OCR Text |
Show A MYSTERIOUS CASE. Tt M n turtle t jr to me, tat not to tiro other doctor Tliejr took, in jaltiml, tlio wont rmaalblo loir of tlio matter, on J nrrrptal tlio onljr rolutluii vlildi llio facta weiurJ to warrant llut thoy ore men, and I ui wonuui bolds I know tlio itiino mil, am iwuld not U'llovc Iter raiablo ol willful docclt, much lew o( tbo liclnoui crtao which dwelt la tlilt ciwi Involved. Bo to mo tlio allalr all n injttirjr. 1 ho facta wtro thean. Mjr patient, a joung tvrtcarrllcr, win-lugljr win-lugljr without IritndJ or enemies, lay In tho tinall room ol n Iwardlnjt lioii atUlctcd wltli n painful but not ilai.ger. chu inaladjr. Tliouill iho waa cumn-utlvol cumn-utlvol Ittlpleas lii-r ltI orruii wero itrony, and w novrr hid a luomi nt's unoaajnen concerning her till ono tnorulngathriiwu found lr In aiinl-looat aiinl-looat living condition from lulling talon, u wo quick)? dtwvcreil, n dow of nobon lrutcad c f the toothing minora min-ora which luul lcn left for her wllh tho nunc, l'olnonl and no one, not rcn herself or tho nuro, could vijilaln how tha uinn Kit Into tho room, much ! Into tar uirdlclut. And when I uuoft to btudf tho bltuallon I found rofielt at inuchat nloM ai theft IuJmiI, luoro io, for I Lnow I tad mode no lobiako hi preparing tho mixture, and tiut even If I tad thin eipccl.il xUu could not liavo found ltf way Into It, oauvg to tho fact that them iielllur u nor oTcr hod been a drop of It La to jol4oston. Tho lalxtuni, then, wai puro when It Mt wj luuid, and according to tho nunc, whom, an I tavo tuild, I Implicit l-l-!llve, Itwintluto thoiilaia juro. Ami jet whin two taura lalir, without tar hnTlnu loft tiro room or an-bodj oomlnj- Into It, oho found occatlou to adoiuiutrr tho draught, pol-oa w&f In tho cup, and tho patluit wot only uriil from dentil by tho niobt huuicduito and enerttutlo inroiiuroA, not only ou tar part, but on that of Dr. Holme, whom In tar taito and perturbation alio tad colled In from tho adjacent tauto. Tho patient, yonn;, Innocent, imfort-pnnta, imfort-pnnta, but of a itranjely couragcouo 0Iualtlon, bvtrarcd notlilnj but tho ntmut lurprlu at tho ril tlio had to narrowly neaped. When Ilr. llohuw LitiinatcJ tliat perliapa tho bad been tlrod oftudcrlug, and hid licnelf found Itteana of puttlnix tlio deadly drug Into tar medicine, tho opened her great pray o-ri Willi tucii o look of chll lllko tur-pnw tur-pnw and rtpnvicli tint ho btuthed and munaored ooiiio tort ot apolo.-y, "1'oljon nijK.ni " tho crledj "nhen you iromliomo that I ttallgct wcllt Too do not know wlwt a horror Ita a otd;lnjtln debt, or you would nocr ayttat," Tula was tomotUsoalUr tho critical mouient ta 1 jiuiual, and thero wtro In tlio room lira. Uitou, tlio landlady, Ur. Uolmif, the none and luyulf. At tlio uttcrinco of thcto wordi wo all Mt athaiued and cait looks of Inen imh! In-tarat In-tarat at tbo poor girl. bhowajMiryloMly. Though with, fwt mcani, an 1 to all aptwaniuco without with-out frlrudi, tho poond In (,-rent do-fm do-fm tho charm of wlmotucniu, and not ten tar many autfirlngi, nor tlio In dljmatlon under which tho waa then laboring, could qutto rob her counto-aueo counto-aueo of that tender raid conddlng o-preIon o-preIon wldih w often redeem tho plainest faco and inakia beauty doubly attracting 'Dr. llohuiadoea nut know jou," I hastened to imy, "I do, and utUrly ro-pel ro-pel for on anytuch Inilnuutlon. In return, will you tell rao If there j any ono In tho world whom you can cull your enemyl Though tho chief inya-tery inya-tery la bow to diwlly and uuujual ii polaoii could taiogolunlutoiitloan j,lawithout tlio kno ledge of )our-"If )our-"If or tho nurtw, ttlll It might not bo awUa to know If there la otiy one, In re orelwuhcre, who for any reason might deal your deatk" Tho turprlao In tho chlldhko oyei In-avamxl In-avamxl rather tlian dluiluUhed. "I dun't know lut to tay,"tlmmur-mure.L tay,"tlmmur-mure.L M am to Insignificant and ble a -eraon that It kcoii absunl for mo to talk of lining an cm my, Ho-di, Ho-di, I lm nunc On tlio contrary ori?ryonowemttolooiuomoro tlmn I dmrm. llaun't you noUccd It, lira. Duytocr' 1 ho landlady muled and ttroked tho , "ludeml," alio replied, 1 ta-io liotlcod that iwoplo loo you, but 1 noer thmiglit that It wa' iimro tlnii you do-terie.1 do-terie.1 on are a dinr llttlo tiling, Addle" An 1 though tbo knew and I know tlinl tM -ee-r ,,, e.oiw'illonotl lv the ljort:irl tiiinnloiirtelir-", nna nte-itjly ber unknown employer, wo were nono tho le toiichcil by her wonl. Tlia more wo ttiillrdlhn mystery lliodeepor and Icm rtplalnnbls did It bc-iwne. And Indeiil 1 doubt It nojdiojll baeocrr ro! to tli- tattoni (" tlwro hnd not preeently m-eurrwl m Kry fitlehtiircpeiltloti of tlio i-iiij-jftn jreniiw tjrmptoiii", fullowml by t'lijjaio dlaeoiery of olm In Iho glum nnd tho tmio failure on tho nrt ot hem If and iiurw to Recount for It 1 n nrouxil fnmi my lil at midnight to afeiul tier, and n I tnti nl her nom md met her l-- hlnn iM looking iiui mo fnim the tery tlindow of death 1 mndo aim ttat I wwil I cer re my efforta till I bad -netrntel tho tecrct of wlnt eirtnlnly lookeil llko n irr-i-tnit atteiot tirwii thla ioor ' I went about ttamntterdclllierntrly. A roon a I etmld lento her tldo I drew tho nuno Into a itimer nnd again nuratlonnl her Tl aluwera wero tlio mum aa l-rfore Ad llo tad aliown dla-lre- a toon a tho hnd awallowetl ber miul ciiiaiitlty ot meillclne, noil In a fow iiilnutni more wa In n m rllotu eondlliott. "4ld yon hand tho glow yoiimclf lo Ad Uol- "1.111" "Whrrodld you take It fromr ' l"n m tho plneo where you left It lliohtlloatandon thofarthertkloot the be.1 " "Ami do yon mean to y ttat you tad not touched It tlnco 1 prepared UP 'I do, iuu'mii." "And ttat no ono cIo hna been In llw mum f ""o one, ma'am " I looked at ber Inlently, I tnitc-l lier, but tho tast of la are but inortnl. 'Can joujuwuro mo that you lime not been bjIivii during llda tlmor' "Iik at thl letter 1 hio taen writing," tho returned. "It I eight page long, nnd It wa not tapm wlu n you left lla at 10." I thook my head nnd MI Into a deep reicry How wa that matter lo ta elucidated, and bow wa my tlent to ta mc-lr Another driught ot till dernlly ln, ami no power on earth coul 1 rcincliAto her Wtat tliouhl I do, an I with what wcatioii thould I eomli.it n danger at oneo to tubllo and wdendlyl llellecllon brought no do-cUIi.n, do-cUIi.n, nn.l I left tho room nt latt do-teniilued do-teniilued un ono jiolnt, and that waa tho Immcduitonmntatnf inyiuitlent. Hut Ufore I bid hit tbo tion-o I changed my mind eicii oi thla imhit. lloniuMil ot tho patient meant taloty to Ir, lrlin-i, Imtnot the eiplnnntloii of bir myttcrloii iloiiliig I would change tho iKitllton uf her tal, and X woulil even tit nwatrli over her and the nurte, but 1 wool t not tako her out of tho Iioiimi not yit. And what hail produced Hill cliango In uiypUti'r Tho look ol a woman whom I met on tho ttalr. 1 did not know lior, but 'then I encountered her glanco 1 f It that tin ro waa win connection con-nection lietwecn lit, and I waa not at all aurprlwd to bear Lrr aik i "And how It Sllu Wilcox todayf "311m Wlleo It ti o- low," I h turned. "Tlioleat neglect, tho leatt thoek to tier nt nea, woul 1 ta aufllelent to lnoko all my cHorta um h-w. Otherwlao" She will got welll' I nod led I tad exaggerated tho condition of thu cufurir, but toino tien t Intthict compelled mo to do to. 'Jlio look which iaaedoer tho worn-an'a worn-an'a faeo aatlttled mo ttat 1 had dono Willi nnd, though I left tho houe, It wnawltli Iho Intention of iK-lIIjr n-turtilu,- and making Inqulrlea Into the woman's character and iwaltlon hi tho houaehoM. I lenmcil little or nothing. That tlio occiiiled a good room and paid for It regularly teemod to bo tulUcient to rat-lify rat-lify Sfra. Dayton. Her name, which proved to bo taroux, allowed her to ta IVinch, and her promptly paid ten dollara a wcektliuucd lur to bo re-tpectuble.w!iat re-tpectuble.w!iat more could any tard working lindlaly reiulrel Hut I wa dlitniitful Her face, though band tomo, iKMeacd an lagtr, feroclou look which I coul 1 not forget, and tho ttlght gituro with w hlcli the hwl uiued meat thoclOMiof tho abort cornenia-tlon cornenia-tlon I taio glien aboo bail a inigyca-tion inigyca-tion of triumph In It which iieeninl to contain wholo volume of atent mil mj.ttrloui ImK 1 wtnt Into Mlaa WU-cux'a WU-cux'a room tiry thoughtful. "I nm going ' llut lit ru tho mine held up tar hand. "Hark," tho wlil-percd) thu tad Juit tit tho clock, and wa Iiteiilii to Its rtrlklng 1 did liark, but not to tho clock. "iVIio-walep la tlntr' I a-kod, after tlio hvl lift tho clock an 1 t.it down. 'Oh, komocne In tho uoit room. Tho valla hrro ere nry thin only board hi pljcca " 1 did nut completo wtat I had begun be-gun to aay. It I coull hear tlip through the partition, then could our ii(h,libora lii'ur ua talk, and what 1 hud ilett nnliml iiion mut bo ki pt tocret fnmi all outtl hn. 1 drew u tint t of lier toward mound wrolos 'I tliall ttuj lure tonhdit, tiomo. thing ti II me that In doing thla I thall olio till mjnter). Hut 1 must appear ap-pear ta go. '1 nke my hittructloni u UMial id hi 1 mo Kood night. Iock tlio door after me, but with n turn of the key Inttnntly unlock It again. 1 liallgodontlaIri too that inycnr-rlagodrinaawuj, inycnr-rlagodrinaawuj, and ipiletl) return. On myriMntraiuo 1 ahull oiwit to Oud lllw Wilcox on tliocoinh, with tho toweii drawn up around It, jou In our Ug elialr, and the light luncred What 1 do thereafter ncvil not concern ou I'ntonltogototleip" Tho nurw uoddnjl, and Imiimllately fl '. "I"" I1'" nnurniume I bud punneit j pn p inm tno meaicino n inuul, phiwl U In IU iwiwl glaw, nnd Jill that gltvi where It Imd ulivnja bn tit, on n tmnll table atthofiir-Iher atthofiir-Iher tldo of the bed. Then I wild, ' Hood uh;ht," mid ruiscd hurriedly " TwoMMtto enoujli to meet no lZ5 ', "Hi.odtta room. pn,, , 0n tbo door, and, fin 1 IngereryUilm I" orJo-'' '"Jfir , "uco to (l. ., om whlcli, alti r taking olr ,,ut and cloak and ciiro-'"Ijr ciiro-'"Ijr twiteeaiing'tueni. ' IV ''"n ""' dettlyouvijmjKltup. Hy Idea Jua lM lwt ,'-' m',m "" ""rlo !, of whUli tbo wn l(f'irant H, mir- !' foro-l " llher -Vi tho ltl" l"rf" "' open tho doir ter another to do It. 11 "I-, wer. I , or tho other pcraon would taWp-l to paw nroiin 1 the toot ot ll-,d In orJir to reach tho Rlos and I .bmi! 1 1 re ? ",", ,or Idliliiot-JotuMti'li-'l'- llrtlwl" light enou,., eonl 1 1" dlwrn'-J ' ' movement, hoot I'"1 f""m '"") ",l enough to j ink apparent th" ihang-i wliWitadWnliiado In llieiiewipiint "tthotajj I.altelwltli IndcteriUi bio anxiety airlm" I""" "m0 'nl,e"il lw.nl ateiK. II not n feierl.li breotll Ing, clct1,inrtalb''adt bu no one PPvrel,Vn. the nurte In liw big choir did m t!r , . , , , At latt Irrew weary, nnj. f.artul ol Iw'ngcmlijmer my e)ell.l. 1 ltcd my (raw U1,, theglaK a If hiHiilolnaJ IthouM 1 a talnliKUi to keiplno nwnke, wb.ii, gnat (W whit wo It tbat I taw; V ban 1, a creeping bind coining frim nonlnw anl Jolnel lo nothing, etalngnlnnit ""' n'"" nnl drawing ,i0ly away till It dl-peanul dl-peanul , My from before my i yea I tpuped..lc.iiilliiot lulplt-but I dldnotttt lor now I know I wa ntleepan.ilremlng Hut no, 1 plmli mytelf under lli clothe and find that I am cr wide awake Indeed! nnd Ihen-lookl Inokl tho glw I return Ingi thojlumd a woman hand I lowly telliag It lel '" "' lU and 1 Wlthalwiinl Ibavo that hand In uiygnupj H I a living hand, anl It lery wijm and tlroug and llerce, nndthogi.liafalIiiinli.l lira that tenilbetfenu, and a double cry I heard, ore from Ipclilml tlio irtlllon, through an owning In which IliU band had been, tlirmt, anl ono from tbo nurae.'wh i bat Jumped to her fci t and la even noo aubtlng mo In holding tho ttnigglln j member, upon which 1 liavo managed to tcrotch u tell talo mark with a piece of fallen glata. At tight ot the Iron like grip which thl lalt.r lnya upon tlio Intra ling mi mUr, 1 nt oneo rcletao uiy own gratji. "Hold .r I cried, au 1, leaping from tlio tail, liattrncd lint to my llcnt, whom I earcfiilly reaMiiml, and then Into tho till, where I found tho land lady runalng lo teo wliat wa the milter. mil-ter. "I (liavo tain 1 the .wretch," 1 cried, ami, drawing her alter me, hurried hur-ried about to the other tide of tho nr-tlllon, nr-tlllon, where I found a elotet, and In It the woman I tad met on Ihottaln, but glaring ao hko a tLjer In her rage, uinnance nnd fear Ttat Ionian wn my htimblo hltlo patlentV biltcr but unknown enemy. Knatuorid i f a man who unwltely, pcrtap44iad cipnunWn ber bearing bl admiration fur the pretty t;w-wrltcr, t;w-wrltcr, a) o lull conceit oil the Idea that ho InteDleJ to marry the Utter, nnd towing Jlongcnnca had taken up her nbodo In lli tamo homo with tha Innocent In-nocent girl where, bad It not been for tho fortunato circumstance ot my meeting1 meet-ing1 liero.1 tliettalra, tho would certain-lytavo certain-lytavo rarrlnlout her teliemo of tlio nnd teen t murder. Tho poiaonthohad bought bitnotlirr city, an 1 tho holu In tlio nartlilon tho tad henclt cut. Thl had been don at tint for tho purpoto of obarivation, tho tat Ing detected In poaslng by HUa Wilcox's open door that a banner ot painted tllk hung over ttat portion it tlio wall In audi a way as to Iildo any sprrturo which might ta la vie there. After trd, when Jilt Wilcox Ml alck, and tlio'dneoiered by abort t,-!Ini(t through tar loor holo thnt tbo gbus of uiodlclnt waa placed on a table Juat under this banner, tho could not rctltt tho toultatlon to enlarge tho holo to a tlxo sufllclent to admit the puh-Ing puh-Ing astla of the banner, and tie rtnrhlni through ot her murderuu band. Mliy the ill 1 not put potton enough In tlio gks to kill lllil Wilcox at uni'O 1 luito notir luard. l'robabr tlio feared detection. That by doing asako did the brought about the very tent tho had rndcatorcd to nvcrt la tlio nott pleating part of tho tale. Wliaa tho gentleman of whom I liavo apt ken Ii arneil of the wicked attempt at-tempt Ua Mt Wilcox's life hi heart took pity upon In r nnd n umrriago ensued, en-sued, wlilch 1 havo otcry rcoaon to ta lloto Isaliappyone. Anna Kattarlne Orpeiilnllplncotl't, |