The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-08-10
CHAPTER II

Inc following evening the gnTgcou apartments
Of the palace Of the Na'oni were thrown open to
the guests Of the bridal The rrincrIy and the
noble the talented and The beautiful the sCulp-
( tor The painter the scholar, men Of genius aud
Of rank thronged thilcr, for the Prince gave out
| invitations TO embrace all who usually had the
| honor of visiting him. At o'clock the more IA
vored guests the relations Of the bride and bride
! groom attended them into the private chapel Of
| the palace, where the ceremony was to be perfor
med. The Countess had been laughed out oi her
fears on account fhcr dreams by her friends, and
encouraged By the cardinal To whom she had
made confession Vet she approached tie altar
with pale cheek, and unsteady step glancng
with n tlmd look on every side, as if she expect
| ed 10 behold start before her gaze, some fearful
! pactro! The Cardinal opened the Nasal and bade
( them kucsi Aroutd .h"m stood gentlemen,
relations Of The Prince, whom to relieve her fears,
he had stationed near her person To protect her
| from any danger that might menace Each of
these gentlemen held in his hand naked sword,
nor did they once take theireycs from the bride
The rumor that something was anticipated that
night to interrupt the ceremony had been buzzed
about, and the thrung OF guests who had been ad-
mitted into the chapel crowded close around the
'ltar The cardinal began the service The
! Prince and Countess wc-e kneclinv al his feet,
and the former WAS about to place the ring upon
/ her finger, when gtteriug stilctto, grasped in
u naked arm descended from behind into the bo.
som Of the bride! The Countess gave wild
shrek and fell into the arms of the Prince
So instantaneous was the blow with the ap.
pcarance Of the arm thrust through cloak that
there was ma time to warn--no time to defend
her But ere the dagger was withdrawn, the
hand Of the assassin fell To the ground cleft at
the wrist, by the sword of one Of the gentlemen
The chapel was simultaneously filled with horror
The ASSASSIN in the cummotion had instantly fall.
en- back and bid himself amid the throng Tho
loss of his hand had given advantage vi escape as
its fall to the ground and flow of blood, drew the
attention otthe others for an instant from him
Seize him !" cried the Prince He cannot ga.
cape lie will be detected by the loss othis hand
| Close all the palace doors and guard them Well :
He must not escape"
! The excitement was now intense, Every man
looking ut his ncighbor with honor and suspicion
and each shrinking ut the idea OF bleeding AS
sassr ungng among them.
! at is q woman hand, by heaven ~ cried Cour;
Parma, the cavalier who had severed il, and a
wellbo womans too - And he held up 10
view, a very exquisey formed female hand, the
drops ofcrlmson gore staining It's blue yeinGd skin
and contrasting its whtoness The fingers were
singularly symmetrical, and on ore Of them was
II ring of peculiar setting.
"Ihe ring" exclaimed the Count, will detect
the murderer See, your hishncss, 1t Is a ruby
set with turquoise -
The Prince glanced Mt the ring graspcd ut I
wildly uttered a dhcp groan, and sunk scnscIese
by the side of his dead bride,
The murderer was nowhere TO be found in the
chapell No traces of blood being visible in any
OF the apartments beyond the altar, aud the whole
affair remained wrapi in mystery
Count Parma" said the Prince, in diStrossot
tone, having been recovered from his swoon, the
chapel being by this time cmptied of all the
guests. give mo that hand which you have cast
upon the altar for public recognition !"
The Count ohsyed, gxing upon the Prince NJ
cnquiriug gaze io', nswcll as many present, nov
believing that he could tell better than any one
the history of the beautiful hand
The Prince took it and gaZcd upon it with
look Of painful interest, and then removing th,
ring, placed 1t to the woNdcr Of all, upoI
the answering finger of the dead Countess, muir
murng, Nevertheless thou alone art my weddeC
wife, He then placed the hand upon the altar
aud kissing his murdered bride upon the cheek
left the chapel
That night the Prince Of J. died Their
was no wound upon his person nor was thcr
found any signs of poison He was ontombed BY
the side Of his intended wife, the Countess di Va
lon
This cxtraorpinary assassination, with the m
dcriul escape OF its perpotrator, the sudden dca
Of the Prince Of d, and the marvellous eli
cuns.apce Of the severed hand, which vaa place