Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-08-23

| mania, especially as all the while the
doses of stramonium were inducing
what appeared to be maniacal spells.
must say that the fellow has shown
consummate skill as well as patience
in developing his plot, for months have
passed since it began Finally, the pres.
ence of large sum Of money in the
house offered the final opportunity for
which he has waited. Two nights ago
he must have given Mr.. Milton an un'
usually strong dose Of the poison, for it
has nearly killed him. During the &c.
tion of the drug the money was stolen
and secreted by the girl Rose, and the
robbery might readily have been attrib-
uted to Mr.. Millions supposed mania
had not discovered the truth.
But do not sec how you have
learned all this, said Miss Milton. Both
Mr.. Joseph and the valet remained ST.
lent, though both followed my narrative
closely.
Lindley. here, gave me the first
clew, said /. at which the man percep
tibly started. He told mo that his mas
ter mistook black for green, and this
phenomenon has been recorded in his
tory of case Of stramonium poisoning.
which by chance | was reading only
Yesterday afternoon. Thus you see what
odd condolences occur IN life. nj once
administered the proper antidote, with
good results. But let ne tell you how
the poison was administered. learned
tha. through you. said |. turning to-
ward Mr.. Joseph, whereupon he in turn
became disc)miited.
81 do not understand You. he said.
Perhaps you will deny coming to
my room last night, said |.
81 certainly must do so, he replied.
Il have no recollection Of having visit
ed you.
AT this moment there were cries
from the next room. The maid had
awakened from her swoon.
stay In here. cried, and went
to the girl and compelled her TO come
back with me- She was sobbing vio-
lently aud crying out Historically:
"'I didn Z neLn 10 tell, Joe. ! coIld
not help il could not help 1t.
"Now, ,hen, Mr.. Joseph Milton,
said |. you will please explain yoar re.
laiiuns with this gil, who thus famil.
i..Tly calls you by Your name
III you think that size Is Addressing
me, said he 'yon ara vastly mistaken.
| do not tolerate such familiarity from
servants.
"'No?' said | with snear. Yet
you do not hesitate to kiss your pretty
servants in the dark Railways
He colored deeply. looked confused
ly at his cousin and dropped his head.
| but he made no reply.
Perhaps l can explain, said Miss
Milton. My cousin is very foolish
about pretty maids, but am sure that
Rose here means Lindley
"'But, said I. his name is Robert
Lindley.
"'Rohert Joshua Lindley, replied
Miss Milton, but his fellow servants
called him Joe.
AT this the valet made q move as
though about To leave the room, but /
forestalled him.
Don't try to get away, my man,
said l. IL will do you no good. have
taken the precsution TO telephone to the
police station, and two officers are wait
ing for You outside.
~ do not know what you mean, he
replied boldly.
81 mean, said l, that you have
been giving Mr.. Milton cigars STEPPED
in stram unium, aud that you are the
scoundrel ut the bottom VI this whole
devilish plot.
You are crazy, said he. How are
you going TO prove IT.
- Listen, said |. You stopped me
from taking cigar from that box yes
terday, telling me that they were your
private property. Later in the night.
while l was out Of the room, you took
the precaution 10 remove all the cigars
and substitute Others but you did not
know that previously, while you were
at dinner. had appropriated two OF the
original lot for purposes OF analysis. !
had myself forgotten the fact, when Mr..
Joseph came 70 my room last night. and
it was quite by chance that gave him
one of your poisoned cigars to smoke.
| I discovered my mistake when he be-
came violently delirious and quickly
administered an antidote aud got him
| 10 bed in his own room. You have heard
him assert that he has no recollection
Of his visit to my room. That is the po-
culiar property Of the drug which has
favored you in this diabolical intrigue.
1.-The fellow had no more to say. and
I called in the officers who took him
away. We afterward convicted him Of
assault with intent to kill, and he re-
ceived long term sentence. The girl
Rose turned states witness, and her
confession corroborated all my suspi.
cions except one, and this brings me
back to the question which you asked,
and which prompted my narrative OF
this curious case. / was mistaken in
supposing that she had stolen the money
under hypnotic suggestion. She was
| SIMPLY lIlIatutltu Win thc 'aASt, "hu ~
was he himself who took the money.
which be gave to her to hide. The hyp'
| motto trance into which she passed IN
my presence was her first experience OF
that kind. she was merely great
sensitive, made more so by the hys-
terical condition into which she was
thrown by FIRST meeting Mr.. Joseph IN
the hall and mistaking him for the
valet when he kissed her and after
ward by finding that ] had witnessed
that incident and followed her to her
room. Another fact worth mentioning
is that it was. after all. Mr.. Joseph s
infatuation for the study Of toxicology
which led to the mischief, for it was in
one Of that young gentlenan's books
that the valet obtained his knowledge OF
the drug. may also add that the re-
straint between the cousins was due to
the fact that Miss Milton was rather
fond of Mr. Joseph, but was aware OF
his clandestine OSCILLATION with the
maids"
| TIE END.
l
| IL G~ttlod