The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-02-07

over, and thus put the sleeper on the alert
On this she put a night light, book, in
case Madame should wake up and want to
read, and glass of homemade lemonade.
| for a night drink. Then she locked the
other window and drew the curtains and.
after going into Kitty's room, which open
| ed off the larger one, and fixing up the
one window there in the same way, she
prepared to retire, but Madame stopped
her.
'You must stay all night with me- Sc
lina," she said, irritably. Il can't be left
alone"
| Selma slept on the outside OF the bed.
and Madame having a sense of security
from being with some one, slumbered
calmly; so the night wore drowsily on.
and nothing could be heard but the
steady ticking of the clock and the heavy
breathing of the two women.
A sleepy servant admitted Kitty when
she came home from the ball. Kitty found
Madame's door ajar, and vent in softly,
| fearful lest she might wake her. She
| did not know that Selma was in the room,
and as she heard the steady breathing of
| the sleepers, she concluded that Madame
| was asleep, and resolved to go quietly
/ into her own room without disturbing the
| sleeper. Just near the door was a long
chevral glass. and Kitty caught sight of
herself in it, wan and spectral-looking. in
her white dress, and, as she let the heavy
blue cloak fall from her shoulders, a per-
feet shower of apple blossoms were shaken
on to the floor Her hair had come un-
done from its sleek, smooth plaits, and
now hung like a veil over her shoulders
Il Sho al l. Of In 4ha Joe
and her face looked worn and haggard
in the dim light
He was going to marry Madame Midas
the man who had ruined her life; he
would tell her all the false tales he had
| told her. He would look into her eyes
with his own, and she would be unable to
see the treachery and guile hidden in their
depths. She could not stand it. False
friend, false husband, he had been, but
to see him married to another-no, it
was too much. And yet what could she
do? A woman in love believes 30 i'll Of
the man she adores. and if she was to
tell Madame Midas all she would not be
believed. All! it was useless to fight
against fate, it was too strong for her.
so she would have to suffer in silence, and
see them happy
How still the house was; not a sound
but the ticking OF the clock in the hail.
The dawn reddens family in the east and
the chill morning breeze comes up from
the south, salt with the doors of the
ocean. All! what is that? a scream-a
woman's voice-then another, and the bell
| rings furiously. The frightened servants
collect from all parts of the house. The
| bell sounds from the bedroom of Mrs.
Villiers, and having ascertained this they
| all rush in. What a sight meets their
eyes, Kitty Marchrust, still in her ball
dress, clinging convulsively to the chair
Madame Midas, pale but calm, ringing
the bell; and on tire bed, with one arm
hanging over, lies Selma Sprotts-dead |!
The table near the bed was overturned on
the floor. and the glass and the night lamp
both lie smashed TO pieces on the carpet.
"Send for doctor at once" cried Mad
anne, letting go the bell rope and crossing
to the window Selma has had a fit of
some SORT"
| Startled servant goes out to stables and
wakes up the grooms, one of whom is soon
on horseback riding for dear life to DR..
Chinston. Clatter-clatter along in the
keen morning air; few workmen on
their way to work gaze in surprise at this
furious rider. Luckily, the doctor lives in
ST. Kilda, and being awakened out of his
sleep, dresses himself quickly, and taking
the groom's horse, rides back to Mrs. VIII
Tiers house. He dismounts, enters the
house, then the bedroom. Kitty, pale
and wan, is seated in the chair; the win
dow curtains are drawn, and the cold
light of day pours into the room, while
Madame Midas is kneeling beside the
corpse. with all the servants around her.
DIR. Chinston lifts the arm; it falls Imply
down. The face is CHASTITY white the
eye stirring there is streak of foam on
the tightly clenched mouth. The doctor
puts his hand on the heart-not throb /:
he closes the staring eyes reverently and
turns to the kneeling woman and the
frightened servants.
''She is dead he says briefly, and or
ders them to leave the room. "When did
this occur, Mrs. Villiers?" he asked, when
the room had been cleared and only him
self, Madame and Kitty remained
"I can't tell you," replied Madame.
weeping; 'she was all right last night
when we went to bed and she stayed all
night with me because 1 was nervous. 1
slept soundly, when was awakened by a
cry ard saw Kitty standing beside the bed
and Selma in convuisions then she be-
came quite still and lay like that till you
came. What is the causeY'
'Apoplexy," replied the doctor, doubt
fully; 'at least, judging from the symp-
toms. but perhaps Miss Marchurst can
tell us when the attack came on"
He turned to Kitty, who was SILVER
ing in the chair and looked so pale that
Madame Midas went over to her to see
what was the matter. The girl, however,
shrank away with cry the elder wom-
an approached, and rising to her feet
moved unsteadily toward the doctor.
You say she," pointing to the body.
died of apoplexy:"
"Yes," he answered, curtly, "all the
symptoms of apoplexy are there"
"You are wrong" gasped Kitty, laying
her hand on his arm, ''it is poison I"
I Poison ~ echoed Madame and the doc
tor in surprise.
Listen" said Kitty, quickly, pulling
herself together by great effort. Il
came home from the ball between 2 and
8; entered the room to go to my own"
pointing to the other door. II did not
know Selin;, was with Madame"
mo" said Madame, quietly. that is
true. I only asked her to stop at the last
moment"
Il was going quietly to bed" resumed
Kitty. hrrriedly, lin order not to waken
Madame. when l saw the portrait of NJ.
vandeloup on the table; took 1t up to
look at it,
"How could you see without Iight?"
asked DIR. Chinston sharply, looking at
her.
There was a night light burning" re-
piled Kitty, pointing to the fragments on
the floor; "and l could only guess it was
NJ. Vandeioup's portrait; but at all
events" she said, quickly, IL sat down in
the chair over there and fell asleep"
"You see, DOCTOR" she had been to a
ball and was tired" interposed Madame
Midas; 'but go on, Kitty, want to
know why you say Selma was poisoned"
II don't know how long l was asleep"