The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-08-14
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KENOsHA WISCONSIN, THURSDAY, AUGUST IA, 1862.


too often experiences an insane desire to lool
/ for pain.
INV wife had a little workable the drawer
| of which she kept invariably locked. l haC
often noticed that she had never left it open
never by any chance, had forgotten to take ou'
the key. This through began to trouble me
! what had she to conceal from me? ! was GER
tainly beside myself. I believed in her inno-
/ cent countenance, her clear eyes, her kisses and
embraces no more. What if these were but
parts of the deception?
zone day the countess visited US. She came
to take my wife home with her, Overwhelming
| her with persuasions to 90 and spend the whole
! day with her Our estates lay not far distant
| from one another, and gave my wife prom
I Use 10 follow her soon
Scarcely had the carriage left my courtyard
| when | collected together all the keys could
! fnd and with them sought to open the closed
drawer At length found one
1 IN looker-on would have taken me, as ]
drew out the drawer, for one who for the hrs'
| time in his life was about committing theft
was azthief, opening lock to steal from
weak woman her secrets
'My hands trembled as came in contact
with the different things in the drawer, but !
carefully avoided creating any disorder that
might betray my presence. Suddenly my breast
seemed as if crushed in by iron bands; felt
on the point of sutfocating Under roll OF lace
lay packet of papers quick as thought my
heart whispered they We're letters ut the first
glance any one would have known them to be-
ioUe-iettcTs. " t4Va
THE packet was boand together by rose
cOored ribbon, embroidered with silver. AS
touched the ribbon I thought Is this right 2
Is it not unworthy Of an honorable man, thus
to steal the secrets of his wife-secrets which
belong to her maidenhood alone? Is she an
swerable to me for her thoughts and feelings
before she became my wife Should | be jeal-
Gus of the time when she scarcely knew of my
existence? But what ifthese letters date since
| have had right to watch over all her
thoughts, 10 be jealous even of her dreams
since she has been my wife q
II united the ribbon. No one was there no
mirror near to point out on my cheek the mount
ing flush of shame. | orened one letter after
another, and read them all through to the
end.
Oh that was terrible hour
'sShall | tell you what was in those letters
The most despicable treachery ever practised
a man My best friend had written them-but
in what tone with what persuasive and
passionate eloquence did he speak therein
How he planned and counseled the course
wife might take to deceive her husband And
all these letters dated since our marriage
while l had been so happy find 10 words
TO picture what / experienced on reading them
1t WAS feeling like the working Of deadly pol
SON ] drank this poison to the last drop. |
read every one of those letters through by itself.
Then l laid them in order, bound them togeth-
er, covered them with the lace, and locked the
drawer.
~ was certain that my wife, if l did not go
for her, would hasten home before evening"
And SO it was. How quickly she sprang from
the carriage and ran toward me; how she EN-
braced me, how she kissed me How happy
she was 10 be with me again
~ allowed her to perceive nothing OF the
revolution which had taken place within me-
We talked together, srppcd togetner, and retLr-
ed as usual to our rooms, which were SIDE by
side | did not close my eyellds awake, l
counted the hours As the first quarter past
midnight struck, stood in her chamber Like
little angel in the midst of:nowy clouds, lay
her lovely lair head in peaceful slumber upon
The daZzHDg white pillows What monstious
lie of nature to lend to sin features so innocent
J WIS determined rs inhexible. as a mono
maniac in his fixed idea. The raging poison OF
Jealousy had eaten into my soul. Softly LAID
my hands upon her throat, and suddenly l
press d them together That moment she open
ed her large dark blue eyes,saw me with amaze,
then oscd them Slowly. She dead. She
died without having had time 10 utter word
in her own defence, peaceful as i'll a DREAM
As | murdered her, she felt no anger toward
ne. Only single drop of blood pressed out
OF her mouth fell on the back of my hand;
where you know but to well.
She had no relations to inquire into the cause
Of her death and purposeIy delayed sending
out to l,y friends invitations to her funeral I'M
i'll it WAS too late for any OF them TO reach my
place in time. No one upon my estates had
CfF ~ ,,rh HKy0g, 1aS
ter who had any right TO question me
"When all WAS over, and | was returning to
my house, my conscience was not hurdened in
the haat. She had deserved he, fate. | thought
Of her no more.
On reaching my home, found the countess
my wjle's only female friend just arriving.
Lake others, she had come after the hour apn
pointed Tor the funeral. She was painfully ag-
itated. Whether from sorrow or sympathy, l
know not, but the words of consolation with
which she essayed to address me, were SO con
fused that l could scarcely understand them.
At last she clasped my hand. and said, iii falt-
ering tones, that she saw herself obliged TO con
fide to me q secret, which she must entreat
me not to reveal. She had given my wife
package Of letters to keep for her the contents
were such that she dared not keep them by her
she had now to beg me TO return them to her
An icy shudder went through ME as she spoke
these wolds With marked GOODNESS l asked
her what those letters contained, The countess
shrank back and answered, hastily:
ooh sir your wife was more genersu5 than
YOU When she took those letters into her care
She did not ask what they contained, but gave
me her word to guard them well, and am sure
she has kept her pledge. She had noble soul;
il would have been impossible Tor her to break
her solemn promise
VERY WE'LL said /; how am to kno"
these letters"
""Tbey are tied together with rose color
ed ibbon embroidered with silver
IL will look for them Immediately"
"WtE this / took my wife's keys in my
hand and began to search for the packet l
knew but too well where to find It.
is this il % said I, at last, bringing it to
the countess.
Yes, YES. Only see, here Is the same knot
made: your wife never united it. dared
not lift IN nv eyes-I feared the countess
would read in them that had had it Embossed
all, that had gone further, and committed
a monstrous crime took brief leave OF her,
excusing myself as well as I could needed
10 be alone. The countess returned home
Her husband was in all his actions mean and
brutal; his tastes were low and wholly I'M
worthy his rank Had been such man,
l would deserved to have such wife: But
my wife was an innocent, spotless angel, VINO
| loved me when l murdered her
/ l remembered nothing of what passed fol
/ hours but this | know that when returned
to consciousness, was sitting on my wife
coffin, in the vault, was not yet so insane
as to believe that l could awake her, but
wanted to speak to her. 1t seemed to me she
would hear my words:
"By the true upright love- with whleh yo5
once loved me; by the love which you tooi
with YOU for me down to the grave, implorF
you, have mercy on me and avenge yourself o.
me in this lifer Leave not my punishment t,
another world, but let me suffer here on cart 1T.
torture me, kill me! Wait not until al
dead, but avenge yourself now"
Thus madly did speak to the mora. r.. ,atb
mains Of my wife; whereuPon sieP5 r Oh I's'
; er swooned l began to dream; 81; 10" Of tb,
was no dream. 1 seemed to see lho INV dea,
coffin slowly open, and the ITl misc wa
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