Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-02-06

woman's hand, small and beautifully
shaped, on which ruby ring made It's
Wilderness appear still more remarkable.
Nothing here" exclaimed the doc
tor; "no, nothing demands an amputa-
ton" .4$* (; q. * =
"And l tell you" cried the stranger,
with a laundering voice, that, if the
surgeon refuses, l shall fulfill his office
myself" aud, Selling an AK that lay 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 this is an atrocious deed!" cried
poor Lisfranc.
"That is nothing to you. L: must be
done; will 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 q 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 sake?
"Come, DOCTOR, said the unknown;
"either you or l."
So fierce and terrible was the aspect OF
the stranger, and 50 implacable and re-
lentles his determination prayer OF
the poor lady 50 poignant and despairing,
that the doctor felt jmpelled by human
ity itself to obey the command.
He took hiss implements, implored with
q last look the heartless stranger, who
merely replied by pointing significantly
to the Ak. With broken spirit, and a
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 IN
moved. Nothing was heard but the
noise of the horrible work. Soon the
hand and the instrument fell together.
The doctor, livid 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 low voice, "It 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.
It was in vain that day after day, the
d octor 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 hallu-
cination.
Hoping, however, that the ruby ring
would sooner or later lead to some revel-
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 elite of the French
nobility, as we'll as the most illustrious
of German diplomacy, throng-
ed the saloons, which were radiant with
light and beauty.
A young man, with a 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 IN anxious look, and then,
With sorrowful demeanor, separated
from the crowd.
It so happened that this young man
found himself, for an instant, opposite to
DR.. Lisfranc. His eyes mechanically
falling upon the doctor, soon assumed
IN earnest stare, then glittered with a
fearful expression on the ring that shone
On his chain. With a sudden and rapid
movement, the young man passed
through group that separated him:
from the doctor, and, walking directly
Up to him, elbowed him rudely and in.
The doctor politel y remon-
but, instead of answering, the
young man struck him 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 I'M
tials), the young Matilda de - was
the daughter of one of the most illus
trious soldiers of the empire. Her faith
er had acquired an elevated rank, great.
glory and a high station jn the army;
buthe 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 great name, an empty title, but no
fortune.
;. Notwithstanding this, the duchess and
the general, long bound together by the
ties Of friendship, had mutually agreed
to unite their two children in marriage.
Of this determination, however, they
soon repented. While Matilda and
Napoleon gave themselves up to the
sweet charm Of their mutual affection,
the duchess and the general, alarmed
for the interests of their children, and a
little also for their own, plsyed;s scene
of high comedy.
:. !"1f my daughter" said the general,
marries that poor devil, Napoleon,
adieu to luxury and pleasure"
eff my son," soliloquized tho duchess,
" should wed girl and not fortune,
how could we'eYer restore the lustre of
the noble house of -?"
:. The general, therefore, sought to wean
Matilda from her lover, and the duchess
exerted herself to divert M polean from