Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-01-09
Wherein All is Made Clear

might dil nave pSSiA 90 ~ NS 49,
rors which have befallen US had
| acted with more firmness at
that time. when she heard you
were to oe Mr.. Sinclair's best man,
every feminine instinct within her
rebelled and it was with difficulty
she could prevent herself from
breaking out into. a loud No! IN
face of aunt and lover. From this
moment on her state of mind grew
desperate. In my little room at
night she would bury her face IN
nv lap and talk of death, till l
moved in a constant atmosphere OF
dread. One night | found her out
of her bed long after every one
else had retired for the night.
Next morning Mr.. Beaton told q
DREAM hope it was a dream
but it frightened me. Then came
that moment when Mr.. Sinclair
displayed the amethyst box and
explained how a drop from the lit
tie flask inside would kill a per
son. | felt the thrill which shot
like lightning through her, and
made up my mind she should never
have the opportunity OF touching
that box. And that is why l stole
into the library and took down the
little box and hit it in my hair'
I did not pause to think that 1t
was the flask and not the box she
wanted. You know the rest"
Yes. l knew it. How she opened
the box in her room and found 1t
empty. How she flew to Gilber-
tines room, and, finding the door
unlocked, looked in, and saw Miss
Lane lying there asleep but no
Gilbertine. How her alarm grew at
this and how she had wandered
over the house in the hope of COM
ing upon Gilbertine in one of the
rooms. She turned back
only to hear that awful scream
go up as she was setting foot
upon the spiral stair. She found 1t
impossible to proceed any further,
but clung to the stair-rail, half
alive and half dead, till she was
taken up to her aunt's room.
When therefore she said. You
know the rest" | took her in my
arms and gave her my first kiss.
The coroner, who had been much
of life and human nature, managed
with much discretion the inquest
he felt bound to hold. Mrs. Lans-
ing was found to have come to
her death by a meddlesome inter
ference with one of her niece's
wedding trinklets. The verdict was
duly accepted and the real heart
of this tragedy closed for ever
from every human eye.
AS we were leaving Newport,
Sinclair stepped up to me.
81 have reason to Know sad
he, that Mrs. Lansing's requests
will be a surprise, not only to her
neices. but to the world at large.
Let me advise you to announce
your engagement before reaching
New York.
| followed his advice and In a
few days understood why it had
been given. All the vast property
owned by this woman had been left
to Dorothy. Gilbertine had been
cut off without a cent.
We never knew Mrs. Lanslng's
reason for this act.
The discrimination she showed
in her will put Gilbertine IN a very
unfortunate position. At least, 1t
would have done so, if Sinclair,
with an adoritness worthy of his
love, had not proved to her that
4 break at this time in their sup
posed relations would reflect most
seriously upon his disinterested-
ness and thus secured for himself
opportunities for urging his suit
which ended, as such opportunities
often do, in renewal of their en-
gagement. But this time mutual
. love was its basis.
But how the magic was wrought
II did not know till later, and then
it was told me by Gilbertine her
self.
| had been married for some
months and she for some weeks,
when orc evening chance threw us
together. Instantly she turned up
ON me and said:
you once gave me some very
good advice. Mr.. Worthington, but
it was not that which led me to
. realize Mr.. Sinclair's affection. II
was a short conversation which
passed between Us on the day my
aunt'S will was read. Do you re-
member my turning to speak t.
him the moment after that wore
all fell from the lawyers lips
Eyes. Mrs. Sinclair"
1T was TO ask him one question
"a question to which misfortune
only could have given so mucl
| weight. Had he known that | haC
no place in her will? His answer
was very simple; a single word,-
always But after that, do l neeC
to say why / am a wife? why
am his wife,"
, (THE END