The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-02-08

duty as a surgeon. But if you have
medltated crime, you may have obliged
me to follow you, but you cannot force
. me TO be your accomplice."
! a." Be easy, sir" replied the stranger,
/ bitterly; there is no crime in all this
And taking the doctor by the arm, he
walked up to the alcove; then pointing
to a hand that came from behind the
curtains, he said: "That is the hand
you are TO cut off"
The doctor took within his own the
extended hand; he felt its delicate fin
gers shudder at the contact. 1t was a
woman's hand, small and beautifully
shaped, on which ruby ring made its
whiteness appear still more remarkable.
Nothing here" exclaimed the doc
tor; "no, nothing demands an amputa-
! ton"
"And tell you," cried the stranger,
with laundering voice, "that, if the
surgeon refuses, l shall fulfill his Office
myself" and, Selling an ak that Law at
the foot of the bed, he laid the hand on
the night table and prepared to sever it.
| The doctor held him back.
Then do it yourself" said the man.
but ILLS IL al dlTUCIOlS uG6u! CrleQ
poor Lisfranc.
THAT is nothing to you. Il must be
done; [ viii it so. The lady wishes it
/ likewise; if she must ask it of you her
self, she will do it. Come, madame, re-
quest the doctor to do you the favor"
Poor Lisfranc, pale and trembling,
felt ready to faint on the floor. A fee
bic voice came from the alcove, and said,
in tone of unutterable despair and res
ignation:
Since you are surgeon, sir-yes, |
entreat you-let it be yourself-and do
not let-Oh, you-for mercy's sakep'
Come, DOCTOR" said the unknown;
"either you or |.
So fierce and terrible was the ASPECT OF
the stranger, and so implacable and re-
lentles his determination-the prayer of
the poor lady so poignant and despairing,
that the doctor felt jmpelled by human
ity itself to obey the command.
He took hiss implements, implored with
a last look the heartless stranger, who
merely replied by pointing significantly
10 the AK. With broken spirit, and q
cold perspiration bathing his noble brow,
the doctor recalled all his energy and
presence of mind. Twice his arm trem-
bled, and he paused. At length the
blood spouted forth-a shrek burst from
the alcove, and to that cry of agony sue
ceeded dull silence.
The stranger stood by, apparently un-
moved. Nothing was heard but the
noise of the horrible work. Soon the
hand and the instrument fell together.
The doctor, ivid and exhausted, gazed
upon the stranger with haggard eyes.
The latter stopped, picked up the severed
hand, and, drawing the ruby ring from
off one of the fingers, presented it to the
doctor.
"Take it, DOCTOR" said he; sit is a
souvenir; no one will claim it from YOU"
He then added, in a low voice, 1T is
over!"
Immediately the other two masked
men came in, and, bandaging his eyes,
again led him away. The same carriage
that had brought him there set him
down again at his own door. Doctor
Lisfranc snatched the bandage from his
eyes in time to see the carriage rolling
away and disappearing in the darkness
1t was five O'Clock in the morning,
1t was in vain that day after day, the
doctor exhausted every means he could
imagine for penetrating the mystery of
this terrible adventure. Had it not
been for the ring (indisputable proof of
the realty of his recollections), he would
have thought himself prey to an haIlu-
cination.
Hoping, however, that the ruby ring
would sooner or later lead to some reyel-
alton of this mysterious affair, he was in
the habit of wearing it suspended to his
watch chain.
About two months after the events
just recorded, DR.. Lisfranc received an
invitation for ball, given by the Coun-
tess de P, In her magnificent man
sion in the Rue de Varennes, Paris.
He accordingly went.
All the fashionable tlite Of the French
nobility, as well as the most illustrious
personages of German diplomacy, throng-
ed the saloons, which were radiant with
light and beauty.
A young man, with pale face and
melancholy eye, had been, during the
evening, the object of particular remark
by many of the guests. He walked, from
time to time, through the suite of apart
ments, with qn anxious look, and then,
with a sorrowful demeanor, separated
from the crowd.
1t so happened that this young man
found himself, for an instant, opposite to
DR.. Lisfranc. His eyes mechanically
falling upon the doctor, soon assumed
an earnest stare, then glittered with a
fearful expression on the ring that shOne
on his chain. With q sudden and rapid
movement, the young man passed
through a group that separated him
from the doctor, and, walking directly
up to him, elbowed him rudely and in
tentionaliy. The doctor politely remon-
strated; but, instead of answering, the
young man struck MIN repeatedly IN the
face.
1t may easily be conceived what ex-
element and CONSERVATION this scene
produced
The next day was appointed for
meeting, and the company soon after
dispersed in confusion.
The young Matilda de - (the names
are too illustrious, and too well known,
for Us to point them out, even by mi
tials), the young Matilda de - was
the daughter OF one OF the most Illus
trious soldiers of the empire. Her faith
er had acquired al elevated rank, great
glory and high station in the army;
but he was one of the few generals whom
the emperor had not enriched Matilda
de - had, therefore, no fortune to be-
stow upon the one who should call her
his.
Napoleon de - was the grandson of
the noble Duchess de. The duchess
had q great name. an empty title, bur no