Middletown transcript., 1900-02-10
CHAPTER <
Dy Charles u. Sheldon.

When DR.. Bruce ana the pislop eA
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. Sterling.
the servant stammered in answer to
question and then burst into hyster-
ical cry and ran through the drawing
room and ont 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 q child. He was the first to
break silence
.'The God of all mercy be with You.
Felicia, in this dark hour. Your moth
er''-
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.
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 beckoEed
to them, and the two ministers. with a
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 Mrs Sterling. with 1.-THE
light that never was on sea or land
luminous on her face, lay there so still
that even the bishop was deceived at
first Then as the great truth broke
upon him and Dr.. Bruce he staggered,
and the sharp agony Of the old wound
shot through him It passed and left
him standing there in that chamber of
death with the eternal calmness and
strength that the children of God have
a right to possess, and right well he
used that calmness 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
ened servants With them were four OF
five newspaper correspondents and sew
eral neighbors DR.. Bruce and the
bishop met this miscellaneous crowd al
the 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
about "the Sterling tragedy. as the
papers in their sensational accounts
next day called it.
Mr. Sterling had gone into his room
that evening about 8 o'clock. and that
was the last seen Of him until in hall
an hour shot was heard and a servdus
who was IN the hail ran into the room
end found the owner Of the house dead
on the floor, killed by his own hand
4 Felicia at the time was sitting By her
mother Rose was reading in the Ii
brary. She ran up stairs, saw her father
as be was being lifted upon the couch
by the servants and then ran screaming
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 shock. then rallied with
wonderful swiftness and sent mes
senger to call DR. Bruce. She had then
insisted on seeing her husband. In spite
of Felicia. she had compelled Clara and
the houscmaid, 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 rool.l. was laid on the bed, and
as DR.. Bruce and the bishop entered the
house she, with a prayer of forgiveness
for herself and her husband on hel
quiycr;ng lips had died with Felicia
bending over her and Rose still lying
senselcss 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
ing's business affairs were finally dis
closed
Then it was learned that for SOM
time he had been facing financial ruiz
owing to certain speculations that hat
In months time swept his supposed
wealth into complete destruction. Will
the cunning and desperation of q mai
who battles for his very life, when b,
saw. his money. which was all the life
he ever valued, slipping from him h
had put off the evil day 10 the last mo
ment. Sunday afternoon, however, b.
had received news that proved to hin
beyond doubt the fact of his ute
ruin. The very house that he called his
the chairs in which he sat, his carriage
the dishes from which he ate. had al
been bought by money for which h
himself had never really done an homes
stroke Of pure labor.
It had all rested on tissue OF decei
and speculation that had no foundation
in real values He knew the fact bette
than any one else, but he had hoped
with the hope that such men alway
have. that the same methods tha
brought him the money would also pre-
vent its loss. He had been deceived Ii
this, as many others have been A
soon as the truth that he was practical
" beggar had dawned upon him b
saw no escape from suicide. It was tlh
irresistible result Of such a life as b
had lived He had made money his god
As soon as that god had gone out Of hi
little world there was nothing more {
worship and when a mans object Q
worship il gone he has no more to iiy
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