The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-08-23

The doctor informed several of his
colleagues of this singular case and each
formed different opinion on the subject
without, however, any of them being
able to give a plausible explanation.
towards the end of a month DR.. K.
received letter dated from his patients
residence. He opened it. 1t was closely
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 pen.
The letter ran as follows:
MY DEAR DOCTOR: | do not wish
thatel you or medical science should
De lett IN doubt as to the mystery of the
strange disease which will soon bring me
TO my grave-and even elsewhere.
=" | am about to describe to you the
origin of this terrible malady. 1t broke
out week ago and / can struggle
against it no longer. At the present
moment L can only manage to trace
these lines by placing on the sensitive
part piece of lighted finder, to serve as
cataplasm. As long as the finder
burns l do not feel the other pain-and
1t Is as nothing in co mpsrison.
Six months ago | was still a very
happy man. | lived, without care, on
my income. | was on friendly terms
with all the world, and | took pleasure
In everything that can interest man Of
thirty-ive. | had married a year ago,
married for love, most beautiful young
girl, OF cultivated mind and with the
best heart in the world, who had been
companion TO q certain countess, nv
neighbor. Ny wife had no fortune, and
the love she had for me was not only
gratitude, but also the genuine affection
OF child. Six months passed III such a
way that the morrow always seemed to
me happier than the eve. If sometimes
| was obliged to go to Pesth and leave
my home for day my wife had not a
moments 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 en-
treaty, 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 q
day, and even then her regrets for nv
absence put the others out of temper.
Her f0ndness for me went so far as to
make her give up dancing, SO as not to
be obliged to put her hand into a
strangers; and nothing caused her such
grave displeasure as the compliments she
was apt to receive. In a word, had
for my wife an innocent child, who had
no thought but for me, and who would
confess her dreams to me as enormous
crimes if she had not dreamt of me.
Zone day | know not what demon
whispered in my ear, Surprising all this
were only dissimulation?' Men are
mad enough to seek how they can tor
ment themselves in the midst of the
greatest happiness.
"My wife had a workable, the
drawer of which she kept carefully
locked. | had noticed this several times
She never forgot the key, and never left
the drawer open.
"The question ran in my head,
What can she be hiding from me
there?' l had taken leave of my senses.
| no longer believed either in the inno-
cence of her face " in the purity of her
eyes, in her caresses or in her kisses.
Suppose all that were nothing but hy-
pocrisy?
Gone 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 l promised
my wife to 60 and join her.
As soon as the carriage had left the
courtyard l gathered together all the
keys of 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 thief about to
surprise the secrets of q feeble woman.
My hands trembled | drew from out the
drawer, prudently, carefully, one by
one, the objects contained therein, so
that no confusion should betray that a
strange hand had ransacked them. My
breast heaved; [ was well-nigh suffocat-
ed. Behold, suddenly, beneath mass
of lace, [ had placed my hand on a
packet of lettersl | felt as if q fash of
| lightning has passed from my head to
my heart. Alas! one glance told me
what these letters were They were
| love -letters!
The packet was tied by pink rib
bon with silver edge.
As / touched the ribbon the thought
occurred to me: Is this right? Is this
work worthy of an honest man? To steal
! the secrets of womanl Secrets which
| belong to the time when she was young
grill Can | ask her to render an account
of the thoughts she had before she be-
| longed to me. Can | be Jealous of a
time when she did not know me? Who
could suspect her of fault? Who? !
was base enough to do so, and the devil
again whispered in my ear: 'Supposin :
/ that these letters were of time when |
had already . right to all her thoughts,
right to be jealous even of her dreams,
when she was already mine?' I united
The ribbon. No one saw me. There was
was not even a mirror in the room to
make me blush for myself. | opened
one letter, then another, and read them
to the end"
"Oh what a fearful hour that was for
me! What did those letters contain
The vilest betrayal of which a man was
ever yet the victim; and they were writ
ten by one of my most intimate friends!
And in what strain! what passion
what certainty of his love being shared
How he spoke of secrecy What coun
sells he lavished on the art of deceivine
a husband! And all these letters were
of time when I was married and per.
fectly happy Shall | tsll you what
felt? Imagine the intOxicatiOn caused
by deadly poison. | drank deeply OF
that poison. | read all the letters; all
Then / refolded them, retied the ribbon
replaced the packet, and shut the
/ An