Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-08-01


concealed himself in a tenement, belonging
to himself, at some distance from his abode
in Alcazor, which was devoted 10 the doub-
lc purpose of laboratory and dissecting
room. He had taken no person into his
vengeance, and he listened to his own coun-
sell
At dark on the following evening he is
sued forth, muflled to the eyes in woman's
mantle hood, and left note at Don Alva's
habitation, containing an embroidered glove
of IsabclIa's, and these words:
"I have obtained the key to Vesale's la
boratory during his absence. BE at the
gate an hour after midnight, and you will
be admitted on pronouncing the name Of
Isabella"
The assignment was promptly kept by
Don Alvar. At an hour past midnight he
left his house, alone; but he never returned
to it. Whittier he had gone none could
say, nor could any trace of him ever be dis
covered. 1t was supposed he must have
missed his footing, and fallen into the
Guadalquiver, near which his abode was
situated, and that his body had been swept
by the waves into the ocean
Such an occurrence was calculated to.
produce great sensation in the place where
it had happened; and Yesale, recalled
three weeks after by the illness of his wife,
found the disappearance of Don Alvar the.
theme of every tongue. The altered APP
pcarance of Isabella was attributed, by We
sale, to grief for the mysterious absence of
Don Alvar, and that conviction took from
him all pity for her sufcrings.
! 1t chanced to be the festival of Santa
Isabella, and to do honor to her patron
saint, as well as celebrate the return of her
dress, and seating herself by an open case
ment that overlooked the Alvar gardens,
she watched for his coming but whilst her
eyes were yainly fixed upon the path by
which she expected him to appear, a hand
was laid on her shoulder, and, turning
round, she beheld Vcsale standing by her
side.
"I have ordered the supper to be laid in
my study" said he; and taking her by
the hand he led her away to the room in
question, dismissed the attendant, and
closed the door Everything wore fes-
tive air, yet the repast was cheerless. Per-
ceiving that she had tasted nothing, Vesale
poured a few drops from tho vial of elixir
in cup of Malaga wine, and presented it
to her
"Drinll this" said he, 'it is sovereign
cure for the complaint you are suffering
from"
"Pledgc me in the draught," she returned,
filling a goblet from the same flask, and
handing it to him, and it will bring a
quicker healing to me. Let us drink to
our absent friend, Andre"
Vesale accepted the offering, and they
cmpticd their goblcts together.
"Talking of friends" said he, and sud
denly fixing his eye upon her, you have
not spoken to me of Don Alvar de Soils
Are all the hopes of hearing from him re-
linquished? He was a braggart and a lib.
ertine, and boastcd that no woman ever re-
sisted his seductions, that no husband ever
suspected the injury he was preparing for
him"
Then grasping his wife by the hand, he
led her up TO n door at the further end Of
the room, and throwing it wide open, re-
vealed to her view a skeleton suspended
within, holding in one of his bony hands
one of her embroidered gloves.
Behold" he said, pointing to the
ghastly spectacle, 'thc gallant and bcauti-
full Don Alvar de Soils, the object of your
guilty love-contcmplatc him well, if tho
sight can render your moments happier, fol-
you are about to die, too-the wine [ have
given you was poisoned ~
When the last dreadful sentence, and its
more dreadful illustration burst upon hei
affrighted senses, she became paralyzed
with excess of emotion, the scream that had
arisen to her throat, died there in strang
ling murmur, and sinking fell bacl; as ono
dead upon the arms of Yesale
She was not dead, however; he had moi
poisoned her; that crime he had hcsitateo
to commit, yet he was none the less hel
murderer. Conyulsion followed convulsior
and atlast she died and in that .suprcm,
moment, the hour that preceded death
her husband, who had never quilted her
beheld those phenomena which sometime
attend the dying. Awakening from tor
! pid slumbcring, consciousness and memor,
returned at once, and with them cain
and courage she had never possessed in he
life,
!, !" Andre" said she, fixing her eyes upoI
: her husband, 9" i am dying by your hand
|, yet am innocent; never wroneed yo,
. by thought or deed Don Avar pursuet
me with his love and threats but repulset
him. never loved but you. / fcare,
and honored you as much as loved Blu
[ dared not tell you of his pursuit. Oh
Andre, believe my words; tho dying dea
) not in falsehoods! Should be thus cain
. were ouilty?"