Year: 1870

Miss Melrose was very beautiful, and
won the admiration of all who visited at
Clifton House, by her grace of manner and
her fascinating conversation.


GAS we walk along" said my compan-
ion, "let me explain to you just what it is
necessary you should know. My mistress
is ILL.,"


81 beg your pardon-is it Mrs. Spencer,
or Miss Melrose?"


She laughed bitterly.


"NTss Melrosel would stab her to the
heart sooner than own her for a mistress I!
My mistress is lady noble, loyal, and of
gentle birth. 1t is an honor to any one to
serve my mistress"


"And she is i'll? How long since?"


"Ever since she married him-curse
him ~ she muttered in fierce undertone !;
"but must not get excited. l must tell
my story, or rather hers. Two years ago
through the desire of her dying father,
whom she loved passionately, Alicia Hern-
don became James Spencers wife. Before
that she was healthy, blooming girl-im-
mediately after the marriage she began to
fail. Do you see anything singular in tn at
sir?" she asked keenly.


"Not necessarily"


Let me enlighten you further. DR.. Spen-
Ger at one time was engaged to Miss Lu-
cille Melrose, but he broke the engagement
and married my mistress instead. Miss
Melrose was poor as Jobs turkey Miss
Herndon was an heiress. And DR.. Spencer
was deeply in debt and hard pressed by his
creditors. Do you see any thing singular
in that?"


"Perhaps. Go on"


"When my mistress married Spencer,
she was only seventeen, and she had been
taught to obey her father in everything
She was a gentle affectionate child, and it
would have been easy for Spencer to have
won her love. But he did not care for that,
it was her money he wanted 1t paid his
debts it bought him fast horses, it set his
table with costly dishes, and it put it in his
power to keep Miss Melrose robed like a
queen. And all this time my mistress has
been slowly but surely failing. And look
you, DR.. Lockwood, believe that she is
not dying of disease, but Of" She low
cred her voice to whisper as she spoke the
word, "PoIsoN ~


impossible This is grave charge


"Of poison given her by her husband,
who at her death will have sole control OF
all her property, and be free to marry Miss
Melrose! There Is no time to explain to
you in detail the one e-thousand-and-one
circumstances which have led me to this
belief, for we are almost at the door. 1t is
never the case that both Spencer and Miss
Melrose are out of the house at the same
time, or | should have called another ply.
sician before but tonight they are called
away by the death of Miss Melrose's 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 / nursed hel
| Wnen ner InOCnef uleu anu lelC ncr Il nelp
less infant-all through her babyhood anG
her innocent youth she was like an owl
child to me ! and now to see her fading
hourly before my eyes Good Heaven if
knew beyond all doubt that he was guilty
his life should pay the forfeit ~


I was already beginning to feel strong
interest in this Mrs. Spencer, although
had never seen her, and began to take i
for granted that she was much-abuset
woman, and like her old nurse I was in
clined to feel keen animosity for DR.
Spencer as man who had inflicted seriou
wrongs upon defenceless woman.


Mrs Spencer received me in her cham
Der. 1t was on the second floor, and wa
furnished with with exquisite elegance
Everything in the room bespoke the tast
and delicacy of the occupant. The warn
air was fragrant with the faint odor c
heliotrope, and glancing around l saw tn
purple blossoms and green leaves in an ala