The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-08-30
THE STREAM OF BLOOD.

Some years ance, my mother was Gamer
iera, or maid, - the Dnchessa B, in
Naples and have often heard from her
the details of a horrible occurrence which
partly came within her own knowledge. 1t
seems that the Duchessa had been too fond
of the Duca Before their marriage, and
during the life>of his first wife. Thus it
happened that not long after the birth OF
his son, she also had a son by him. 1t
would also seem that she had always de-
termincd one day to become his wife; and
when she thought of the time when she
should be the mistress Of his house, and
her son would not dare to show his head,
she used to become like one mad. and
vowed secretly that she would make her son
means by which she could approach the
duchino's cradle. There was no woman in
the wide world for whom the access would
be SO difficult as for herself. However, she
was woman of iron determination. By
dint of Disgusting herself in various ways,
she at last contrived pretext for getting
admission more than once into the apart
ment where he was put to sleep. During
these occasions she carefully studied the
position of the furniture, the height of the
window from the ground, the means of
reachipg it from without, and, moreover,
the exact dress of the child Having at
tired her own infant precisely il the man.
.ner; of the Duehino, and administered a
mild narcotic, she bound him closely to her,
SO as to leave her arms free then stealing
into the garden before the gates were closed
for the night, she hid herself and her babe,
soundly sleeping from the effects of the mar
cotic, in summer-house. Towards morn
ing, during the hour of soundest sleep and
intensest darkness, she crept from her
hiding place, and, cropping her way through
the bushes, climbed tree she had previ-
ously marked as suited to give her access
to the well-kDown window All succeeded
well the Duchino was removed from his
bed, and her own infant substituted /; but
in spite of all her precautions-in spite Of
the violent courage with which she even
brought herself to put her own breast to
his hated lips, the sudden cold of the stran.
gers handling disturbed him, and be would
not be paci6ed. Relying On her own great
skill, she had thought to take him home
and make him pass for her son. Now she
had suddenly to change her plans; with
one violent grippe she clenched his throat,
and all was still again-still in death
AS she relaxed her grasp, a stream of
blood gurgled up his loosened throat but
even this sight reused no pity in her relent-
less breast. Nothing but the hopelessncss
of concea!ment occurred to her. Powers
of hell, she mentally exclaimed, 81 have
done your bidding. Cannot you protect me
now p The blood gushed forth but when
she looked to see its stain on the ground,
poweress to eface it. to her surprise no
mark appeared. Delighted beyond express
sion at this strange success, she lost no time
in tying the dead infant's form by the same
bands which had served for her own; and
then letting herself down by the tree, she
passed the remaining hours in the summer
house alone with her victims corpse, and
finally stole home with him in the early
morning unperceived. 1t was easy to feign
horror and amazement at the pretended
discovery of her sons death, which was
ascribed to sudden fit in the night. She
had no accomplice, no conGdant, and so no
risk Of discovery Though tickle in his af-
fections, the duke had been sincerely at
tached to his first wife; and when prcpara-
tons were being made for his second mar
rage, he would not have the apartment
which had served for her given to another
There was a delicacy OF feeling about it
which no one could blame. Moreover, the
palazzo was roomy enough. But it SO hap
pened that for some fOrtuitous reason the
room which had served the young duke in
his infancy was the one now set apart for
the new duchess. The coincidence might
have startled weaker woman. She show
ed no emotion.
All went on smoothly till the anniversary
day of the heir s murder came round. That
night slight feverish attack kept her
awake; she turned restlessly from side to
side Towards morning she was lying with
her face towards the window; the moon
beam shone brightly on the floor; but in
the midst of the moonbeam something
CHASTITY met her eye-the very stream OF
blood which had disappeared so mysteri.
ously ten years before it weled up from
the ground and ran along the moonbeam.
She was still young vigorous woman
with plenty of nerve. Without hesitation
she jumped up and took towel to destroy
the trace but when she turned round, il
was no more visible. OF course she deter
mined never to sleep in that room again
Another was prepared by her orders, ant
for years nothing occurred to awaken he
sleeping conscience. But one day, the duk,
being called back to Naples by public at
fairs suddenly in the midst of his villeggia
tura, and she insisting On accompanying
him, the tragic apartment was, in the hur
ry of the moment, Inadvertently mad
ready for her. The third night of their ar
rival happened on the fatal anniversary
There was no moon that night; but thu
veilleuse revealed the same CHASTITY specta
Gle as on the previous occasion, and the
convicting stain again eluded her attemp
to staunch it. s.r
After this she was more careful than eve
to provide against the coincidence. 1t hap
pened, however, after another interval O
several years that great part of the palazz
was burnt down one night. Among tn
rooms that were spared, the only one fit 70
tho duchess was the one she stunned
There was no help for it.. Rather than be
tray any suspicious weakness, she accepted
the arrangement, even though the fearful
anniversary wasjust due. q.
Instead of exhibiting any instructive at
lection for his mother, the son Away
showed an inyincible aversion for her. Sh
repeatedly tried to win him by the mos
painful sacrifices !; but far from yielding
his detestation grew from day to day, an
by the time he was twenty he refused eve
to live under the same roof Thus emanci
mated from the restraints IF home no fa