Year: 1872

| She was gentle, attectIODate child, and
it would have been easy for Spencer to
have won her love. But he did not care
for that. 1t was her money he wanted.
II paid his debts and bought him fast
horses; it set his table with nice, costly
dishes, and put it in his power to keep
Miss Melrose robed like queen. And all
shis time nv mistress has been slowly
but surely sinking; and, look you, DR..
Lockwood. believe she is not dying of
| disease, but Of" she lowered her
voice to whisper as she spoke the
| word" poison l'


Impossible This is 8 grave charge"


"Of poison given her by her husband,
who, at her death, will have sole control
of her property and be free to marry
Miss Melrose. There is no time to ex-
plain to you in detail the thousand and
one circumstances which have led me
to the belief, for we are almost at the
door. 1t is never the case that Miss Mel
rose and Spencer are out at the same
time, or l should have called another
physician before but tonight they are
called away by the death of Miss Mel
roses sister, and will not be back until
tomorrow. With the consent of my
mistress. / came for you, and oh DR..
Lockwood, pray you save my dear
mistress Inursed her when her mother
died and left her helpless infant; all
through her innocen MT youth she was
like an own child to me; and now to
see her fading hour by hour before my
eyesI Good heavens / if knew beyond
doubt that he was guilty, his life should
pay the forfeit"


was already beginning to feel deep
interest in Mrs. Spencer, although l
had never seen her, and, like her old
7 xuoo To fool 0roof
mostly for DR.. Spencer.


Mrs. Spencer received me in her bed
chamber. 1t was on the second floor,
and was furnished with exquisite ele.
gance.


Everything in the room bespoke the
taste and delicacy of the occupant. The
warm air was fragrant with the faint
odor of the heliotrope; and, glancing
around, 1 saw the purple blossoms and
green leaves in an alabaster case on the
ledge of the south window.


She was a woman who, when once
seen, could never be forgotten. have
met in my life many beautiful women,
but never one go lovely.


Sne was tall and straig ht, with a
purely oval face, liquid brown eyes, and
never seen in perfect health. She re-
ceived me, as know she received every
body, gracefully, and though there was
a slight embarrassment in her manner
when spoke of her illness, she answered
my professional inquiries without hesi-
tation.


AS to myself, laid aside all false deli
cacy and questioned her plainly as to her
symptoms. Mrs. Hurd, her nurse, re-
mained in the room and added many
little important items of information.


When she spoke of her husband it
was with sort of hopeless sadness,
which distressed me greatly.


Not breath of suspicion against him
in her answer to my questions, and l
felt sure that at present she knew moth
ing of what Mrs. Hurd had such serious
apprehensions. l was glad that it was
so, for, with her finely strung organiza-
ton, it might have produced serious re-
patient as closely as / could, and drew
my own conclusions. 1 could have
sworn that Mrs. Spencer daily swallowed
arsenic in small quantities, and the
deadly drug was telling fearfully on
constitution never robust.


She said, answering my questions,
that she had no physician except her
husband. He had thought himself bet
ter acquainted with her case, and, there
fore, better qualified to treat it. He
never left medicine with her to take;
he always brought it fresh from his
Office, and administered it promptly.


There was little enough 1 could do in
such case. Anxious to do everything,
the circumstances of the affair left me
nearly powerless.


A charge of such nature, of course,
l could not make out against DR.. Spen-
Ger without the amplest proof. If l
limited suspicion, every one would at
once set it down to my professional
prejudice, and if l could not substan
tiate my statement, the doctor could
make me pay dearly for such a SANDER
uttered against his character.


The only dependence seemed to be in
Mrs. Hurd. To her 1 unbound myself
freely. l told her, without reserve,
that believed DIR. Spencer was killing
his wife by slow poison, and besought
her to be constantly on the watch to
save the victim, and to discover some
proof by which we could fasten the guilt
upon him.


She smiled grimly, and promised
obedience. I gave her a powerful anti
dote for the poison 1 suspected, and
went home perturbed and anxious in
mind. did not sleep that night, and
HI Lu0 n04b gay Was ID high ISfCI VI
excitement. A ring at the bell made
me tremble-a step on the gravel out
side my Office stopped my breath, and
hardly knew what L expected to hear,
yet, felt sure that before 1 slept /
should hear something.


And now 1 must tell the story as il
was told to me:


DR.. Spencer returned home in the
morning after my visit to Clifton House
He looked wretchedly, the nurse said
appeared gloomy and depressed. Miss
Melrose came with him, and was decor
ously sad over the death of her sister
Women of stamp always do luourn tc
perfection. They neither overdo nol
underdo the thing, as women of feeling
are likely to do.


DIR. Spencer came at once to hi
wife's chamber. He thought she looked
i'll, aud prescribed cordial at once, say


ing he would go and fetch it.


"You are always ordering cordials TO


her," said Mrs. Hurd, musingly: "Wh.


not take something yourself? Yo'


look like ghost"


He eyed her keenly, but replied


composedly:


81 think will take some of the col


dial myself, for do not feel quite well
| AIinio 1aar ebo1l hripn hora n,