The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1911-08-23

forget now why. but can't take any
thing more from glass. I've prom
Ised not TO. I think. Take II away.
IL makes me feel queer. Where Is
AdelaideT
Her memory was defective. She
could not seem to take I'm what the
doctor told her. But he tried her
again. Once more he spoke Of illness
as the cause of Adelaide's absence.
Her attention wandered while he
spoke of IL.
How II did hurtr she cried. But
] didn't think much about II. thought
only Of Next moment her voice
rose In shrek. thin, but impetuous,
and imbued with a note Of excited
feeling which made every person there
start. There should be twor" she
cried. "Twol Why is there only one?"
This sounded like raving. The doc
tors face took ON n look of concern.
and the nurse stirred uneasily.
zone is not enoughl That is why
Adelaide is not satisfied. Why does
she not come and love and comfort
me. as expected her to? Tell her 1t is
not too late yet, not too late yet, not
too Late
The doctors hand was on her fore
head.
Rest" came in DR.. Carpenters most
soothing tones-"rest, my little Car
mel; forget everything and rest" He
thought he knew the significance of
her revolt from the glass he had Of
fered her. she remembered the scene
at the Cumberland dinner table on that
fatal night and shrank from anything
that reminded her of 1t. Ordering the
medicine put in a cup, he offered 1t to
her again, and she drank it without
question. AS she quleted under its In
fluence the disappointed listeners, now
tiptoeing carefully from the room.
heard her murmur in final appeal:
Cannot Adelaide spare one minute
from-from her company downstairs to
wish me health and kiss me good
night?''
Was 1t weakness or a settled inabil-
ity to remember anything but that
WHICH Ulleu neT OWL luluu!
1t proved to be settled inability to
take in any new ideas or even to re-
member much beyond the completion
of that dinner. AS the days passed and
news of her condition came to me from
time to time l found that she had not
only forgotten what had passed be-
tween herself and the rest of the fam
fly previous to their departure for the
clubhouse. but all that had afterward
occurred at the Whispering Pines,
even to her own presence there and
the ride home. She could not even re-
tain in her mind for any appreciable
length of time the idea of Adelaide's
death Even after DR.. Carpenter, with
infinite precautions. revealed to her the
truth-not that Adelaide had been MUIR
dered. but that Adelaide had passed
away during the period of her own i'll
ness-Carmel gave but one cry of grief.
then Immediately burst forth in her
old complaint that Adelaide neglected
her. She had lost her happiness and
hope and Adelaide would not spare her
an hour.
This expression when heard of 1t
convinced me. as believe il did some
others. that her act of self denial in
not humoring my whim and flying
from home and duty that night had
made stronger Impression on her
mind than all that came after.
She never asked for Arthur This
may have grieved him: but. according
to my faithful friend and attorney. it
appeared to have the contrary effect
and to bring him positive relief. When
it was borne in on him, as 1t was coon
to be borne in on all, that her mind
was not what it was he grew notice
ably more cheerful and less suspicious
in his manner.
With this new shock of CarmePs in
ability to explain her own part in the
tragedy and thus release my testimony
and make ME a man again in my own
eyes | lost the sustaining power which
had previously held me up. l became
apathetic, no longer counting the hours
and thankful when they passed. Ar
thur had not been arrested. but he I'M
derstood or allowed others to see that
he understood the reason for the sur
veillance under which he was now
strictly kept.
OF the inquest, which was held In
due course. | shall not say much.
Only one new fact was elected by its
means, and that of interest solely as
making clear how there came to be
evidences of poison in Adelaide's stom-
ach without the quantity being great
enough for more than a temporary dis
turbance.
Maggie. the second girl. had some
thing to say about this when the vial
which had held the poison was handed
about for inspection. She had handled
that vial many times on the shelf
where it was kept. Once she had
dropped it, and. the cork coming out.
some of the contents had escaped.
Frightened at the mishap. she had
filled the vial up with water and
put il. thus diluted, back on the shelf.
No one had noticed the difference. and