COLUBIA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3103, 4 June 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

COLUBIA.

LOTI.V [III.DHETII Jtf TIIE Albany Prkss.] " DisPATt'ii, doctor!" I opened the envelope and read:—■ " Vly daughter is very ill. Disease unknown. Come at once.—Helen

Trevor." I had never met Mrs Trevor, though her name was familiar to me as that of a widow of large fortune and high social position, residing with her daughter upon a handsome estate a few miles from town. I found Mrs Trevor in a state of the deepest anxiety ami distress. Her daughter had been ill for some weeks already, and was "rowing slowly and steadily worse every clay. The disease, which seemed a strange painless decline of strength, without visible cause, had baffled the utmost skill and experience of the physicians. None of them could even give it a name, and one after another they had retired confessing their defeat. She had heard of me, she said, in connection with some remarkable cures. I promised to do my best. I was shown to Miss Trevor's room. She was about eighteen, and, despite her languor and paleness, one of the most beautiful beings I had ever seen. After a long and anxious examination, I, too, was compelled to acknowledge my complete ignorance of the nature of the malady from which she was suffering. I could detect no fever, no organic disease —nothing but a slow fatal sapping of the vital forces. While I was questioning the girl there was a cautious rap at the door, and a voice in quired: " May I come in, dear Helen?" What wa.i there in that voice that affected me disagreeably? I am not given to fancies, but something in those smooth persuasive tones chilled me like a note of warning. I saw the person who had spoken —the impression was deepened. She was a woman of twenty-six or eight, tall and slender of figure, pale of complexion, with very light hair and prominent features. Her eyes! I had never seen such eyes in a human countenance ! They were of a dull blue, so faint as to be hardly discernible from the surrounding whites ; and when her face was in shadow they seemed to disappear in a sort of greenish haze. The effect was not pleasant. This person was introduced to me as Miss Misane, a cousin of Mrs Trevor's deceased husband. xVs she leaned over the sick girl's couch, touching the laces about her neck with her long, gaunt fingers, I had an ugly idea that those fingers would gladly clasp the soft, white throat and press the frail young life out of the body. It was an absurb fancy, and I banished it, with a smile at my own folly. But I could not help it—l had taken a strong dislike to the woman, and I was relieved when Mrs Trevor invited me into her boudoir. Perplexed and ill ac ease, I was listening to the poor lady's gossip without heeding her words, until I was suddenly aroused feoin my reverie by an important sentence. "If my poor girl dies Martha Misane will inherit the whole of Mr Trevor's fortune." I started and looked at her with a strange thought taking shape in my mind. " The whole of your husband's fortune," I repeated mechanically. " Yes. She in his only blood relation. Aside from my dower, the estate would go to her—nearly a million."

I rose to my feet and moved rostlossly about the room. Turning abruptly to Mrs Trevor, I said : " I do not at present profess to understand the malady with which your daughter is affected. With you permission, I will send a word to ray assistant in town, and remain here where I can give my attention to Miss Trevor." Mrs Trevor clasped my hand in the fulness of her gratitude, and departed to give the necessary directions for my installation in the house. I watched Martha Misane's furtively as my intention was announced. Was it imagination, or did I catch a quick, malignant gleam in the glanoe she cast at me ? For the next two weeks I gave my whole time to studying my patient—and watching Miss Misane. Wild as it seemed, I had come to believe firmly that if I were eventually to overcome the disease which was surely draining the young girl's life, it must be through discoverinc; Martha Misane's secret. One morning, after a night disturbed by harassing anxiety, I arose early and went downstairs to walk in the extensive grounds surrounding the dwelling. I had supposed that all the inmates beside myself were still asleep ; but on turning into a path in a distant corner of the garden I came suddenly upon Miss Misane, bending over a flower-bed which she seemed to be weeding. She wore thick gloves and carried a small box in her hand. She seemed strangely agitated at the sight of me. She dropped the box and stood gazing at me in positive terror. I asked myself what it was she feared I hac discovered. " You are a devoted gardener," ] remarked, at the same time casting my eyes about to catch, if possible some sign of what she had beer engaged in. " Yes," she stammered, con fusedly, " I love flowers." " That is a very peculiar plant, I said, pointing to a low, odd-look

ing shrub over which she had been bending. " What is its name 1 I have nev: r seen anything like it before.'' Her agitation increased as I approached the plant. "I—yes—it is very peculiar as you say. It it a native of Java, I believe. The seed was given me by a friend who brought it from the East. It is called Coluber, the Snake Plant." While she had beeu speaking I had bent over the plant in turn, and stretched out my hand to touch it. She übterod a suppressed exclamation, and seemed about to restrain ray arm. "It is unsafe to handle it without gloves," she said in an almost inaudible voice. "It is said to irritate the skin." "Poisonous?" I queried, drawing back and looking at her. "Oh, no," she replied quickly,

" not poisonous ! Oh, dear, no ! Only irritating." With ray mi ad full of new suspicion, or rather with a new direction of the old suspicion, I bowed politely and resumed my stroll. But ns soon as I saw her outer the house I returned to the spot and examined the Coluber closely. It was au evil-looking thing. The leaves wero thick and fleshy, shaped somewhat like a serpent's head, and covered with venomous - looking brown spots. Here and there, botweenths opposite pairs of tholeaves, were small green globes, about the size of a pea ; no doubt the fruit of the shrub. I struck one of them off with ray cane, and I crushed it upon the ground. A black viscid fluid escaped, while a strange suffocating odour diffused itself through the air. It was an odour not to be forgotten, and so oppressive that I was glad to leave the spot; but I did so fully determined to keep an eye upon Miss Misane's gardening operations. At early dawn on the following morning I quietly left the house and concealed myself in the shrubbery opposite the bed containing the Colubia. I had not long to wait. A soft cat-like tread warned me of her approach. She carried the same box I had noticed on the previous morning, and wore the same thick gloves. Pausing before the Colubia she glanced cautiously around. Apparently satisfied that she was not observed she plucked one of the green berries I have described and put it into the box ; keeping it, as I saw, at the utmost distance from her face. Then hurried away. As soon as she was out of sight I stepped from my place of concealment and likewise cue off one of the berries, which I secured in a small vial I had about me. Then I. too, returned to the house. Going to my room I sat down to examine my specimen of Coluber. With the means of analysis which I had at hand, I was unablo to discover anything as to the properties of the berry, and was about to give up the task for a time, when I happened to observe on a plate a piece of bread from my last night's supper, which had been served in my apartment. Breaking off a small fragment. I squeezed a drop of juice upon it. I went to the window and looked out. Just bolow me a stray fowl was scratching in the edge of a garden bed. I tossed the morsel within the reach of the bird, who swallowed it promptly. I awaited the result with breathless anxiety. For some moments longer the oreature continued its search for food ; then it appeared to grow uneasy. Its eyes closed, its wings drooped, and its head fell upon its breast.

Suddenly it dropped in a heap and lay motionless. I had discovered the properties of the Coluber. I had discovered Martha Misane's secret. 1 now knew the disease from which Edna Trevor was slowly dying. With a reeling brain and quickly beating heart I fell into a chair, and remained a long time motionless, utterly overcome with my hideous discovery. Then with my resolution formed I rose and went downstairs. Edna was awake by this time, and I entered her room to inquire how she felt. With a sad, patient smile she informed me that, she was even worse than the

day before. "No matter," I replied, confidently, " from tliis day forth you will get better." " Thank Heaven," said the eager voice of Mrs Trevor, who had entered the room behind me. " But are you quite sure doctor V " I am," I answered, firmly. " I have discovered the nature of the disease, and can cure it." At this moment Martha Misane came in, bearing in her hands the breakfast, which, as usual, she had prepared for Edna. She placed the ;ray beside the girl's bed, and assisted her to sit up. As Edna was about to take the soup which tha woman offered her I checked her, and, lifting the soup to my face, smelled at it. As I had expected, the faint odour of the Coluber was plainly evident. " We will begin the cure by rejecting Miss Misaue's soup, which is not good for you." With n ghastly face, the woman leaned ,helplessly on the bed, returning my gaze with a stare of abject fear. " Will you give me a few moments' conversation with you," I said to her politely, but with a look which she understood. She followed me silently into an adjoining room and sank into a chair while I closed the door. "You see," said I, facing her, " that your secret is discovered. For the sake of gaining your cousin's inheritance, you have been elowly poisoning his child with small doses of Coluber,

whose infernal properties vou have learned, I know not how. "Mercy! Mercy!' 1 wailed the woman, covering her faco with her hands I replied sternly, " What mercy havo you shown this innocent girl and loving mother ? But for their sakos there shall be no scandal Leave this house within one hour ; and mark, if hereafter you date show a sign of your existence, you shall receive the punishment I now with-hold, Go." Trembling she crawled out of tho room, and within the stipulated time she had departed, and was never heard of again. Prom that day Edna gained rapidly in strength, and in a month had regained her full health, and beauty.