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

were of time when | had already a
right to all her thoughts, right to be
Jealous even of her dreams, when she
was already mine? l united the rib
bon. No one saw me. There was not
even mirror in the room to make me
blush for myself, | opened one letter,
then another, and read them to the
end"
"Ohl what fearful hour that was
for me, What did these letters con-
tain? Tie vilest betrayal of which a
man WAS ever the victim; and they
were written by one of my most init
mate friends And in what strainl
what passionl what certainty of his
love being sharedl How he spoke OF
secresyl What counsel he lavished on
the art Of deceiving husband, And
all these letters we're of n time when |
was married and perfectly happy!
Shall | tell you what l fe,tY Imagine
the intoxication caused by deadly
poison. / drank deeply of that poison,
| read all the letters; all. Then | re-
folded them, retied the ribbon, replaced
the packet, and shut the drawer.
81 knew that if did not 90 for her
at II O'Clock she would come back from
the countess in the evening. And so
it happened. She got down hastily
from the carriage and ran towards NE
as stood waiting for her on the steps.
She kissed me with extreme tender
ness, and seemed very glad to be with
me again. | let nothing be seen on my
face. We talked, we supped together
and then retired to our separate bed
rooms. did not close my eyes. Wide
awake, counted every hour. When
the clock struck a quarter past mid
night ] gotup and passed into her bed
room. There was the beautiful blonde
head buried in the white pillows. 1t is
thus that angels are depicted in the
midst of white cloud. What fright
ful lie was this on the part of nature,
vice with face of such innocencel NY
resolution was taken. | had the stub
borness of the mailman haunted by
fixed idea. The poison had corroded
my whole soul.
II placed my right hand gently under
her throat and hastily strangled her.
She opened for one moment her large,
black eyes, looked at me with astoaish
ment, then closed them and died She
died without struggling against me, as
if falling asleep. She was never angry
with me, net even when | killed her
One drop of blood fell from her mouth,
on the back of my hand. You know
where; | did not perceive it until the
next day, when it had dried. We
buried her without anyone suspecting
the truth | lived there in complete
solitude; who was there to control my
my actions? She had neither relatives
nor protectors to question me on the
subject and designedly put of writing
to my friends, so that none Of them
could arrive at time.
Goa coming back from the vault !
did not feel the slightest weight on my
conscience. ] had been cruel, but she
deserved. | did rot hate her. could
forget Eer; hardly thought about it.
Never did a man commit a murder
with less remorSe than |.
Goa my return, / found in the
chateau the countess so often men.
My measures had been so well
taken that she also arrived too late for
the funeral. She seemed much agltated
on seeing me. Terror, sympathy, grief
i know not what-made her speak SO
that | could not understand
what she said to console me.
"Did | even listen to her? What
need had | Of consolation was not
sorrow stricken. Finally she took me
Familiarity by the hand and said in a
low voice that she was obliged to con
fide to me a secret and that she counted
on my honor ~ nobleman not to
abuse it. She had given to my wife to
keep for her package Of letters that she
could not keep herself, and she begged
of me to give them back to her. While
she was speaking | felt several times
that | shivered from head to foot.
With apparent GOODNESS l questioned
! er on the contents of these letters At
this question the lady started and re-
Piled with indignation.
"'Sir, your wife was more generous
than you. When she took charge Of
these letters she did not ask me their
contents. She even gave me her word
never to look at them, and | am con
vinced that she never even glanced at
them. Hers was a noble soul, and she
would have disdained 10 break in secret
her given word
"'It is WELL replied, how shall |
recognize the package ?"
1T was tied by pink ribbon with a
silver edge
al will 90 and search for it,
Il took my wife's keys and began to
search for the packet; although | knew
whore it was, pretended to havesome
difficulty in finding it.
as it this !? said, handing it to the
countess.