American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-11-07
An Extraordinary Story.

|
| the other day. In a town not far from
| London there lived young lady who was
| handsome, tolerably wealthy. and more
| than usually well educated. Her father
was an invalid; her mother was an in
| sipid, cold and heartlcss woman. Two
years ago IL physician of London was
called to attend the father; in this way
the young lady saw him. He paid no
attention TO her-his mind was engrossed
with his professional duties. A few
weeks ago this doctor, after paying a
visit to his patient, was somewhat sur
prised by being asked by the young lady
to give her the favor of a private inter
view. She took him into a drawing room
and led him to the further end of the
apartment. Doctor" said she, . sup
pose that gentlemen of your profession
are accustomed TO receive strange conf
denceS. / have confession to make to
you" He supposed that the impending
confession had something to do with the
state of her own health or with that of
her father, and he begged her to proceed.
g You will, however, be scarcely prepared
for what | am about to say" she con-
tinued. But | wish you to hear it. 1t
is now just two years since | first saw
you. You have scarcely ever exchanged
IA word with me, but l have learned
much about you. am not mistaken in
believing that you are unmarricd?"
NO" said he, ~ am not married"
"And your affections are not cngaged?"
You scarcely have the right to ask
that" said he.
well, then" she replied, will not
ask it, but | must make to you my con
fession. l love you with all my heart.
| wish you to marry me. l loved you
from the first moment l saw you. / said
| TO myself, | will wait for two years-if
l.. II
say. You have not spoken; and now |
speak l say l love you with all my
heart: you are necessary for me; will
you marry me?"
The doctor, who, although not a very
young man, was twice the age of the
young lady, recovering little from his
surprise, tried to turn the matter Off as Il
Joke; but the young lady was very
serious.
No." said she, Il am in very sober
earnest. | know all that you may say or
but | cannot help it. l ask you once
more, can you love me, and will you
marry meg"
in sober earnest, then" he replied,
Il cannot marry you"
"Thcn | shall die" said she, very
calmly, and she left the room.
The doctor had heard people say be
fore this that they should die, and he
left the house without attaching much
importance to the prophecy, although
wondering greatly ut the other portion
of this interview.
A few days after this the young lady
was found dead in her bed. Two letters
laid upon her dressing table. One was
addressed to her family solicitor. 1t re
called to his mind a promise he had made
her. She had gone to see him, and had
asked him TO make out for her Il paper
transferring the whole of her property to
"A person whose name she would not then
give him. He was to prepare the neces-
sary paper and send it to her to fill up
| the blanks and to sign. She had done
this, and she now inclosed the paper,
filled up and signed. Every penny of
her property was given to the doctor, and
the solicitor was instructed to make the
| transfer to him. to ask no questions, and
| to take no receipt. The other letter was
to the doctor. " | told you should die, "
| said she, land when you receive this |
| shall be dead. For ten days have taken
no food nor no drink; but that does not
kill me, and now | have taken poison.
have no reproach to make to you, but |
could not live without your love. When
| l am dead, look at my heart. You will
see your name there. i have two re
quests to make of you. Go to my solicit
or ana take what ne mas lOr you, ana
then go off on "A holidayto italy for Il few
months. The other request is that you
| never ask where | am buried, and never
come TO my grave"
There was Il P0st-mortCm examination
made of the young lady's body. On her
breast, over her heart, deeply imprinted
| in the flesh, were the initials of the doc
| tors name. The characters seemed TO
| have been made there two or three years
before. They were probably imprinted
| by her own hand on the day when she
| first saw him.-London Cor. N. Y.
GfaDLic