THE EXECUTION OF CARL CADWALLER. 229 



would doubtless increase as she became less capable 

 of exerting herself. 



The prospect before him was a dark one, and 

 being very nearly driven to despair, and with misery 

 and want staring him in the face he made up his 

 mind to get rid of her. Accordingly having made 

 his arrangements and having laid his plans as he 

 thought most craftily, so that his wife should have 

 a certain part of a certain cold pie that they were 

 to have for dinner, and into which he had put some 

 arsenic, he on some pretence left home for the day, 

 and on his return found the house in an uproar, his 

 wife actually dead, and one of his daughters, of whom 

 he was particularly fond, under the influence of the 

 poison, from which she died soon after he arrived 

 at home. His plan had been that his wife alone 

 should get the poison, but, from some unforeseen 

 accident, the daughter got some of the part of the 

 pie which had been intended for the mother. Of 

 course there was a tremendous investigation of this 

 affair, and he was much suspected and almost con- 

 victed. No one, however, could actually bring any 

 proof against him, and he was let off. 



For some time he was in a very low and desponding 

 state, and having taken the death of the daughter, 



