Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1879-08-27

written and he saw by the signature that
his patient had written IL with his own
hand, from which he concluded that the
pain had not returned, for if 1t had he
could hardly have held 4 pen.
The letter ran ~ follows:
my DEAR DCOTOR: / do mot wish
tthatcither You or medical science should
be left In doubt - to the mystery Of the
strange disease which will soOn bring me
70 nay grave-and even elsewhere.
~ am about to describe to you the
origin of this terrible malady. It broke
out . week ago and l can struggle
against It no longer. At the present
moment / a only manage to trace
theae lines BY placing on the sensitive
part : piece Of lighted finder, to serve ~
. cataplasm. As long As the finder
burns ! do not feel the other pain-and
It Ii ~ nothing in comparison.
"6i4 months was still q very
happy man. l lived, without care, on
my income. / VA on friendly terms
with al The world, and ] took pleasure
In everything that 4 interest q man Of
t~hifty.fve. had married q year ago,
married f0l love, . most beautiful young
girl, of cultivated mind and with the
best heart i, the world, who had been
companion - q certain countess, my
neighbor. Nv wife had no fortune, and
the love che had for me was not only
gratitude, but also the genuine affection
Of = child. Sir months passed in such q
way that the morrow always seemed to
me happier than the eve. If sometimes
I VA obliged to 90 to Pesth and leave
my home for q dky my wife had not q
moments peace. She would come two
miles on the road t. meet me. If / was
belated she would stay awake all night,
waiting for me, and if, by dint of en-
treaty, ahe was prevailed upon TO 20 and
nee 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 my
absence put the others cut of temper.
Her f0ndness for me went n 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, l had
for my 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 NE.
"One day / know not what demon
whispered in my ear, 'Supposing all this
were only dissimulationf' Men are
mad enough to seek how they can tor
ment themselves in the midst of t,e
greatest happiness:
"My wife had q workable, the
drawer of which she kept carefully
locked. ! had noticed this several times.
She never forgot the key, and never lie fl
the drawer open.
"The question ran in my head,
What can she be hiding from me
therer ] had taken leave OF my senses.
I no longer believed either in the limo.
cence of her face or in the purity of hi
eyes, in her caresses or in her Inv
Suppose all that were nothing
pocrisyf c.m.
"One morning the cSer much en-.
again to fetch her, a9aaciding her to
treaty succeeded pher. Our estates
spend the day HB3art, and I promised
were some mind Join her.
my wiie to4 the carriage had left the
"As1fI gathered together all the
couIff the house and tried them in the
51rOf the little drawer. One of them
yPened 1t. ! felt like q man committing
lis frat crime. / was a thief about to
urprise the secrets of q feeble woman.
Ny hands trembled / drew from out the
~prudently, carefully. one by
me, the objects contained therein, 80
hat no confusion should betray that q
hand had ransacked them. My
'reast heaved; / was well-nigh sufocat-
d. Behold, suddenly, beneath a mass
lace, / had placed my hand on a
.acket of lettersl / felt as if q Aash of
lightning has passed from my head to
ny heart. Alas! one glance told me
that these letters werei They were
owe lettersi
"The packet was tied by q pink rib
on with q silver edge.
"As l touched the ribbon the thought
occurred to me: Ii this right? IL this
York verify of an honest mani To steal
ne secrets OF . womani Secrets which
'elOng to the time when she was q young
drill Can / ask her to render m account
the thoughts she had before she be-
onged to ne. Can / be jealous of a
when she did not know me? Who
0uld suspect her of q fault? Who?
vas base enough to do 20, and the devil
gain whispered in my BAR: Surprising
hat these letters were of q time when I
lad already . right to all her thoughts,
right TO be jealous ' of her dreams,
vhen she WAS already mine3' l united
he ribbon. No one saw me. There was
vas not even q mirror in the room to
me blush for myself. / opened
letter, then another, and read them
o the end"
"Oh what q fearful hour that was for
mel What did those letters contain?
The vilest betrayal of which a man was
YER yet the victim; and they were writ !
On by one OF my most intimate friends!
Ind In what a strain! what passion
certainty of his love being shared!
How he spoke of secrecy! What coun. !
els he lavished on the art of deceiyjpp ,
husbandl And all these letters were
1 . time when I was married and per.
ectly happy! Shall l tell you what l
eltf Imagine the intoxication caused
"a deadly poison. / drank deeply of
hat poison. read all the letters; all.
hen l refolded them, retied the ribbon,
the packet, and shut the
rawer. J
II knew that If ! did not 20 for her
t IL o'clock she would come back from
be counteese's in the evening. And no
! happened. She got down hastily from ,
be carriage and ran towards me az / !
.ood waiting for her on the steps. She ,
tsed mo with extreme tenderness and !
eemed TO be very glad to be with,me =
gain. Ilet nothing be seen on my face. ..
Ve talked, We supped together and then !
etired to our separate bedrooms. / did /,
OF Close my eyes. Wide awake, / :
ounted every hour. When the clock !
truck . quarter past midnight / got UP /,
nd passed into her bedroom. There !
!as the beautiful blonde head buried in !
HhitA nilloHs Il In mat H.. .~ Z