Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-08-20

despair. He seemed to have taken a
new lease of life. His brow cleared;
the color returned to his face; his whole
person underwent visible TRANSFORMED
ton.
When his hand was replaced in the
sling he made use of the one that re-
NAMED free to shake the doctors hand
warmly, saying to him with cordiality:
" Accept my most sincere thanks You
have positively cured me. The small
remuneration that / offer you is in no
wise proportional to the service you
have rendered me. During the rest of
my life I will try by what means / can
discharge my obligation"
The doctor, however, would not con-
ent to accept the thousand forms placed
n the table. The stranger on his side
refused to take them back; but seeing
that the doctor was beginning to grow
angry, he begged that he would bestow
them on some hospital and so took his
leave.
The doctor informed several of his
colleagues of this singular case and each
| formed a different opinion on the subject
without, however, any of them being
able to give plausible explanation.
Towards the end of month DR.. K.
received letter dated from mis- patients
residence. He opened it. It was closely
written and he saw by the signature that
his patient had written it with his own
hand, from which he concluded that the
pain had not returned, for if it had he
could hardly have held pen.
| The letter ran as follows:
"MY DEAR DOCTOR: [ do not wish
that either you or medical science should
be left in doubt as to the mystery of the
strange disease which will soon bring me
to nay grave-and even elsewhere.
81 am about to describe to you the
origin of this terrible malady. 1t broke
out a week ago and I can struggle
against it no longer. At the present
moment [ can only manage to trace
these lines by placing on the sensitive
part piece of lighted finder, to serve as
cataplasm. As long as the finder
burns I do not feel the other pain-and
it is as nothing in comparison.
"Six months ago I was still very
happy man. | lived, without care, on
my income. / was on friendly terms
with all the world, and I took pleasure
in everything that can interest man of
thirty-fve. [ had married q year ago,
married for love, most beautiful young
girl, of cultivated mind and with the
best heart in the world, who had been
companion to certain countess, my
neighbor. Ny wife had no fortune, and
the love she had for me was not only
gratitude, but also the genuine affection
of child. Six months passed III such a
way that the morrow always seemed to
me happier than the eve. If sometimes
[ was obliged to go to Pesth and leave
my home for day my wife had not a
moments peace. She would come two
miles on the road to meet me. If I was
belated she would stay awake all night,
waiting for me, and if, by dint of en-
treaty, she was prevailed upon to 60 and
see her former mistress, who was still
very fond of her, no power on earth
could keep her there more than half a
day, and even then her regrets for my
absence put the others out of temper.
Her fondness for me went so far as to
make her give up dancing, so as not to
be obliged to put her hand into a
strangers; and nothing caused her such
grave displeasure as the compliments she
was apt to receive. In a word, I had
for my wife an innocent child, who had
no thought but for me, and who would
confess her dreams to me as enormous
crimes if she had not dreamt of me.
"One day I know not what demon
whispered in my ear, fSupposing all this
were only dissimulation? Men are
mad enough to seek how they can tor
ment themselves in the midst Of the
greatest happiness.
"My wife had workable, tn
drawer of which she kept CAREFUL
locked. [ had noticed this several times.
She never forgot the key, and never le5+55
the drawer open.
"The question ran in my head,
What can she be hiding from me
there? had taken leave of my senses.
| no longer believed either in the inno-
cence Of her face or in the purity of her
eyes, in her caresses or in her kisses.
Suppose all that were nothing but n.y.
pocrisy?
Gone morning the countess came
again to fetch her, and after much en-
treaty succeeded in deciding her to
spend the day with her. Our estates
were some miles apart, and I promised
my wife to 60 and join her.
GAS soon as the carriage had left the
courtyard [ gathered together all the
keys of the house and tried them in the
lock of the little drawer. One of them
opened it. I felt like man committing
his first crime. I was a thief about to
surprise the secrets of a feeble woman.
Nv hands tranoh 1ad T drow FROM ont tho
drawer, prudently, carefully, one by
one, the objects contained therein, so
that no confusion should betray that
strange hand had ransacked them. MY
breast heaved; was well-nigh sufocat-
ed. Behold, suddenly, beneath a mass
of lace, [ had placed my hand on
packet of letters! I felt as if flash of
lightning has passed from my head to
my heart. Alas! one glance told me
what these letters were! They were
love-letters!
"The packet was tied by a pink rib
hon with q silver edpe