Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-08-27

taken a new lease Oh MS lie. His brow
cleared; the color returned to his face:
his whole person underwent visible
transformation.
When his hand was replaced in the
sling he made u:e OF the one that re-
manned 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 wise
proportioned TO the service you have
rendered me. During the rest of my
life l will try by what means l can dis.
charge my obligation"
The doctor however, would not con
sent 10 accept the thousand forms
placed on the table. The stranger on
his side refused to take them back;
but seeing that the doctor was begin
ming to grow angry, he begged that he
bestow them on some hospital and so
took his leave.
The doctor informed several of his
colleagues of this singular case and
each formed different opinion on the
subject without, however, any of them
being able to give Il plausible explana-
! ton. Toward the end Of n month DR..
X. received letter dated fIom the
patients residence. He opened it. 1t
was closely written and he saw by the
signature that the patient had written
it with his own hand, from which he
concluded that the pain had not re-
turned, for if it had ne could hardly
have held a pen.
The letter ran as follows:
"MY DEAR DooroR: 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 my grave--and even elsewhere.
81 am about to describe to you the
origin of this terrible malady. 1t
broke out week ago and can struggle
against II no longer. Az the present
moment can only manage to trace
these lines by placing on the sensitive
part a piece of lighted finder, to serve
as cataplasm. AS long as the finder
burns | do not feel the other pain-and
1t Is nothing IN comparison.
"Six months ago | was still very
happy man. ! lived, without care, Oh
my income. | was on friendly terms
with all the worlI., and | 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 Il certain countess, my
neighbor My wife had no fortune, and
the love she had for me was not only
gratitude, but also the genuine aifec-
ton of a child. Six months passed in
such a way that the morrow always
seemed to me happier than the eve. If
sometimes | was obliged to 60 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 | was belated she would stay
awake all night waiting for me, and if,
by dint of entreaty, she was prevailed
upon to 90 aud see her former mistress,
who was still very fond other, no power
IN earth could keep her, there more
than halt a day, and even then her re-
grets 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 strangers; and nothingc aused her
such grave displeasure as the compli-
ments she was apt to receive. In a
word, | 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 | know not what demon
whispered IN my ear, Surprising all
this were only dissimulated? Men are
mad enough to seek how they can tor
ment themselves III the midst Of the
greatest happiness.
" My wife had workable the draw
or of which she kept carefully locked.
| had noticed this several times. she
never forgot the key, and never left the
drawer open.
The question ran IN my head.
What can she be hiding from me tnere?'
| had taken leave OF my senses. | no
longer believed either in the innocence
of her face or in the purity of her eyes,
in her caresses or in her kisses. Sup
posing all that were nothing but hypoc-
risv?
Zone 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 promised
my wife to go and join her.
Z" AS soon as the carriage had left the
courtyard | gathered together all the
keys OF the house and tiled them in the
lock of the little drawer. One of them
opened it, | felt like man commit
ting his first crime. / was thief about
20 surprise the secrets of feeble wo-
man. My hands trembled as | drew