Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-09-04

HEG1 WR8880as UUW&w@Ks MUy OF NuGH De-
ing able 20 give plausible explanation.
Towards the end Of . month Dr.. X. re-
ceived letter dated frona bis patieut's
residence. He openedit. Il was close
ly written and be saw By the signature
that hes patient had written il With hts
own hand, iron which be concluded
that the paia had not returned. Ior il it
bad be could hardly have held q pen.
The letter ran - follows:
sMK DEAR DocToR 81 do not wish
thai either yos1 o. medical science shcald
- i&Ik Il 8646t q IS fsazA slszY 0f -
slFanRe disease which will soon bring
me % my grave--and even elsewhere.
IL am about 60 describe to YOU the
origin or this terrible malady. II broke
out week ago and can struggle
against IL no longer. At the present
moment can only manage TO trace
these lines by placing on the SEN
sitive part piece of lighted tinder, to
serve a. q eataplasm. As long as the
finder burns ! do not feel the other pain
land tits as nothing in comparison. 'sSix
months ago / was still very happy
man. hved, without care, on my in
come. Twas on friendly terms with all
the world. and took pleasure in ev-
erything that can interests man of thir-
ty-6ve. | had married q year ago,
married for love, q 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. My wife had no fortune,
and the love she had for me was not
oaly gratitude, bat also the genuine af-
lection Of a child. Six months passed
IN such a way that the morrow always
seems to me happier than the eve. If
sometimes was obliged to 60 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. I'll was belated she would stay
awake all night waiting for me, and II,
by dint Of entreaty, she was preS allied
upon to 60 and see her former mistress,
who was still vey fond Of her, no power
on earth could keep her there more
than half day. and even then her re-
grets for my absence put the others ou.
oi temper. Her iondness for me went
so far as to make her give up dancing.
so as not 10 be obliged to put Der hand
into G strangers and nothing caused her
such grave displeasure as the eompli-
ments she was apt TO. receive. In a
word, / had for my wife an innocent
child, VINO had no thought but for me,
and-wh0.would d-confess her dreams =
me as enormous crimes if she had not
dreamt OF me.
zone day know not what demon
whispered in my ear, 'Supposing all
this were only dissimulatIonT Men
are mad enough 10 seek how they can
torment themselves IN the midst Of the
greatest happiness.
"My wife had work table, the draw
er of which she kept carefully locked.
I had noticed this several times. She
never forgot the key, and never ieft the
drawer open. .t
'tThe question ran in my head, What
can she be hiding from me thereP
had taken leave Of my senses. / no
longer believed either in the innocence
oi her face or in the purity Of her eyes,
in her earesses or m her kisses. Sup
pose all that were nothing but hypoeri-
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 60 and Join her. -"
"As scon as the carriage had Lett The
court yard I gathered together ali The
keys of the house and tried them in the
lock of the little drawer. One Of them
opened il. I felt like o man commit
ting his first crime. was thief about
to surprise the secrets OF q feeble wo-
man. My hands trembled as drew
from ont the drawer, prudently, care
fully, one by one, the objects contained
therein, 50 that no confusion should be-
tray that strange hand had ransaeked
them. MY breast heaved; was we'll
nigh sulIocated. Behold, Suddenly, be-
meath mass Of lace. had placed my
hand on . packet OF letters! I felt as
If Fash of lightning had passed from
my head 10 my heart: Alas one glance
told me what ttese'letters were They
were love-letters E-- 49,
THE packet was tied by a pink rib
bon with silver edge.
"As | touched the ribbon the thought
occurred 20 me: Is this right 2 Il
Ihis work worthy OF an honest man T.
TO steal the secrets ola woman! Sc
rrets which belong TO the time when
she was young girl Can I ask her
% render an account Of the thoughts
he had before she belonged 10 me
Can l be jealous of time when she
lid not know mes Who could suspect
Der Of . fault; Whos Iwas-base enough
% do so, and the devil again whispered
~ my ear 4Supposiag that these let
Iers were OF ; time when | had ALREADY
J right to all her thoughts. q right 10 be
eaIous even Of her dreams, when she
vas already msneY Iauntied The nib
BON. No one saw me. There was not
sven q mirror in the room 10 make me
1lnsh for myself. Iopened one letter.
hen another, and read them 10 the
end" as j
: g OH what a,fsartnl hour that was
leR mel What did those leltefs Coz.
ain D The viles betrayaf or which
nan was ever Yet tie victim; and ther
we're written by one Of my m0ai inais
mate friends And in what q strain
VI hat certainty Of his love being shared
How he spoke OF secrecy. What coun-
sels he iaviskSd 81 The art Of deceiving
\ husband siA0d all these letters were
az n time urhen.I Was rnarr.aA 81