he loved me to distraction. Once, in a moment of
intoxicating bliss, he swore to do whatever I commanded him, to test the
sincerity of his life; and I playfully and thoughtlessly bade him go and
kill himself for my sake. The words were forgotten by me, almost as soon
as uttered. Angelo supped with me that night, and when he took his
leave, he had never seemed gayer or happier. The next day, at noon, I
received a beautiful bouquet of flowers, and a perfumed billet-doux;
they were from Angelo. On opening the missive, I found that it contained
the most eloquent assurance of his sincere love--but, to my horror, in
a postscript of two lines he expressed his intention of destroying
himself ere his note could reach me, in obedience to my command. Almost
distracted, I flew to his hotel; my worst fears were confirmed. Poor
Angelo was found with his throat cut, and quite dead, with my miniature
pressed to his heart.'[4]

'Delightfully romantic!' exclaimed Josephine--'how I should like to have
a lover kill himself for my sake!'

But the brilliant eyes of her mother were suffused with tears. Just then
a servant in livery entered and announced--

'Dr. Sinclair is below, and craves an audience with Mrs. Franklin and
Miss Josephine.'

'Let him come up,' said Josephine, with a gesture of some impatience;
for, in truth, she was beginning to be tired of the rector, and longed
for a new conquest.

Dr. Sinclair entered with a constrained and gloomy air.

'My dear Doc,' cried Josephine, with affected cordiality--'how
opportunely that you called! I was just now wishing that you would
come.'

'Ladies,' said the Doctor, solemnly--'I have recently made a terrible, a
most astonishing discovery.'

'Indeed! and pray what is it?' cried both mother and daughter.

'It is that Mr. Edgar Franklin, whose death was so sudden and
unaccountable, was basely murdered!'

The mother and daughter turned pale, and losing all power of utterance,
gazed at each other with looks of wild alarm.

'Yes,' resumed the Doctor--'I have in my possession evidence the most
conclusive, that he met his death by the hands of a murderess, who was
urged to commit the deed by two other devils in female shape.'

'Doctor--explain--what mean you?' gasped Josephine, while her mother
seemed as if about to go into hysterics.

'In the first place I will ask you if you ever knew a woman named Mary
Welch?' said the Doctor; then after a pause, he added--'your looks
convince