Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-03-26

couldn't stop laughing. He laughed
sven when be entered my room. / was
obliged to recall to him the gravity Of
the accusation. He was kind Of smooth
dandy Of % or 20, with a brown mus
tache and the conquering eye.
pardon me, sir, =" he said. "It's so
funny can't help it.
"You call poisoning funny?" de-
manded
"A poisoning He, he, no, no! All,
If you knew you'd laugh with me !"
go on; speak, said sternly.
well, the story is queer. Nine. X. is
pretty, amiable, and, my faith, | was
very happy. But such an imagination
she bad You understand. she'd say to
me, pointing to her husband. reading a
picture paper there in his c~n house,
that man must disappear. J can't bear
it year after year. He mist die. 1t
seemed funny to me--for Ia not a trag-
ic lover--so / replied in hollow
voice: You wish poison? You shall
have it. Three times a week | sent q
little package Of bicarbonate Of soda,
with which she dosed him, supposing
he was dying by inches, when really he
was getting fat ON it. If you only knew
how jolly it was to feel like conspirators
and take double toll of kisses! How
you must love me, she'd say, throwing
herself into my arms; you who are so
honest, yet have committed crime for
met Believe me or not, chief, she loved
me too much, and I'm not sorry to be
released by this denouement.
Of course the gay cavalier might be
lying. We took no chances and sent to a
bureau in his room and found a lot of
little packets carefully folded. They
were taken to the municipal laboratory,
where, sure enough, they turned out to
be bioarbonate of soda.
Then came the other agents who had
been watching M. X. They said that
they had learned at his restaurant that
the poor victim Of poisoning was as
fresh as rose and enjoyed great APP
petite, perhaps due to the bicarbonate,
which assists digestion.
Before bringing the conspirators to-
gether the judge and scolded the lover.
He had such an air of having done no
wrong that he certainly deserved wig
ging.
Before we had finished he had lost all
desire to laugh and was wondering how
it would all turn out. / went into Nine.
X. s room and told her the whole story.
She was silent, but her attitude said ::
Heavens, what stupids these police
are, and how clever is my loverl He
has fooled them, and we shall be freed !"
Then the lover came in and made his
confession. As he spoke Nine. X. chang
ed expression. Her lip curled con-
temptuously, her eye flashed. At last
she interrupted:
"See here, Leon; you are lying Tell
the truth! I'd rather go to prison than
bear this shame!"
BE reasonable, DEAR" said Leon.
"Do you suppose I'd risk the guillotine
for your beautiful eyes?"
"Wretch!" she cried, menacing him
with gesture of such fury that he re-
coiled to the door. Idiot! And be-
lieved i'll your love! You're mocking
mel Beast Beast But l hope you'll go
to prison, just the samel Mustn't he,
sir?''
We separated the lovers, but there
was no reason for OBTAINING them. In
law intention does not constitute crime.
And the poisoned" man had swallow
ed nothing worse than digestive remedy
1t was like woman who one day
bought revolver to shoot her lover.
The armorer suspecting her purpose,
loaded it with blank cartridges, all of
which she dutifully discharged at the
offender without harming him.
We set the lovers free with a sound
talking to-. Leon went away less Jol
ly than he came. To the woman, weep
ing like Magdalen, but calm, l said :
Madame, you wished to commit crime,
and it is not your fault that you failed.
The law does not permit US to punish
you as you deserve. But take carei You
shall be watched, and if any accident
befalls your husband we shall know
how to explain it.
With this result: We learned that
she never saw the pretty Leon again.
Nine or ten months later the agent who
kept an eye on the X. S closed his last
report in these words, "The family is
more united than ever. New York
World.
English Recruits.
Every recruit must be British sub
IS Il &c ,,f