found his son, but learned that the father had gone up the coast on
business, to be absent several days. The son took the letter, broke it
open, and read it. He told me to say to the colonel that his father was
absent and had written to him that he intended starting home in a few
days, probably by the next boat. I went back and bore the message. The
lawyer who had given me the letter cursed me for permitting the son to
open it. The colonel turning over on his bed, and fastening his eyes
upon the enraged attorney, with a mingled expression of anger and
despair, said,

"I am gone, there is no hope for me. I see, I see, they have robbed me
of my property, my papers, poisoned, and then forsaken me. I have not
much more confidence in you than in the rest."

"My dear colonel," said the implicated sycophant, "do you think I would
ever treat so basely a client so liberal and worthy as yourself," at the
same time wiping his cheek as if a tear had been started by such an
unkind imputation.

He then requested me to go for Mrs. B., and tell her, he requested her
presence at the hospital. I went in search of the wife, but did not meet
with her. I found some ten or fifteen of the band awaiting her return.
Night came on, and she had not yet made her appearance. I perceived they
were in great perturbation.

This same day my room had been changed to a small apartment in close
proximity with the one occupied by Mrs. B., separated only by a thin
board partition. About two o'clock at night she came home, accompanied
by two females. One left in a few minutes, as she had company waiting
for her at the door. The other remained and entered into conversation