St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-12-20
CHAPTER x.

soever he goeth.
When Dr. Bruce and the bishop en-
tered the Sterling mansion, everything
in the usually well appointed household
was in the greatest confusion and ter
ror The great rooms down stairs were
empty, but overhead were hurried foot
steps and confused noises One of the
servants ran down the grand staircase
with look Of horror on her face just
as the bishop and Dr. Bruce were start
ing to 20 up.
"Miss Felicia is with Mrs Sterling
the servant stammered in answer to a
question and then burst into hyster-
ical cry and ran through the drawing
room and out of doors.
At the top of the staircase the two
men were met by Felicia.
She walked up to DR. Bruce at once
and put both hands in his. The bishop
laid his hand on her head and the three
stood there moment in perfect silence
The bishop had known Felicia since
she was child, He was the first to
break silence.
1.-THE God Of all mercy be with you,
Felicia, in this dark hour Your moth
err
The bishop hesitated Out of the
buried past he had during his hurried
passage from his friends house to this
house Of death irresistibly drawn the
one tender romance of his young man.
hood. Not even Bruce knew that. But
there had been a time when the bishop
had offered the incense Of a singularly
undivided affection upon the altar of
his youth to the beautiful Camilla
Rolfe and she had chosen between him
and the millionaire. The bishop carried
no bitterness with his memory, but it
was still memory.
For answer to the bishops unfinished
query Felicia turned and went back
into her mothers room. She had not
said a word yet but both men were
struck with her wonderful calm. She
returned to the hall door and beckoned
to them. and the two ministers, with 6
feeling that they were about to behold
something very unusual, entered.
Rose lay with her arms outstretchet
on the bed Clara. the nurse, sat will
her head covered, sobbing in spasms o
terror and Mrs. Sterling, with 18th,
light that never was on sea or land
luminous ON her face, lay there so still
that even the bishop was deceived a
first Then as the great truth brok
upon him and DR.. Bruce he staggered
and the sharp agony of the old woun
shot through him. 1t passed and lief
him standing there in that chamber o
death with the eternal calmness an
strength that the children of God hav
a right to possess and right well h
used that calmness and strength i'll h
days that followed
The next moment the house beloy
was in tumult Almost at the sam
time the doctor, who had been sent fo
at once, but lived some distance away
came in, together with police officer
who had been summoned 10y the fright
ened servants. With them were four c
five newspaper correspondents and sey
eral neighbors DR.. Bruce and til
bishop met this miscellaneous crowd q
the head of the stairs and succeeded i
excluding all except those whose pre-,
ence was necessary. With these the tw
friends learned all the facts ever know
about 1.-THE Sterling tragedy as Ii
papers in their sensational account
next day called it,
Mr. Sterling had gone into his ROOF
that evening about clock, and thu
was the last seen of him until in ha
an hour shot was heard and n servan
who was in the hall ran into the ROOF
and found the owner Of the house dea
on the floor, killed by his own hand
Felicia at the time was sitting by he
mother Rose was reading in the Ii
hrary. She ran up stairs, saw her fathe
as he was being lifted upon the couc
by the servants and then ran screamin
into her mothers room, where she fun
herself down on the foot of the bed i
swoon Mrs. Sterling had at frs
tainted at the shock, then rallied wit
wonderful swiftness and sent mel
Benger to call Dr. Bruce. She had the
insisted on seeing her husband. In spit
of Felicia, she had compelled Clara on
the housemaid, terrified and trembling
to support her while she crossed I'll
hall and entered the room where n,
husband lay. She had looked upon hi
with fearless face, had gone back I'M
her own room, was laid on the bed, al
as DIR. Bruce and the bishop entered Il
house she, with prayer of forgivene
for herself and her husband on h
quivering lips, had died, with Felic
bending over her and Rose still lyii
senseless at her feet