The Red Cloud chief., 1879-09-18

"On INV return. I found in the chateau
the Countess - often mentioned. My
measures had been - well taken that
she al-o arrived too late for the funeral.
She seemed much ag1tai.d an seeing me.
Terror. sympathy. grief know not
whai-msde her speak ~ eonfu-eslly
that could not understand what -hs.
said Ia console me.
.Iid I even listen to her? What
need had I II con-olation? was not
sorrow-sirickep. Finally -hs i'-pk me IA
miliarlv iy the hand and all ia a hyw
voice that .he wa obliged &" couiide Ia
m. a secret and that ia" counted "n my
honor A. a nobleman not 10 abuse IL.
She had given to nv wif" to kcepf"r her
"A package II letter. that -he could mot
keep herself, aud she begged "f m. la
give them back io her. While she was
speaking I felt several time that | ~hiy-
er,.d from head io foot. With apparent
c~oolneSs I questioned her ON the cpn-
tent uf these lsiter~. ~ this question
the laly started and replied with indig-
nation
Nlf. NplA VIZ Wa AZ IN ''A7
than YOU. When she took charge ii
these letter. she did not ask III" their
contents. She ven gave ms her word
never {" hook at them, and ! am con
WINGED that IN" never even glanced At
them. Her va. a noble soul. and -hr
would have di-lainei Ia break in secret
her given word.
all j. WELL ! replied. How -hall |
recognize IA" packagc?'
II Wa tied by a pink ribbon with a
silver edge.
80. will go and search for it,.
Il took INV wifc'- keys aud began Ia
search for the packet: although ] knew
where it was. I pretended to have ZONE
difficulty in finding it.
...Is il ihi~2' said, handing il Ia the
Countess.
.sYes. vc-, See. the knot ] made j.
still there. She never touched it,
Il did not dare la lift my eyes la her.
| feared lest she should read in them
that | had undone il. and that ! had nm
done something else be-ilc-. took
leave of her hastily: she got into her
| carriage and drove off. Poor woman,
she had her excuse. Her husband Wa
brutal and di,>ipatcd. If ] had been
like him | should have deserved a wife
Ike her. oh hut my wife, Her heart
WIS innocent. her soul angelic Nh"
loved her husband even i'm the moment
when her husband killed her. | do not
know what | did during the first hour
! that followed. When l came back Il
the consciousness of the horrible reality,
| was in the vault. beside the coffin.
! SAW the id slowly raised and the dead
woman within rose noisrlcS>ly lrrfor,
me. | was stretched. stiff and stark,
beside the coffin. one hand on it, edo,
aud the other beneath her head. tn,
lips Of the corpse were white; one dro,
IF blood hung from them. She bent
slowly towards me-. opened her eyc- ~
when | murdered her. and kissed my
right hand. The drop ofblood fell again
on nv flesh; her eyes shut once more
she fell back ON her cold pillow and tn,
coffin closed over her dead body.
"A short time after | waS awakened
bv a pain a. sharp a. that produced 10y
a scorpions sting. ! rushed into tn,
open air. IL was early morning. y,
a1lif ~iN lil' Nv hl'lb vi 'I'""l Hsi'
disappeared: there was u" outward Si"I
Of the pain. and Vet the spot where IN,
blood had fallen burned a. though bcin.
eaten away with Il %corroding pni~on
The pain gave me no respite AMI in
creased from hour Ia hour. coul,
sleep sometimes. but even then ] nrvcl
lost consciousness of my suffering. There
was no one Ia whom | could make com
plant, and for that matter there wa,
no one who would have believed my
story. You have been witness Ia the in
tcn>ity IF my suffering, and you know
how much Your operation relieved IN.
But ~ soon ~ the wound heals the pain
third time. and | have no longer thu
strength Ia struggle against il. In ~
hour | shall be dead. One thought con
>olrS meas she has avenged herself 81
me in this world she will. perhaps. for
give me in the next. ! thank Won foI
Your good offices. May God reward YOU
for them"
\ few days after, the newspapers q
81 recorded that one If our riches
landed propriet"r> had blown out hi
brains. Some attributed the suicide I,
Grief at his wifc'> death: Others. VIII,
were better informed. To an incurahl,
wound. Those who knew best said h,
which could not he cured. existed onl,
in his ima@ination.-From NE Hung1riu
Of NrHrUS .EOk0i.