The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-07
BY MARION W''fI V1BORME,
Author Of a'Thc Stolen God, Poor Mr.. Pilking-
toni The Light The Fatal Third &c.

G Light, ~ nc i atal lnllu,It exc. M
$500 ---..-- ---------x-
MS Nurse ,vithers cam,
down the garden path.
Would he betray herr
Next day Alison looked at the spot
she had Indicated, and beneath a heap
OF withered leaves size found II small
she'll backed hand mirror
Feigning to be pulling weeds, Alison
stopped and looked in the glass, on
pressed BY ali awful fear. What would
she see? And she saw n little tl,!n,
looking, but beautiful without q
blemish. Her heart throbbed wildly;
for minute she could not think clcar-
W. SHE thrust the mirror back in lis
hiding place.
I. What !, did Il all mean? Why had her
cousin and Nurse Withers lied so cru-
ely? She must tl,lnk-tl,ink. And
70 conade in. The money-tHat must
be the reason why her cousin wanted
Z to separate her from Gerald. II she
a. 9, without marrying. the money
Il And Alison would rather have given
up " all her fortune than lead tilis.
she run away? But she had no money,
ana a, could not get far, and the country
people might think her mad, and bring
her back to this lonely house. She
laid awake for hours, planning ways
OF escape, yet fetsning sleep. that her
Watchers might suspect nothing. AT
las t, g she decided on plan which
ier cousin kept large number OF
poultry, some OF which were killed and
sent to market. Alison would write q
tiny note and secure It beneath the
IN nj n Il audi, q :.
the missive fell into kindly hands!
Only II few lines:
,"Whoeyer finds this, please write to
Mr.. Gerald Thornley, (llere followed the
"a address Alison, knew. and say:
Alison is In great trouble"
y. In fear and trembling Alison watched
the gardener drive away with hts load
Of dead fowls. Perhaps the note would
i iaLl out, or be overlooked. Gerald
even dead If this scheme failed
what could she do? :
w cary weeks OF suspense and wait
Ing dragged by; sometimes Alison did
aid came lie might be too late. Per.
laps her cousin would kill her!
One day the silence Of the grea,
gloomy house was broken by the UNI
usual clans, clang. Of the front door
with Nurse Withers ting guard
as usuai when the sound of the bell
|startled her.
Had deliverance come? The old
servant crossed the hall and opened
Or. Collingwood came out OF her study
A. voice--Gerald's volce.-asked 10,
Miss Armtage."
!, Alison All was Just going to call his
over her mouth. and Nurse Withers
forced her back into her chair.
With a frenzied. despairing effort
Alison succeeded in wrenching hersel1
free. and uttered piercing shrek.
Steps-a mans steps--came hurry
ing through the hall. and Allison heart
her cousin speaking In loud, agitatec
tones:
How dare you force yourself into
my house? That girl you heard scream.
Ing Is a patient Of mlne-a dangerous
lunatic.. Where Is Alison?' do you
ask? She Is married and gone abroad
Didn't she tell you she had tired Of
your
Nurse withers had thrown hersel
upon Alison. and, dragging her to tbs
ground, knelt on her and held a cush
ion tightly pressed over the girls face
Alison felt suffocating. "a hand wa
put on the door. Then:
II defy you to enter that room!'
cried Dr.+CollfnRwood.
am sorry to use force to a wo
man." came Geralds voice: but you
conduct compels me. DR.. Cellinswood
| Hc IlcAt tie UOoT was IlUH(
open, and Gerald Thornley, entered
Nurse Withers found herself thrown
across the room. and Alison. hal
saintins' was in her lovers arms.
The rest is soon told. Her schemes
Of enriching herself at Alison's cos
bafhed-schemes to enable her the bet
ter to carry on her medical and sci
entific researches-Dr. Collingwoot
Tn a letter she left hehind m,
wretched woman wrote: II looked upo,
Alison as standing between me- and m.
J LIES object, which was the finding o
2 cure for cancer, and thus saving man,
needed money to carry on my search
which might take years. Better sac
rifice the1happiness Of one or two thai
he lives OF many. I was always in
strong mind can influence a weaker
! whether. indeed. 1t would be possibl
to produce disease by suggestion-an,
Alison was a likely. subject for exper
represented to her that she had beef
i'll for weeks. whereas only few hour
had elapsed
AS for the soi-dsant DR.. -
that was eas silly managed, with tn
would have posed as any one for :
| few pounds.
Now. by my own hand. I end m
,!life--1. a woman destined for fame. 70
1 Ereatness--''
Here the note ended abruptly. Nurs
(, Wfthers. merely tool In Dr. Colling
i woods hands. passed out of Alison
/ life for ever. Alison, in her happ
married life with Gerald. has cease
/ to dwell on the terrors Of that traEi
time in the lonely Deyonshire house.
i Ezs3 ------------~-- se5
Soldiers Willows.
4 The way in which the authorize
have OF late been Keeping a watchfu
eye on soldiers widows has provoke
4 a good Impression in the barracl