A SHORT STORY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13673, 11 April 1908, Page 8

A SHORT STORY.

A DARK SUSPICION.

v . (By.Uriger Starbuck). When I was nineteen years of age I became clerk to Doctor Henry Proone, living in tile rural village of H with his sister, a beautiful young woman of twenty. They occupied a pretty little cottage, whoso grounds were, tastefully ornamented with trees, flowers and shrubbery. . I had not been long in the doctor s employ when 1 discovered that his sister owned the cottage and grounds, with some thousands of dollars in a New York. City bank, the property having been bequeathed to her by her father, who died .some years before, dividing his money equally between his two children, Mary, Proone and her brother. With part of hers, Mary had purchased ' the cottage — the rest she had deposited in the bank to which I have, alluded. liji a few years her brother, who, as I soon perceived, was dissipated and extravagant, had "run through" all bis money. His sister had then complied with his. request to live with her. , She seemed a mild young woman, and fond of her brother — her .only living relative — in' spite of his dissipated habits. I could see that she exerted herself to reform Mm, and that sometimes lie would behave himself - for weeks at a ibime. Then, again, he would resort, to the wine-cup, and for many days remain in a state of beastly intoxication, neglecting! his patients, and thus ruining lv's prospects. Meanwhile," Mary ( had a lover, a wor-, ihy young fellow— r a lawyer — who came 1 to see her twice a week. , < , I. was always pleased when, ho came, for the poor youvg girl, at other times grieving over her brother's disgraceful conduct, would then brighten up, and bloom with perfect. happiness,, seeming to entirely forget* her troubles while in, the society of-J-farvey Graham — the, hanie of her. choice^ , They, were Jto be. married in a short time, and Mary had already commenced her preparations^ 1 could- not -help noticing that Doctor^ Prboiie was somewhat averse to. this match, and a conversation which the, two -had in a room opening from the office in which I spent the greater *part of my time enlightened me as to the reason. "Mary," said tb,o doo£or sternly, "I' must have the money. 1 am. in debt over two hundred dollars, and if I could once cancel this indebtedness, 1 would promise you to become a steady young man.". „ _ / . you have. promisee] uio again, apd again, and already I have gdvaucod you nearly lialf at tlie sum I have in 'the frank." , , „' "I am no beggar," he answered, jevon more, sternly than ; before,' ' '^»Ed intend to pay you back every cent. lust as soon las I pan. " But I muft have a start to do ; so; and ,if you were a',good sister, .you would not hesitate to hand over .tkfr.monby." '. " Henry," she replied sadly, "I would cheerfully do so were t, sur^ 3'ou would kecjj> vvour word. But, you" know I—I — „a m to be mitrried sopn, and as Harvey i9..,n,0t overricb,,,,, I would like a iitt!c\ casli to help. him along," / .. .v-es," answered the doctor ;6^rcq}y. "V^u , would help another ujaj^u ,a .stranger ,^o, you, soonoc, than your own brother* A worth jv/sisteiji'* , , vll^arvey is industrious, ana stojid^ and-r-R-" . », .- .«V : .. ... .- r "Is.it hpt tne»plaeo of a husband to* support, his Avifeip','- yelled -the doctor, l^w,*^ 'a^ vehemeijeo tliat mo. "jifld- l^ere yoA (i are goi«g v to support h^^AvUile .voujTrtioor <brot|\er in .acjbualily suuerinii for. the went of a,*fe.v paltry dollars. By Heaven ! he is a mean spirited , beggar if he aceppts a penny froui y<m- aud. I believe tliat it • \sj r <nir mouey. y he is after!*' , ■ -♦MJenr.vT' exclaimed , Mary ipdiy-; nahtlv, t "I will not listen" to, stieh.l^n-' gua^e! It is false ! False \ He, is tlie sottV o( honouri," ' . V , j'So yon refuse me the money ?"• screamea the djpetor. ' . • . ''lam obliged to do so, as I have but just enough to« help Harvey with, aftor our marriage." ,-, „ • . : - Fropi the doctor there burst forth a yell .like tli^tiof a Avild boas # t, >! I Jje^rd a i^usuing, scraping* sound; then a Jxalf -stifled, screann and looked jnthe room to see the doctor with both hands clutching Mao's throat., his faco blank with passion and -hate, bis ey,(»rt Ijke fla«ni:rig balls of fire. Ere I could saj* a word, however, he released his Clutch, snatched his nat, and hurried out of the house.

4 He came ba£k at night so intoxicated that 'lie cquJc! scarcely stand. Next morniftg' there was another con 7 versation in the parlour. "Henry/ 1 Jieard Mary say, "either you or I must' leave this house. I will not put up wltlfc sueli treatment as I have lately received from you."} t "Well, .well,** answered the floctor; "perhaps I wa.4 a little too hasty. I never peioro offered you personal violence., and I s^evor will again." v , He spoke soy humbly and penitently that Mary vya^ ready to forgive him at once. That same day the doctor informed me that niy -services ! were no longer required. He s&id he could. not afford to s pay a clerk-^;wo\ild have to do all ,his vaotk himself.

As. I left .the premises I met Harvcvy Graham. ' We had siiokeirto each ojjlicr before ; for he was a pleasant,, sociable youtiK man, fond of making acquaintances, and had.Been\dd ( jto take.a liuijiu tp me. "Ooinj; for styue pills?" lie inquired, latitfhirijj;. "Oli, no! I Hav<? just got one myself, which' is "hard to djaest. The doctor has discharged mo. jtndra-m out of employment.' 1 i . , "That is too bad; but perhaps I can help you. The clerk in our firm recently died, and ws.were gojng to advertise for another. If you would like the place you can Jyiv.o it." I was only too glad to accept the situation, and when ho namod my wages, which' were somewhat m advance of those I had received from the doctor, my joy was great ; for I had a mother and an invalid sister to take care- of, so that nl w dollar&'more per i week were of vast importance to me. I I had no¥ been a month in Harvey's employ when a circumstance occurred which made upon me a powerful impression — one which I shall never forget. I was seated alone in the office, writing, when Harvey ,came staggering in, as pale as deajbnV and, sank nearly breathless into & chair, near me. "Stranpje, Votv* grange," he muttered hoarsely. "Gny, did you ever know her to remain atvaj' from home so long before?" "WhoP" I inquired. "Miss Proone,," he answered. "Three weeks ago I called at the cottage, to learn that, she had gone to Hartford to visit a friend, and would be back in a couple of days. I have called at intervals of throw : dajus , ever since, and her brother tells me she has not come back. He. seems very much worried and -agitated. a%out the matter; says he is afraid something has happened to her. "What do you think?"

"Really, I do not know \Vhat to say. Has the doctor, or have you, written to the friend?" "The doctor wrote to her a \geek ago, i and showed me an answer — not from her friend, but from her friend's aunt' which the latter states that her, niece was dead, having died suddenly the day before Mary arrived, that Mary remained for the funeral, and then started for home." t "It is very strange," I said X somewhat startled by the young lawyer's story. "It does look as if something has happened." "It ' hats," he answered solemnly 1 ;' "but Heaven only knows what!" Both doctor and lover inserted advertisements in the 1 leading papers, but in vain, for information regarding the young girl w<ho had sp mysteriously disappeared. Harvey Graham went 'to Hartford, and saw the axint of Mary's friend — the person who had' written to the doctor. She (verified all had stated in the, letter, and warned the train in, which the young girl had started on her return. ' Following up the investigation, Harvey, ascertained, beyond a doubt, that Mary had arrived safely in* New , York at nightfall, and there. ,all further trace, of her was lost. . . Harv.e5 r became > almost distracted, but still hoped to hear of the young girl, But thp days, went wearily by, and there* was no news of the missing one. , . ' Somehow, scene of which I had a witness while in. .the. doctor's employ — the brother, his face darkened^ by passion^ grasping the' tUroat'.of h« sister; — kept J intruding itse.lf PA.,. W ftiind. , Tliifi/: 3v conjunction witb'^io fact that lier death would put lii'm .in possession .of, her property, gave birth to v a dark suspicion, whjch I vainly endeavoured to djsmisSj •. -T,he 'harder I .tried to banish itj the stronger it. became. In a word, I oonld not help asking myself, mentally, if the doqtor , had not murdered his sister, and 'made way with tlie body. } To no living soul, howevoh would I, relate a suspicion of thjs nature, not founded on stronger evidenco than I possessed. , Time went, on, and % poor Harvey foe'came paler and^ thinner every jay. T pitied him deeply,. 'foV hi? of* those affectionatp, clinging natures not oasy to recover from such r, biovv*. Three, months after tho' youns 1 : g'rl wis niissedj the half-decomJio.sed bod/ of a \v<iman was found m a drop -erode, nodr the eottow. Many of those who sa^v it declared that it was Mary Propue'p. Doctor Prnone, loolcin"; at tho cirrG^ ishrttred a ,on' fV»e Omulf'er— 'a Rmall eross — and turned g,s pale as death. :-\: -\ , '• ' ■ n *>lt is my sister!" lie said solemnly. '[This proves jt!" „ r t ,\ ' ■The no,r.sf»rwhp related tins, fact to ,np f^nid ho frTLsorrv fo^^tirc' no-'ir dv-c-tor, \vl\o ijoen.od io t.ike tlu» jjowi .'of his ftistor so'mueh to heart. J\.i ; Vo iVie,, ?ny brain felt as if it" wore' on iiro,' and still T would not declare- w.v sns- 1 jj^cinn, whioh h.-Cd ,pow •monldec) i.Wff talmost mt'o^ a cert'iirity aji t-i .Prooiie himself luivincf killod tfho younir girl. ; For njahy dixys I endeavoiii-ed ia-40-' cijcie' \Vl\efV-r. it was.'i i"-l't fc-r, :r.e>- rr 'lonrrer'^ew? ibv^ riupicu:p n, fJecetl jrhb^tly fj;ro,' ' atfcrnuat<'d , Formi "'ancJ'lliollow e^es. seemed to re^proach mo every time l I s^v tlieni. ' Meanwhile t hoard that.* Iw his rir>tM'*s dea.'^b,,. the dofto'r llad corno into possess ion of the <y»ttn£;o aiu] fivp thousand dollars. ,'.'•*', Again ? f c?ph 1 had ■vriti'rc^^d i« the' par tour came ap bpfore m^' f until r.iy' brain rqelcd and T could scarcely use my' pen. ' ' . ' '■ At last, thought T« tim dnc^r'lion yot his. sister's, money. I should think the'gold n*Qitld scorch him every tin»e ho handled jt, , The hi>u'it of itlietd^id «ne must haunt his jAiilty s.ovrt ,ih ' tliat lonely cottave., -H<>w jdtdj he.awVe'away"with her? l?y poison, doutitfess, as no mark of violence was found on tke bodyi \ . ;J " "• - Even while these reflections were "one /3ay passing through ray mind, there was a -knock, at tho-^'ioe. door. . Har--■vey/, whaf bosidqp. titiysblf'j' vrsaf at pro-? sent the only occupant of the room,. rsse and opened the ;dortr, to admit a /veiled lady" \ ' v She lifted ,the veil, there was a. mutual cry of '?oS r , and the twtati \vere in each other's armsl "My long-lost one!" garsped Harvey, cfivefinf.^Jhei* 1 face with ki*sos: ""is ii possible I see ymi a^ttin!" \ ' Yes, it was iiulecd Mary Procno, alive and-, pvelK * ( She stated' that on arriving nt New York she' went ohoard a ferry-lmat, to cross to, felnnd to Pipe, a friend, ore taking the cars 1 fork horn c. It "Was a dark She stood alone in tho forward part of the boat, lean in;; over the rail, when >a. roll- of. the vessel caused her to fall into, the" jvaceiv She threw out lier armw, oh reaching the fcvirface, to clutch a floating piece of timber. For hours she floated on toward the Narrows, and before dawn $he was out at sda. Luckily she was tljen seen by a' passing ship, which picked her up. A driving storm, however, was now raging, and the captain was forced fco scud before it for two days. . The vessel lost her topmasts, and becoming water-logged, floated a helpless wreck for a week. At the end of that time a French .vessel, bohnd for Havre, took in the crew and passengers, wlio were thus obliged to" gb to France aboard, tliis draft j \ Mary's Uardfihip and anxiety bf mind had » tlu-own her into a brain fever, and for a long tftne siio lay helpless in idie hospital at Havre. Many weeks passed after , her recovery, ore ghe was strong enough to return, home. * "We- were .sure 1 y oil were dead," said Harvey;' "a dead body was found in ra creek near your cottage, and your brother swore, from' the birthmark of » cross on the arm, that it was yours." , At this Mary coloured with shame and regret, to think that, for the sake of her money, her brother- would thus perjure himself over a 1 dead body; for there, was np such -marl^ on ' her arm^ she said,/and there never had been! .» Subsequent investigation, which, but for Mary's return, would doubtless never have been made, proved the corpse to have been that of a young servaiit-girl who had once or twice been seen prowling, intoxicated, about the village. Mary recovered her property. Her brother, eternally disgraced, left the cottage on the night *affter. her arrival there, and went atfay to Sian Francisco, where, in a den on Dupdnt Street, ho finally died.