Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-07-08

was propped up on pillows where he had
| lain for hours, his eyes fixed on the door,
watching for u.s. As we entered the room
his tilmy eyes frightened; his eager, out.
stretched hands trembled as we touched
them. With the damp death-dew on his
brow, his voice quaking, and his whole
soul shuddering as he lived over again
one terrible moment of his life he told
us the story, which | had better put to-
gether in my own words.
1t appears that during that momentous
visit to the Continent he went to Naples.
He was received by the best society, and
most Hospitality entertained in die most
distinguished social and political circles,
where he passed many pleasant hours dis
coursing and discussing intellectual and
scientific ubjects-chemistry, surgery, and
once, among these things, the use and
misuse of poisons cropped up in the
course of conversation; and some one
present-a gentleman Of 'some note and
mportance-asked what was the quickest
and easiest death to die. The subject was
freely debated
One evening he returned from one of
those pleasant gatherings, and in reflect
i've mood of mind sat for an hour looking
over the moonlit city and the beautiful
world famous bay. 1t was near midnight
when two strangers were shown in to him.
who requested his immediate attendance
in a case Of great urgency. He represent
ed that he was there on visit of pleasure
not for professional purposes. They were
perfectly aware of that fact, they said !;
still they urged him SO strongly that at
last they overcame his scruples, and he
\ Cra
was at the door; he got in first, they fol-
lowed him, pulled down the blinds, and
the carriage ratified away He did not
like his position, and began to suspect
that all was not right They kept utter
silence.
They seemed to drive a great istance
turning and turning many times. Once
he inquired: Had they far to go? % and
received the brief answer, "No." At last
they drove into the courtyard of a great
house. The door opened as if by magic
There were no lights, he might as well
have been blindfolded; there would have
been a total darkness but for the moon
beams which struggled through the stained.
glass window and fell in fantastic shadows
at their feet as they assembled the wide
stone staircase. On reaching the first
landing they threw open door, and for
second he was almost blinded by the blaze
of light that streamed out upon him. The
door closed behind him as he stepped
into the room. He took in the whole as
pect of the room at glance; it was gor-
geously furnished and brilliantly illumi-
mated with wax candles; at table near
the heavily curtained window IA man of
stern, commanding appearance sat writing.
He raised his head as they entered and,
pointing to the far end of the room, eX-
claimed:
Your patient lies there, sir"
My grandfather's eyes followed the di-
rection of his finger and observed woman
stretched upon couch. Where had he
seen that face before? Slowly it dawned
upon his memory. A few days back he
had been to the theater, and, glancing
round, was struck by beautiful fair face,
which for the time fascinated him; he
thought it the loveliest there. He looked
on it again now; but how changed! The
hands were clasped upon the breast as
though in prayer; dumb, white terror
was written on the face; and in the great,
uplfted eyes there was a hopeless, de-
spairng agony sickening to behold
He inquired what was the matter-how
she had been attacked, and, seeing that she
was gagged, he begged them to release
her mouth, that she might answer his
questions, adding:
" must know something of the symp-
toms before | can attempt cure"
" Your business here is to kill, not to
cure, DOCTOR" said one in strangely sad
tone, which accorded i'll with his stern,
fearful phrase. "Your patient has spoken
her last word in this world She is
doomed to die by secret, though strictly
just, tribunal, but we would temper justice
with mercy and spare her the shame and
public disgrace. You can cause her to
die easily and secretly; therefore we have
brought you here"
. If this lady has committed any crime
so great as to deserve death, il" he answered,
full Of compassion for the unfortunate,
"she must meet her punishment from the
hands OF the public eXecutioner, not by
mine
by yours, and yours only" said one
of his conductors, grayely. There is no
time to waste in mere words. She knows
she has deserved death, and she knows
that she must die"
God forbid ~ exclaimed the physician,
a frozen horror stealing over him. The
ominsus stiffness, the grim aspects of the
terrible men, struck a chill to his heart.
He realized all the horror of his position.
" a doctor never travels without his
tools resumed the stranger; and as he
spoke he turned the lace back from the
tender throat, and, pointing to it, added
significantly: open the lugular vein;
it is the easiest and quickest way to die"
My grandfather started back amazed
and horror-struck These were the very
words he had uttered during one of those
pleasant gatherings at the house of
Neapolitan few days back.
. How dare You propose to me such