The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-11-05

ana since; what profession he followed
at Lne moment of his addressing me
really had no idea. ''And ArebeIIa Vas
one on. OF my patients. But she was no or
uIhary patient. She was something
more much more than that. She was
,or while my affialced bride. I loved
nef' and she Loved meat least we
'nough5 that we loved each other"
And you didn't? ?"
Well, we didn't, as it happened
iIVe each other quite so much as we
thought we did. In fact. both were dc
appointed, and perhaps a trifle deceiva5
Sale thought had money I hadn't
had been told that she was an beirass
wen, she was nothing of the kind. Sill
am man of integrity, though Won
may not think it. had promised mar
mage fully purposed to be as good
as my word. The idea of Terminating
our engagement did not come from me
Du5 Araoella's temper was imperfect
she was far from patient; she was am.
Ditlous, and, l must add, avaricious and
deceitful. She trifed with me. She
stlll held me enchained, but she encour-
aged the addresses of another and a
wealthier suitor. She designed to en-
ploy me merely as a means of irritating
MS jealousy, and of stimulating him to
declare himself. Then I was to be flung
aside as something worthless, because I
had served her purpose and was done
with. In good time I discovered her
treachery. l had intercepted her let
ters-no matter how and I knew all
But OF that she entertained no sort of
| suspicion. She had always fond smiles
for me, and false words and artificial
! caresses. 1t was maddening. Well, she
was, as l have said, my patient and
she suffer ed much from toothache. She
came to men order that I might extract
tooth that panied her. It was ar
ranged that the operation should be
performed under the influence of chic
roform."
He paused.
&C But surely you didn't"
Hear me ont, he said, and he
smiled, I thought, horribly. cit was
accident, of course, pure accident. 1
was dreadfully nervous. Was that sur
! prising? I loved her, and she was
amazingly beautiful. It was accident,
as L have said, or call it, if you will, an
error of Judgment, but nothing worse
than that, as you value my friendship. 4"
| CAS- matter of fact did not value his
friendship in the slightest degree, but
did not say so) "My conduct, I do
assure you, was strictly professional. I
| did not even kiss her but I extracted
the wrong tooth"
'That was your vengeance" inter
iected.
"No. She said so; but it wasn't
| true. I extracted, as I believed, the
| tooth she had pointed out, desiring me
| to extract it. Was it nv fault, that it
was perfectly sound tooth, and front
one, too She said it was but women,
! you know, are not reasonable in such
cases. I was a dentist then, with a rep
utation to lose; was a lover then,
| though deceived one. However, there
was no pacifying Arabella. She was
! persuaded that I had done it on pur-
pose. She was most violent. She had
predetermined on "a quarrel with me,
although she had not perhaps fixed up
on the precise period for its occurrence.
Well, she brought in on then. It was
an awful scene. How she abused me
What language she permitted herself
How she screamed What Mysteries
she went into However, the tooth was
out, there was no mistake about that. I"
Here he smiled again, most malevo-
! lently, as it seemed to me.
"Her treachery toward me was pun
! ished, although, as L have stated, by
pure accident or error of judg-
ment, which you please. But
| Arabella vowed vengeance against me.
In that respect am bound to say she
| had been as good as her word. It's no
thanks to her that I am living to speak
of these things tonight"
"Then You really believe that she
let fall the opera-glass on purpose ?"
al am quite satisfied of it. She
meant nv death. She knew I was there.
1 I r,E
her box, and taking note of my position.
was just thinking of changing It, sus-
pectinC what might happen, when l
| was struck down. Arabella is a woman
| who knows what she is about. She was
sIways that kind of n woman. l know
! her. I've good reason to. And it's not
| the first time she's planned to punish
me as savageIy as she could. You did
not know until to night perhaps that one
of my eyes was artificial No natur-
ally YOU didn't. Well, that was her
! doing"
"What ? The artificial eye?'
"Don't be SO stupid, he said, rude
! Iy. No doubt I had been rather OBJ
| tuse but I had heard of ladies paint
ing on glass and doing potichomanIe
! and other strange things in the way Of
fancy work, and for the moment, alto
] gether, my mind was in rather con-
! fused state.
"No," Stericker continued, " but 1
owe to her the necessity for wearing an
artificial eve. 1t happened at the flower
! show in the Botanical Gardens. There
was n dense crowd. 1t was in the tent
where the pelargoniums are exhibited.
! Not that care about such things, but
it SO happened. A lady advanced with
| her parasol held in front OF her. Sud
! denly she seemed to thrust it at me, "a
! a lancer might his lance. Her aim was
/ wonderfully true. The sight of my left
| eve was gone forever. It was qulte
mercy that the spike of her Parasol did
not penetrate TO my brain. That was
Arabella's doing, OF course. Part OF
| her revenge"
"Aud she said nothing ?"
"She said calmly, beg your par
! don. It was an accident, and passed
on. She looked very handsome. She
was superbly dressed. However, thas
| she always is. Her husband is old, but
! amazingly rich. He labors to crafty
! her slightest whim-so I'm told. But
her only desire-the sole passion OF her
| Gfe-is to wreak her vengeance upon
me. I feel that she cannot forget,
much less forgive, the loss OF her front
! tooth. You see, she's reminded of that
happy business every time she looks IN
the glass, which she does frequently;
! of course. She was always vain: And
| abe means, sooner or later, to be the
! death of me, that's quite clear. She's
made two very good attempts at the
| Botanical Gardens, and tonight at IL q
opera. The third time perhaps she II
| succeed" ,.e--
you?" ,..y S.,-i,,-or
said. smiling, and with rather an affect
ed air. "It would be something to fail
bv the hand of such a woman as tnat !;
that would be my consolation; really a
! fine creature You know, although no
longer in the bloom of youth; indeed,
removed some distance now from the the
bloom of youth, but still grand ana
beantifnI. and so resolute If she had
loved me as she hates me j.
"You love her still, then ?
"WelI not precisely. But admire
bor inst rs / admire the Bengal tigTess
in the Zoo. If possible, I should like