1t was nm absurd fancy, and 1 could not
help i'll had taken u strong dislike to
tho woman, and 1 was relieved when Mrs.
Trevor invited mo into her boudoir. Per-
picked and i'll at case, 1 sat listening to
NAS f'OA AoNJ . SOooiP itAodt ilC0tlil8 lcr
words, until l was suddenly aroused from
my rcvoric by an important sentence, 'If
my poor girl dies, Martha Misnno will in
hcrit tho whole of Mr.. Trcyor's fortune"
Istartcd and looked at hor with n strange
thought taking shape in my mind. .'Tho
whole OF your husbands f%ortuno?' 1 re-
peatcd mechanically.
Yes. She is his only blood relation.
Aside from my dover, tho estate would 90
to her, nearly II million"
l rose to my foot and moved rcstlossly
o the room. Turning abruptly to
Mrs. Trevor, l said: 81 do not profess Mt
present to understand the mainly with
which your daughter is affected. With
your permission, l will send word to my
assistant i'll town and romain hero, where
L can give my whole attention to Miss
Trevor" Mrs. Trevor claspcd my hand
in the fuilncss of her gratitude and de-
parted TO give tho necessary directions for
my installation in tho house. l watched
Martha Misanc's face furtivcly as my in
tention was Was it magma
ton. or did l catch IL Quick, malignant
glcam in the glance sho cast at MOI
For tho next two weeks gave my whole
time to studying my patient md watch
ing Miss Misane. Wild as it seemed. /
had como to believe firmly that if l were
eventually TO overcome tho disease which
was surely draining tho young girls life
1T must DO through discovering Martini;
Misnnc's secret. Ono morning, after q
night disturbed by harassing anxiety, l
rose early and went down stairs to walk
in tho extensive grounds surrounding the
dwelling. / had supposed that all of tho
inmates besides myself woro still asleep,
but on turning into II path in % distant
corner Of tho gardon l came suddenly up
on Miss Misano, bending ovcra flower bod,
which sho seemed to DO wedding. She
woro thick gloves and carried % small box
in her hand. She seemed strangely agi-
tatod at sight of me. Sho dropped tho
box and stood gazing Mt INC in positive
terror. I asked myself what it was she
feared L had discovered.
"You are n devoted gardener" re.
marked, at tho samo timo casting my Dyes
about to catch, if possible, some sign of
what she had been engaged in.
"Yos," she stammercd confuscdly, ST
love flowers"
THAT is n very peculiar plant" 1 said,
pointing to Il low, odd looking shrub over
which sho had boon bonding. "What is
it's name? l have novor seen anything like
it bcforo.'' Her agitation increased as I
approached tho plant.
"I-ycs-it is worry peculiar, as you say.
1t is q native of Java, L boliovo. Tho seed
was given mo by n friend, who brought It
from tho cast. 1t Is called ooluber, tho
snake plant"
While sho had boon speaking, I had bent
ovor tho plant in turn and stretched out
my hand 20 touch 1t. Sho uttered n sup
pressed exclamation md seemed about to
restrain my arm.
"It is unsafe to handle 1t without
gloves" slo said in an almost innudible
voicc. cit is said to irritato tho skim"
"Poisonous!" ! queried, drawing back
md LOOKING MT hnr