Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1911-12-22

ner 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 II. Ordering the
medicine put in cup. be offered It to
her again, and she drank 1t without
question. AS she quieted under its In
! huence 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
nightT
Was It weakness or a settled inabil.
ity to remember anything but that
which filed her own mind2
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 | 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 mur.
dered, but that Adelaide had passed
away during the period of her own Ill
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 It
convinced me. as believe it did some
others. that her act OF self denial in
not 'humoring my whim and flying
from home and duty that night had
made a 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. II
appeared to have the contrary effect
and to bring him positive relief. When
it was borne in on him, as 1t was soon
to be borne In on all. that her mind
was not what 1t was be grew notice
ably more cheerful and less suspicious
In his manner.
With this new shock of Carmers 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. ] became
apathetic. no longer counting the hours
and thankful when they passed. Ar
thur had not been arrested. but he un-
derstood or allowed others to see that
he understood the reason for the sur
veillance under which be 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 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 1t, and. the cork coming out,
some of the contents had escaped.
Frightened at the mishap. she had
filed the vial up with water and
put it. thus diluted, back on the shelf.
No one had noticed the difference. and
she had forgotten all about the matter
until now. From her description.
there must have been very little or
the dangerous drug left in the vial
and the jury rendered the noncommit'
tai verdict:
Death by strangulation at the hands
of some person unknown
I had expected this. The evidence,
pointing as it did In two opposing
directions, presented problem which
q coroner's jury could hardly be ex-
pected to solve. was allowed one
sweet half hour of freedom: then
was detained to await the action or
the grand Jury. and so was Arthur.
When was informed of this latter
fact | made solemn vow to myself.
1t was this: II it falls to my lot to be
indicted for this murderous offense
will continue to keep my own counsel.
But If escape and true bill should
be found against Arthur then will
follow my better instinct and reveal
what | have hitherto kept concealed.
even If the torment OF the betrayal
drives me to self destruction afterward.
for no longer cherished the smallest
doubt that TO Carmers sudden rage.
and to that alone, the death of Ade-
laide was due.
My reason for this change from
troubled to absolute conviction can be
easily explained. 1t dated from the
inquest and will best appear in the
relation of an interview | held with
my attorney, Charles Clifton. very soon
after my second incarceration.
We had discussT the situation till
there seemed to be" nothing left to dis.
cuss. understand him. and he
thought he understood me. lie be-
lieved Arthur guilty and credited me
with the same convictions Thus only
could he explain my inconceivable
reticence on certain points he was very
well assured | could make clear If
would That he was not the only man
who mad drawn these same conclusions