The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-08-29

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expression of pain passed away, he
smiled on the Doctor with look full OF
good-humor, and there was no longer
any contraction of the features, any look
Of despair. He seemed tO have taken a
new lease of life. His brow cleared: the
color returned to his face; his whole
/ person underwent visible transfOrma-
ton.
When his hand was replaced in the
sling he made use of the one that re-
manned free to shake the Doctors hand
warmly, saying to him with cordiality !:
(" Accept my most sincere thanks. You
have positively cured me. The small
remuneration that I offer you is in no
wise propOrtionedtO the service You have
rendered me- During the rest Of my
life will try by what means l can dis
charge my obligation
The Doctor, however, would not con-
sent to accept the thousand florins placed
on the table. The stranger on his side
refused to take them back; hut seeing
that the Doctor was beginning to grow
angry, he begged that he would bestOw
/ them on some hospital, and so took his
leave.
The Doctor informed several Of his
colleagues of this singular case and each
formed a different opinion on the sub
ject without, however, any of them be-
ing able to give a plausible explanation.
Towards the end Of 4 month DR.. X. re-
ccived letter dated from his patients
residence. He opened it. II was close
" written, and he saw by the signature
that his patient had written it with his
own hand, from which he concluded
that the pain had not returned, for if it
had he could hardly have held 4 pen.
The letter ran rs follows:
"MY DEAR DOCTOR-I do not wish
that either you or medical science should
he left in doubt us to the mystery of the
strange disease which will soon bring me
to my graye-and even elsewhere. am
about to describe to you the origin Of
this terrible malady. 1t broke out a
week ago, and | can struggle against it
no longer. At the present moment can
only manage to trace these lines by
placing on the sensitive part piece Of
lighted finder, Ia serve As Il cataplasm.
As long rs the finder burns do not feel
the other pain-and it is As nothing in
comparison. Six months ago l was still
a very happy man. | lived, without
care, on my income. was on friendly
terms with all the world, and | took
pleasure in every thing that can interest
Il man of 81. | had married Il year ago,
married for love, most beautiful young
girl of cultivated mind and with the best
heart in the world, who had been COM
paniOn to a certain Countess, my neigh
Dor. My wife had no fortune, and the
love she had for me was not only graft
tude, but also the genuine affection of 4
child. Six months passed in such a way
that the morrow always seemed to me
happier than the eve. sometimes was
obliged to go to Pesth and leave my
home for day. my wife had not a mo-
ment' S peace. She would come two miles
on the road to meet me. If 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 day, and even then her
regrets for my absence put the Others
out Of temper. Her fondneSs for me
went SO far As to make her give up
dancing, so rs not to be obliged to put
her hand into strangers; and nothing
caused her such grave displeasure as the
compliments she was apt to receive. In
word, | had for wife an innocent
child, who had no thought but for ME,
and who would confess her dreams to
me rs enormous crimes if she had not
dreamt of me.
s.Onc day know not what demon
whispered in my ear, Surprising all
this were dissimulation?' Men are mad
enough to seek how they can torment
themselves i'm the midst Of the greatest
happiness. .......-...
ssMy wife had workable, the draw
or of which she kept carefully locked. l
hail noticed this several times. She new
or 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
l no longer believed either in the inno-
cence Of her face or in the purity Of her
eyes, in her caresses or in her kisses
Suppose all that were nothing but ny
pOcrisy?
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 We're
some miles apart, and | promised my
wife to 60 and join her. As soon rs the
carriage had left the courtyard, ! gath
cred together all the keys "f the house
and tried them in the lock Of the little
drawer One Of them opened it. | felt
like man committing his first crime.
was a thief about to surprise the secrets
of feeble woman. My hands trembled
rs drew from the drawer, pru,lcntly,
one by one, the objects con-
tanned therein, 81 that no confusion
should betray that strange haml had
ransacked them. My breast heaved:
l was well nigh suffcated. Behold,
beneath mass IF lace. / had
placed my hand on a packet Of letters!
I felt As If n flash Of lightning had passed
from my head t" my heart. Alas! one
glance told me what these letters were. |
They were love-letters! The packet |
was tied by pink ribbon with silver
adm Az I tonchpt1 the t-ihl,nn tho /