The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-04-15

for her wrongs, the outraged wife thrust
her hand into her bosom, drew thence a
poniard, and, raisingit on high, plunged
it into the faithless heart that beat
against her own. The blow was dealt
with such unerring aim that the victim
could only utter an indistinct cry, and,
relaxing the grasp with which he held
her so closely embraced, fel! heavily to
the ground. Thyra drew her breath and
listened moment: gurgling noise in
the throat of the murdered man was all
that she could distinguish. Then fol-
lowed death-hke silence. Terror and
remorse suddenly oyercame her for the
deed which, in moment Of frenzied
excitement, she had perpetrated, and,
turning hastily from the fatal spot, she
rushed toward her home.
The first object that met her eye when
she entered the house was her husband!
There he stood Unframed, surrounded by
his attendants, and in his riding dress,
just as lie had alighted from his horse,
and a tranquil smile upon his lips as he
inquired whether the Princess was in her
apartment.
You heres" she shrieked, running up
20 him. Il have not killed you, then.
Thank Heaven, I have not killed your
and she fell gasping at his feet.
The Princessm calculated her hus-
band, bewildered at the sight Of Ter dis
yuise and her violent emotions and, rails
ing her from the ground, "What means
this frenzy and why are you SO strangely
disguised"
But she answered him NOT. With her
distended eyes wildly fixed upon him she
passed her hands repeatedly over his
bosom and muttered to herself, "Nopon-
lard, no wound! and yet l struck him
there and felt his hot blood gush forth
upon my hand. All! see" she continued,
shuddering, there it isl and holding up
her hand as she spoke the crimson drops
that stained it attested the truth of some
fearful deed being connected with her
mysterious self-accusatiOn.
"Thyra, dearest love-" said the Boy
ard, il soothing accents, something has
terrified you; but you are safe now-I
am here to protect you. Tell me, what
is the meaning of this agitations What
is the meaning of this blood?n
You, Neda!-the sycamore grover
she uttered, in broken cries. "Were you
not there now-just now to meet herr"
The Prince shook Lis head in silent
CONSERVATION.
HWhom have 1 murdered, then:''
burst from the lips of the unhappy wom-
an, with a thrilling shrek; and starting
from her husbands support she fed with
the speed of maniac toward the fatal
spot from which she had recently re-
turned.
The Prince and his attendants quickly
followed her, some of them bearing
lighted torches, but such was the speed
which the fTenzied state of her feelings
lent 10 her movements that they only
overlook her at the moment of her reach
ing the fountain. There she suddenly
stopped, as though rooted to the spot,
and, shuddering, pointed to the ground
The Prince advanced hastily to her side.
His attendants followed, and, raising
their torches, discovered at the margin
of the fountain the body of a man ex-
tended on his back and weltering in his
blood The CHASTITY face was turned up.
ward, and as the glare of the torches fell
upon it an. exclamation of horror fell
from the lips OF all present, and Tbyra,
leaning forward, recognized her victim
with thrill of agony which caused all
the blood to chill in her veins and her
pulse to stand still. At that one glance
the whole truth flashed upon her with
terrible clearness, until she comprehend
ed, when too late, the fatal error into
which her blind and mistaken suspicious
had plunged her. There lay her son, her
only child, her beloved Demetri, bathed
IN the blood that welled forth from the
death-wounds her murderous hand had in
iiicted. he it was, then, whose boyish pas
sion had been reciprocated by her young
attendant; he it was for whom Media
had devised the love meeting which had
that morning changed her own Jealous
fears into dreadful certainties. He it
was, Q God! upon whom her imaginary
wrongs had just been so barbareusly
avenged The similarity of names, Of
dress, had deceived her. Why had she
not thought of this before? Why? Does
suspicion ever pause to reason or reflects
Is not jealousy blind as love Whose dark
shadow it is said to beg? All this passed
through her mind with the rapidity of
as that one awful glance re-
vealed TO her the extent of her crime.
No words escaped her lips, but, as if
struck by thunderbolt, she fell heavily
forward by the side of her beloved sen,
whose life had fallen sacrifice to the
rash and ungoverable suspicious of the
Jealous wife.
The first use That Thyra made of her
returning faculties was to cast herself at
.he feet of her husband and make a full
confession of the feelings which had
driven her to commit so desperate deed,
death at his hand in expiration
Of her crimes. But death, which would
have terminated her earthly torments,
was boon which the exasperated hus-
band was resolved not to grant her.
Woman, said he, "you shall live to
lie thousand deaths every day. You
snail live to curse the day ON which YOU
were born. You shall live to expiate in
lingering torments of mind the misery
you have inflicted on me-"
And, inflexible in his determination he
caused his unfortunate wife to be con-
Keyed to the Rock of Babake, where, in
| rudely-constructed stone chamber, she
vas condemned to drag out miserable
existence without being suffered to ex-
,hange 2 werd with any human being,
md with no companionship save her own
Eretched thoughts. Her senses failed
inder her severe punishment; but mad
less, instead of bringing oblivion to her
woes, seemed to have impaired new
Ictivity to her faculties of suffering
every evening as darkness covered the
arth the poor maniac fancied herself |