The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-12-07
!coNTINUED.l
CHAPTER <.

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 go up.
"Miss Felicia Is with MRS. oreTIing.
the servant stammered in answer to
question and then burst into hyster-
ical cry and ran through the drawing
room and out Of doola
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
"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 time when the bishop
had offered the incense Of 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.
Fos answer to the bishops unfinished
query Felicia turned and went back
into her mothers room. She had not
said word yet but both men were
struck with her wonderful calm She
returned to tho hall door and beckoned
10 them. and the two ministers. with
feeling that they were about to behold
something very unusual. entered
Rose lay with her arms outstretched
on the bed; Clara, the nurse. sat with
her head covered. sobbing in spasms Of
terror. and Mira Sterling, with 1.-THE
light that never was on sea or land"
luminous on her face. lay there 30 still
that even the bishop was deceived at
first Then a. the great truth broke
upon him and Dr. Bruce he staggered,
and the sharp agony Of the old wound
shot through him II passed and left
him standing there in that chamber Of
death with the eternal calmness and
strength that tho children Of God have
q right to possess, and right well he
used that calmncss and strength in the
days that followed
The next moment the house below
was in . tumult Almost at the same
time the doctor. who had been sent for
at once. but lived some distance away.
came in. together with police officers
who had been summoned by the fright
sned servants With them were four or
five newspaper correspondents and sew
eral neighbora DR.. Bruce and the
bishop met this miscellaneous crowd at
tho head Of the stairs and succeeded in
excluding all except those whose pres
ence was necessary. With these the two
friends learned all the facts ever known
sbout 1.-The Sterling tragedy" a. the
papers in their sensational accounts
next day called it.
Mr.. Sterling had gone into his room
that evening about Q o'clock, and that
was the last seen Of him until in half
an hour q shot was heard and a servant
who was in the hall ran into the room
and found the owner Of the house dead
on the floor, killed by his own hand.
Felicia at the time was sitting by her
mother. Rose was reading in the IL
brary. She ran up stairs, saw her father
as he was being lifted upon the couch
by the servants and then ran screaming
I into her mothers room, where she flung
herself down on the foot Of the bed in
swoon. Mrs Sterling had at first
tainted at the ehock. then rallied with
wonderful swiftness and sent a mes
senger to call DR.. Bruce. She had then
insisted on seeing her husband In spite
Of Felicia. she had compelled Clara and
the housemsid. terrified and trembling.
to support her while she crossed the
hall and entered the room where her
husband lay. She had looked upon him
with fearless face, had gone back into
her own room.- was laid on the bed, and
as Dr. Bruce AID the bishop entered the
house she. with Q prayer Of forgiveness
for herself and her husband on her
quivering lips. had died, with Felicia
bending over her and Rose still lying
senseless at her feet.
So great and swift had been the en-
trance Of grim death into that palace
Of luxury that Sunday night, but the
full cause Of his coming was not known
until the facts in regard to Mr.. Ster-
ling's business affairs were finally dis
closed
Then Il was learned that for some
time he had been facing financial ruin
owing to certain speculations that had
in . months time swept his supposed