Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-01-04

fatal night and shrank from anything
that reminded her of it. Ordering the
medicine put in a cup, he offered it to
her again, and she drank it without
question. AS she quieted under its in.
fuence 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
night?"
Was it weakness or a settled inabil-
ity to remember anything but that
which filed her W mind?
1t proved to be a settled inability to
take in any new ideas OF vel 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 1 found that she had not
only forgotten what had passed be-
tween herself and the rest of the fam
lily previous to their departure for the
clubhouse. but all hat had afterward
occurred at the Whispering Pines,
even to her W presence there and
the ride home. She could not even re-
tain in her mind for any appreciate
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 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 I heard of it
convinced me. as I 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, it
appeared to have the contrary effect
and to bring him positive relief. When
it was borne in on him, as it was SoOn
, to be borne in N all. that her mind
was not what it was be grew notice
ably more cheerful and less suspicious
in his manner.
With this new shock Of Carmel's in.
ability to explain her W part in the
tragedy and thus release my testimony
and make me a man again in my W
eyes I lost the sustaining power which
had previously held me up. I 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.
v%eillance under which he was now
strictly kept.
Of the inquest, which vas held in
due course. l 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
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 OF
the dangerous drug left in n VIA
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 a problem which
a coroner's jury could hardly be ex
pected to solve. was allowed one
SW0eC HALL uOul VI llccOO"s LuCu
was detained to await the action OF
the grand jury. and so was Arthur.
When I was informed Of this latter
fact I made q solemn vow to myself.
It was this: If it falls to my lot to be
indicted for this murderous o1ense
will continue to keep my own counsel
But If I escape and a true bill should
be found against Arthur then will ]
follow my better instinct and reveal
what I have hitherto kept concealed,
even If the torment Of the betrayal
drives me to self destruction afterward
for I no longer cherished the smallest
doubt that to Carmels sudden rage
and to that alone. the death Of AIDE
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 I held with
my attorney, Charles Clifton. very soon
after my second incarceration.
Wy L-S S-,1--A A. pokSon kfN