Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-08-29
The letter ran NJ fnllnma.

soon bring me to my grave-and even
elsewhere.
"I am about to describe to YOU the
origin of this terrible malady, II broke
out week ago, and | can struggle
against 1t no longer. At the present
moment can only manage 20 trace
these lines by placing on the sensitive
part q piece of lighted tinder, to serve
as a cataplasm. As long as the tinder
burns i do not feel the other pain-and
1t is as nothing In comparison
"Six months ago was still very
happy man. | lived, without care, on
my income. l was on friendly terms
with all the world, and took pleasure
in everything that can interest a man
of thirtY-fVe. l had married a year
ago, married for love, d most beautiful
young girl, of cultivated mind and with
the best heart in the world, who had
been companion to a certain Countess,
my neighbor. NY wife had no fortune,
and the love she had for me was not
only gratitude, but also the genuine af-
fection of a child. Six months passed
in such way that tho morrow always
seemed to me happier than the eve. II
sometimes | was Obliged to go to Pesth
and leave my home for day my wife
had not moments peace. She would
come two miles on the road to meet me.
II was belated she would stay awake
all night waiting for me, and If, by dint
of entreaty, she was prevailed upon to
go 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 oven then her regrets
for my absence put the others out of
temper. Her fondnoss for me went so
tSr as to make her give up dancing, so
as not To be obliged to put her hand in
70 strangers; and nothing caused her
such grave displeasure as the compli-
ments she was apt to receive. In a
word L 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 II she had not
dreamed of me.
Zone day know not what demon
whispered in my ear, 'Supposing all
this were only dissimulationp Men
are mad enough to seek how they can
torment themselves In the midst of the
greatest happiness.
my wife had workable, tho
drawer of which she kept carefully
locked. l 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
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 oaresses or her kisses.
Suppose all that were nothing but hy.
pocrisyP
"One 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.
AS 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. l felt like a man commit
ting his first crime. was thief about
to surprise the secrets of feeble
woman. My hands trembled as drew
from out the drawer, prudently, care
fully, one by one, the objects contained
therein, so that no confusion should be-
tray that n strange hand had reh-
sacked them. My breast heaved; was
well-nigh suffocated, Behold, sudden
ly, beneath mass of lace, had placed
my hand on a packet of lettersl | felt
as if a flash of lightning had passed
from my head to my heart. Alas! one
glance told me what these letters were!
They were love- letters!
1.-The packet was tied by pink rib
bon with silver edge.
"Ol what fearful hour that was for
me! What did those letters containP
The vilest betrayal of which a man was
ever yet the victim; and they were writ
ten by one of my most intimate friends,
And in what u strainl what passloni
what certainty of his love being shared
How he spoke of secrecy What courl-
sells he lavished on the art of deceiving
a husbandi And all these letters were
Of a time when was married and per-
tectly happy! Shall l tell you what
teltp Imagine the intoxication caused
by deadly poison. drank deeply OF
that poison. read all the letters; all.
Then refolded them, retied the rit-
bon, replaced the packet, and shut the
drawer.
81 knew that If did not go for her
at twelve o'clock she would come back
from the Countess in the evening. And
so 1t happened. She got down hastily
rom the carriage and ran toward me
IS stood waiting for her on the steps.
She kissed me with extreme tenderness
and seemed TO be very glad to be with
ne again. l let nothing be seen on my
face, We talked, we supped. together
and then we retired to our separate
bedrooms. did not close my ewes.
w Wide awake, 1 counted every hour.
When the clock struck a quarter past
got up and passed into her
bedroom. There was the beautiful
blonde head buriedin the white pillows.
It is thus that angels are depicted in
he midst of white clouds. What a
lie was this on the part of Ma
.urei vice with face of such innocence!
My resolution was taken. l had the
of the madman haunted
oy fixed idea. The poison had cor
'oded my whole soul.
81 placed my right hand gently un-
Ter her throat and hastily strangled
Ter. She opened for one moment her
arge, dark blue eyes, looked at me
With astOnishment, then closed them
md died. She died without struggling
against me, as if falling asleep. She |
vas never angry with me, not even
When killed her. One drop of blood |
ell from her mouth on the back of my
land. You know where; did not per-
.eive it until the next day, when it had |
Tried. We buried her without any one
the truth. l lived there in
solitude; who was there to
control my actionsP She had neither
elatives nor protectors to question me
IN the subject and designedly put off |
writing to my friends, SO that none of
hem could arrive in time.
son coming back from the vault |
lid not feel the slightest weight on my |
conscience. / had been cruel, but she
deserved it. did not hate her; could
orget her; l hardly thought about it.