Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-04-28
A STRANGE STORY.
ny EMERSON BENNETT.

In q Furnishing little town in Corsica,
there lived respectable merchant, named
! Cadmir BOrosse, He married a voung
and handsome lady of some fortune, and
IN the course of time became the father of
two promising children, daughter and
son. On the tenth anniversary of his
daughters birth, he gave splendid enter
tainmcnt ct his mansion, to which were in
V:ted many OF the leading families of the
place. Everything went of with sati,!ac-
ton to the guests, and those who drank
success to the supposed happy merchant
little dreamed that he was 90 the verge Ct
ruin. But such was the case. Some spee-
uIatlons which he had entered into had
taken en- unfortunate turn, and he himself
was aware that the secret could not long
be concealed, and that poverty would soon
be the doom of himself and family: and
| though he seemed on that night to he the
gayest OF the gay, yet weight Of sorrow
was upon his heart.
After the guests had departed, instead If
/ retiring to bed, he told his wife he had
some business letters to write, aud went to
/ little room, dsnominated a library. and
| locked himselfi in. Here he debated with
himself whether he should bolCly await
the fearful consequence of exposure, ruin,
| and Disgrace, or take his own life. or flee
from the country. After severe mental
struggle, he decided upon the last
I'll remain here, living man." he ar
gued, II shall be crushed and despised, and
never, perhaps, have an orpor,uritv ia
rise again if | take my life, / shall send
my soul in the presence of my Maker. with
at least seli-murderer's sin uuon il. hnt
If J Escape to foreign country, who knows
but the, wtth-the little means shall carry
with me, | may in time be able to carve
out q new fortune, and return in triumph
cancel every outstanding obligation ?"
Having thus decided upon his course, be
at once proceeded with the painful task of
acquainting bis wife, by letror, of what had
occurred, his new resolution, and bidding
her cad farewell.
Il have not the moral courage to meet
ard tell You of my misfortune,' he went on
to soy, "nor the moral courage to remain
and face my ruin. must depart to some
unknown region, either in this world Or
from it, and as my death can benefit no
one, do not feel called upon to add a
suicides SID to my soul, AS all Of cur cro.
perty will soon be seized and sold, which.
without other provisions, would leave you
and our dear children beggars, have re-
solved to retain all the money | now have
IN my possession, collect all possibly can
IN the brief space OF to morrow, place one
half at your disposal, aud, with the other
moiety, set of and attempt to retrieve my
fortune in a distant land. i'll succeed in
my design, will return and pay all nv
debts like an honest man; if fail, nv
creditors must lose. Let this letter be des-
troyed az soon as red11, end my nrniact he
profound secret In your breast alone
1t questioned, know nothing of me or nv
desigus, and be sure you let no one suspect
left you money. 1t you remain 10 Cor
sica, live as you would live if / had left
you nothing, and your own consciousness
of secret means will give you mental
strength"
These we're the principal points of the
letter, which concluded with protestations
Of eternal love and fidelity.
Having thus fully settled upon this
course, the merchant went to bed, fell a.
sleep, and slept as soundly as if nothing
had ever occurred to trouble him-by all
of which, it will be perceived, he was a
rather extraordinary man. The next day
he was at his counting-room, calm and
cool, and transacted his business in his usu-
al manner No one suspected him, for no
one knew his secret, which would net have
public exposure for at least four-and TWEEN
ty hours. He directed that certain bills
should be paid, and others be collected and
he borrowed, for the shortest time, a con-
siderable sum of a wealthy banker At
dusk he disappeared, and not until late
hour did his wife become uneasy concern
ing his absence. Going into his library.
near midnight, she found the letter ad
dress to her, of which we have already
given description. The shock was SO
terrible that she tainted while reading =
On coming to her senses, she finished the
epistle. and then, according to it's instruc-
tIons, committed it to the flames. The
money left her she alsJ secreted, resolving
to act in every way as advised by her hus-
band. 1t was long, painful night 10 her
and morning found her weighed down with
grief too great for words. Still she bore
up with wonderful fortitude, and those
who learned of her husbands absence at.
tributed her excitement and trouble to
her alaIm on his account. Of course she
knew not whittier he had gone, for this let.
ter did not state; and so, when questioned
on the subject, she could speak the truth
without embarrassment