Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-07-21

low them to be touched! sam, saddle
SalAdin, and ride as fast as ever you
can and fetch DR.. Herkimer! He's. a
physician and a magistrate. besides be-
Ing your masters nearest neighbor and
most intimate friend. He is altogether
the prOperest person to send for"
Steppins had scarcely finished be
fore Sam started on his errand.
Lorse was fleet, the distance short and
the occasion Imminent.
In less than half an hour DIR, Her
kimer arrived, and was shown at once
into the chamber Of death.
First Of all, on entering, his eyes en-.
countered the rigid form of Astrea.
''i'na, girl is catalepuc-no1 dead.
Lay her OF this bed, some of YOU"
Venus and Cybelc dartcd eagerly
tor"art. to obey tho order.
They aid their hands upon the stony
for!.' If AStrca. And at their touch,
as If it had dissolved the spell that
hound hcr. her form relaxed and she
sunk into their arms, timber. feeble
and plablr as the meekest child!
AS they laid her on the bed. her eyes
$, ftrnrd from their stony stare. and
closed.
shes rot dead corpe, after ALL"
said Venus to herself, IAN it's all de
worse for her. poor. dear chile. for
POW de law will hold of her for a-kill-
in of ole marSe. dough she did it in
self tense. an he richly Starved it l
could bite my 'fernal tongue off for
dead herself. an l so scared had no
with about nc! Never mind, dough;
long as she's live, an has to answer
for dis. l know what l do! is de onli-
est one as saw her do it, is de onli-
est witness 'gainst her! An l jes up
an my eberyt'ing! and chen eat my
OWE words! Deed will IT,
Venus soon had an opportunity OF
putting Ter resolution into practice.
DIR. Herkimcr knelt down beside the
fallen form OF Rumford, felt his pulse
and examined his face.
This is an attack or apopleXy! Lend
a hand here. Sam. and you. also. Sat
urn. and lift your II aSter up, ana take
him to his own room!"
sam and Saturn obeyed, and Rum
ford was carried to his chamber. I'M
dressed and put to bed. and freely
bled. cupped and blistered. The doc
tor. having done all that his medical
experience could suggest for the relief
of his patient, left him to be watched
by Sam. and returned to the other
room to look at the "cataleptic girl"
as he called Astrea, and also to insti-
tute some inquiry into the immediate
cause Of Mr.. Rumford's attack. He
found Astrea in the deep sleep that
often succeeds an attack of catalepsy;
and, after making careful eXamina-
ton. pronounced her doing as well as
could be hoped; and then. consigning
her to the care of old Cybele, called
Venus TO accompany him into tie
drawing room, where the overseer and
some of the principal servants We're
lingering to see if they could be of any
use.
My good girl" said the doctor.
throwing himself into chair, and
reckoning Venus to approach and
stand before him, Il gather from the
discourse of your fellow servants that
you were the only one OF their number,
with the exception of the girl, Fora,
who passed the night in this house,
and can give any information as to the
origin of your masters illness?"
Eyes, sir! 1 dessay it was de or
anges as made him ill. Dere was lots
Of dem dere bilious, yellow things for
de dessert" said Venus. with much
animation, delighted that the doctor
had, as she thought, found satisfac
tory solution to the mystery. Yes"
she added; FAC is, l know it must a.
been de oranges as made him illv'
Il am not talking of oranges, you
blockhead! said origin! 1 want to
know the origin, that is, the cause Of
of
"Oh. dat it? But, hi, marse doctor,
didn't tack him as 1 knows OFF,
You were in the room with the girl,
Fora, last night, 1 believer
Yes, sir; l has slep' in Zora's room
long O. her ebber since here she's
been" said Venus, recklessly.
Every well. Now, then, it was in
that room that your master was found
in a tit, with Fora standing over him,
quite incapable of giving an explana-
ton: Now, then, what had happened
to bring about this extraordinary state
of affairs? You must know, since you
were there present all the time"
Eli, marse doctor, how l gwine
know. when SCUM sleep all de time!
'sures you, marse doctor, when de
sleep dc come ODER me, l can't keep
awake-no, not if de house was a-burn.
in' up, an me in it!' said Venus, ear
nestly.
Yet you must have heard something
of this. else how came you to give the
alarm:"
"Oh. yes, marse doctor! While was
SCUM sleep, hear sometin heavy fall
observation-disclosures shake
de whole house! an den 1 look out,
an dere lay ole marse, fallen down for
dead! Dere! dat all know bout itv'
"Rut the girl, Fora, who was stand
ing over him in that threatening atti-
| tude?"
ooh, yes, marse doctor! You see,
| Fora swas sleepin' in de armchair,
same as me sleepin' on de mattress.
An when she hear dat tiump- bung-de
| lung fall down an shake de house,
she jump up same as did! Only, you
| see. she was struck all of heap, an
l had my senses bout me; an so I
rung de 'larm an brought all dc peo-
PIE. An dat is all know bout it"'
why, then. did you say that Fora
killed your n:aster?'
Hi. marse doctor. sir, who go tell
you that false? Who say l say it?''
| incurred Venus. with q look of right.