Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-02-13


That. Monsieur Thevenet, is no 5usi-
ness of yours.'
First, sir, give me some reason for in
| fiicting 50 wanton a mutilation on yOu.''
Il cannot disclose the truth to you at
present; all shall be communicated in due
time. ALLOW me to ask you if you con-
slider me man of horor?r
"a man of honor does not present pis-
tol TO his surgeons head. l have duties to
perform even toward you, who are total
stranger t. me. Without it be strictly ne
cessary, Twill not consent to mutilate you.
you are bent on becoming the assassin
of an innocent father of q family fret"
"'Tis well, Monsieur Thevenet,' an
swered the Euglishman, taking up the pis-
tol, Il will not be your murderer, but L
will still compel you to remove my leg.
! What my entreaties have failed to obtain
what neither the hope of reward, nor the
! fear of death has succeeded in eXtorting
from ydu, l will owe to your passion.
will lodge a ball in my leg, here, before
your very eyes"
The young man sat down and deliber-
ately placed the muzzle Immediately above
his knee. Monsieur Thevenet rushed to-
ward him in hope of preventing hm from
elieciing his design. Stir from your seat"
exclaimed the Englshman, "and pull
the trigger. Answer me once more, will
vo1 put me to the needless pain--will you,
by your refusal, compel me to increase the
suffering have 70 endure?'
Sir, once more you are fool. But be
it as YOU wish--I consent to take il off,
The necessary preparations were soon
made. The leg was removed, and in a
tocrably short space Of time the patient
was restored to health. He gave his sur
geon munificent fee. and felt his esteem
for him increase each day. With tears Of
gratitude id his eyes he thanked him for
relieving him of his limb, and sailed for
England fully equipped with a wooden
| Lex.
About eighteen months after these events
Monsieur Thevenet received a letter from
| England to the following effect:
Enclosed is an order on Monsieur Pan
chaud of Paris, two hundred aud fifty
guincas, which beg you to accept in to-
Ken of my heartfelt gratitude. By Gepriv-
ing me of limb, which formed the sole
obstacle to my earthly bliss, you have rem
dered me the happest of morta!s! Best OF
men. at length shall you be made acquaint-
ed with the real grounds of what you were
pleased to term my mad whim.
shortly after my last return from the
East Indies, became acquainted with the
person of Emily Harley; fell desperately
in love with her. Her wealth and family
connections made my relations as eager
for the match as myself, though ] saw but
her beauty and angelic disposition. L
yoked myself to the car of her admirers
Alas my dear Thevenet, l was most for
tunate of all my rivals; she loved me-and
me only; she avowed her affections and re-
jected mel In vain did / press my suit,
in vain did her parents aud friends inter-
cede for me-she remained inexorabe.
"For a long time did / fail to discover
the cause of her refusal to become mine; 30
make one happy whom she owned to low
ing to distraction. At length one OF her
sisters revealed the mystery to me. Miss
Harley was a marvel of beauty, but, strange
to relate, was born with but one leg, ana
this blemish rendered her ayerse to be-
coming my wife, as she feared | might look
on her with aversion.
MY resolution was soon formed. de-
termined there should be no disparity be-
tween US, and, thanks to you, worthy
Theyenet, it exists no longer.
Il returned to London with my wooden
leg, and at once betook myselftO Miss llar-
ley. The report had circulated (set on foot
by a letter had previously dispatched to
Engand) that had injured my LEG by
fall from my horse, and that amputation
was necessary; became the object of uni
versal pity. Emily tainted away at our
first meeting. She remained for a long
time inconsolable, but at length consented
to our marriage. On the day after our
union did | for the first time disclose to
her the sacrifice | had made to gain her
hand Her love for me became even yet
more tender. Oh, Thevenet to obtain
my Emily | would even lose ten more legs,
without the least compunction or regret.
"My gratitude toward you can only end
with my life. Come to London and pay
us a visit; and when once you have seen
my angel wife, l defy you to say again
that am fool.
CHARLES TEMPLE"
Monsieur Thevenet showed the letter to
his friends, after having related all the pre-
ceding circumstances. and he never told
the story without a burst of laughter, as
he wound it up with, ''He is as much
fool as ever!'
The following was his answer to the
above:
'Sir Il am obliged to you for your
munifcencent present, for such L must
! term sum so much exceeding the value
D
of my humble services.
81 congratulate you on your marriage
with your accomplished cOuntrywoman.
True, leg is heavy price to pay for
tie possession ola fair and virtuous wife
yet not too heavy, if the result prove in
favor of the change. If cost Adam rib
from his body to be blessed with Eve;
many other men, since him, have lost their
ribs for their fair ones some even have
forfeited their heads.
Notwithstanding your protestations,
you must allow me to retain my original
opinion. Very probably you are right at
present, for you are still in all the rapture
Of the honeymoon. l am right, too, but
with this difference, that it requires time
to be convinced Of the justice of my opin-
ion for it is ever long ere we admit the
! truth of ideas that clash with our own.
''Have care, sir for strongly suspect
that ere two wears are flown, you will be-