The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-08-23
One drop of blood fell from her mouth

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 any one suspectinr the
truth. | lived there in complete soli-
tude; who was there to control my
actionsf She had neither relatives nor
protectors to question me on the sdbiect
and | designedly put off writing to my
friends, SO that none of them could
arrive in time.
"On coming back from the vault did
not feel the slightest weight on nv con-
science. [ had been cruel, but she de.
served it. did not hate her; could
forget her; | hardly thought about it.
Never did man commit murder with
less remorse than !.
On my return, | found in the
chateau the countess SO often men,
toned. My measures had been so well
taken that she also arrived too late for
the funeral. She seemed much agitated
on seeing me. Terror, sympathy, grief
u know not what-made her speak so
confusedly 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 confide to
me secret and that she counted on my
honor as a nObleman not to abuse it.
She had given my wife to keep for her
package of letters that she could not
hn h. e
give them back to her. While she was
speaking l felt several times that |
shivered from head to foot. With ap-
parent GOODNESS | questioned her on the
contents OF these letters. At this ques-
ton the lady started and replied 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 nae her word
never 10 look at them, and | am con-
WINGED that she never even glanced at
them. Hers was noble soul, and she
would have disdained to break in secret
her given word"
"' 1t is weu,' | replied. How shall
| recognize the packageY
"' 1t was tried by pink ribbon with
a silver edge
"' will go and search for it,
81 took my wife's keys and began to
search for the packet; although | knew
where it was, l pretended to have some
difficulty in finding il"
So Is it this?' l said, handing it to the
countess.
Eyes, yes! See, the knot l made is
still there. She never touched it,
" | did not dare to lift my eyes to her.
| feared lest she should read in them
that | had undone it, and that | had I'M
done something else besides. / took
leave of her hastily; she got into her
carriage and drove of. Poor woman,
she had her excuse. Her husband was
brutal and dissipated. If | had been
like him | should have deserved a wife
like her. Oh! but my wifel Her heart
was innocent, her soul angelic! She
loved her husband even in the moment
when her husband killed her. / do not
know what did during the first hours
that followed. When | came back to
the consciousness of the horrible reality
| was in the vault, beside the coffin. /
saw the lid slowly raised and the dead
woman within rose nOiselessly before me.
| was stretched stiff and stark, beside the
coffin, one hand on its edge and the
other beneath her head. The lips of the
corpse were white; one drop of blood
hung from them. She bent slowly to-
wards me, opened her eyes as when /
murdered her and kissed my right hand.
The drop of blood fell again on my flesh
her eyes shut once more, she fell back
on her cold pillow and the coffin closed
over her dead body.
A short time after / was awakened
by pain as that produced by q
scorpions sting. | rushed into the open
air. 1t was early morn. No one saw
me. The drop of blood had disappeared
there was no outward sign of the pain,
and yet the spot where the blood had
fallen burned as though being eaten
away by corroding poison. The pain
gave no respite and increased from hour
to hour. [ could sleep sometimes, but
even then / never lost consciousness OF
my suffering. There was no one to whom
| could make complaint, and for that
matter there was no one who would have
believed my story. You have been wit,
HESS 10 the Intensity Vi my suffering anu
you know how much your operation
relieved me. But as soon as the wound
heals the pain comes back. 1t has come
now for the third time, and | have nc
longer the strength to stand it. In an
hour | shall be dead. One thought con
soles meas she has avenged herself on
me in this world she will, perhaps, for
give me in the next. | thank you for
your good Offices. May God reward you
for theml
A few days after the newspapers OF
81 recorded that one of our richest
landed proprietors had blown out his
brains. Some attributed the suicide tC
grief at his wife's DEATH others, who
were better informed, to an incurable
wound. Those who knew best said he
was a monomaniac, and his wound
which could not be cured, existed only
in his imagination.
Grew the Wood for His Coffin.
A remarkable story is told of the late
Captain Stone, of Moundsville, who wa.