Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-06-12
@uttester 9ailg Spy.
From the Home journal.
AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY,
FROM THE HUNGARIAN.



man, thus to steal the secrets of his wite-se-
crets which belong to her maidenhood alone
Is she answerable to me for her thoughts and
feelings before she became my wife? Should
be jealous Of the time when she scarcely
knew of my existence? But what if these let
tiers date since | have had a right to watch
over all her thoughts, to be jealous even Of
her circumstance she has been my wifeY
Il united the ribbon No one was there
no mirror near, to point out on my cheek the
mounting flush of shame. | opened one letter
after another, and read them all through to
the end.
ooh, that was a terrible hourr
Shall tell you what was in those letters !
The most despicable treachery ever practiced
against a man. My best friend had written
them-but in what tone? With what persua-
sive and passionate eloquence did he speak
therein? How he planned and counselled the
course a wife might take to deceive her hus-
band. And all these letters were dated since
our marriage-while had been so happy
find no words to picture what l experienced
when reading them 1t was a feeling like
the working of deadly poison. l drank this
poison to the last drop. l read every one of
those letters through by itself Then laid
them in order, bound them together covered
them with the lace, and locked the drawer.
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 to be with me again.
L allowed her to perceive nothing of the rev.
Olution which had taken place within me. We
talked together, supped together, and retired
as usual to our rooms, which were side by
side. | did not close my eyelids; awake, l
counted the hours. AS the first quarter past
midnight struck, | stood in her chamber.
Like a little angel in the midst of snowy
clouds, lay her lovely fair head in peaceful
slumber upon the dazzling white pillow. What
a mOnstrOus lie of nature, to lend to sin tea-
lures so innocent. l was as determined as
infeXible, as a monomaniac in his fixed idea.
The raging poison of jealousy had eaten in
to my soul Softly laid my hands upon her
throat, and suddenly pressed them together.
That moment she opened her large, dark-blue
eyes, saw me with amazement then closed
them slowly Shewas dead. She died without
having time to utter a word in her own de-
fence, peaceful as in dream. As l murder
ed her, she felt no anger against me. Only a
single drop of blood pressed out of her mouth,
fell on the back of my hand; where, you
know but too well.
She had no relation to inquire into the
sending out to my friends invitations to her
funeral until it was too late for any of them to
reach my place in time. No one upon my es-
tates had any suspicious of the truth Besides
was master; who had any right to question
me?
when all was over, and | was returning to
my home, my conscience was not burdened in
the least. She had deserved her fate.
thought of her no more.
'On reaching my home, found the count
ess, my wife's only female friend, just arriv-
ing. Like others, she had come after the
hour appointed for the funeral. She was
painfully agitated. Whether from sorrow or
sympathy, | knew not, but the words OF con-
ISOLATION with which she essayed to address me
were so confused that could scarcely under
stand them. At last she casped my hand
and said, i'll faltering tones, that she saw her.
self obliged to confide to me secret, which
she must entreat me not to reveal. She had
given my wife packet of letters to keep for
her-the contents were such that she dared
not to 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 words
With marked GOODNESS | asked her what these
letters contained. The countess shrank back
and answered. hastily
'"Oh, sir, your wife was more generous
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; it would have been impossible
for her to break her solemn promise"
Every WE'LL said /; show am l to know
these lettersY
'"They are tied together with rose-col-
ored ribbon, embroidered with silver
'''I will look for them Immediately"
with this l took my wife's keys in my
hand, and began to search for the packet
knew but too well where to find it.
'''Is this it ?" said l, at last, bringing it to
the countess.
'''Yes, yes. Only see, here is the same
knot l made; your wife never united it,"
dared not lift up my eyes-I feared the coun-
tess would read in them that | had Embossed it
ali, that l had gone further, and committed
a monstrous crime | took leave of her, eX-
cusing myself as well as l could. needed
to 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 of his rank. Had l been such a man,
| would deserve to have such a wife. But
my wife was an innocent, spotless angel who
loved me when l murdered her!
l remember nothing of what passed for
hours but this l know that when l returned
to consciousness, | was sitting on my wife's
coffin, in the vault. was not yet so insane
as to believe that | could awake her but I
wanted to speak to her. 1t seemed to me
she would hear my words:
s''By the true upright love with which you
once loved me; by the love which you took
with you for me down to the grave, 1 implore
you, have mercy on me, and avenge yourself
on me in this life Leave not my punish
ment to another world but let me suffer here
on earth-torture me, kill me! Wait not I'M
til am dead, but avenge yourself now"
Thus mady did l speak to the mortal re-
mains of my wife; whereupon l slept, or
rather swooned. l began to dream. Per-
haps it was no dream. | seemed to see the
lid of the coffin slowly open, and the form Of
my dead wife, resting therein, as slowly arise.
was on my knees before the coffin, my hand
resting on the side Her lips were pale, but
red drop of blood stood on them. Slowly
she bent over me, opened her eyes as she had
on that last time, and pressed kiss upon my
hand. The red drop which had hung on her
lips rested on my hand; she closed her eyes,
laid herself back again on her cold pillow
and the coffin closed over her.
''Not long after was awakened by fright
full pain, like the sting of a scorpion. | has
tened home 1t was still daylight; no one haC
noticed my absence or return. The blood haC
disappeared from off my hand, but in the spo
where the drop had rested, it was burning a,
if a corrosive poison had penetrated therein
This pain increased from hour to hour with
out ever ceasing. Even in sleep felt it.
I Il. - %,