The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-11-22
The Story of a Hand.

The following romantic story is, according to
LIE Figaro, one of the principal themes OF con-
versation in Partisan salons:
One of the most renowned surgeons OF the
capital was suddenly stopped on the street, late
at night and requested by three men to accom-
pany them to person who was in urgent need
Of his services; they obliged him to enter car
riage which stood ready, bandaged his eyes,
and brought him to palatial house, where he
was obliged, at the muzzle of pistol, to ampu-
tate the left hand of young lady; he did not
consent to this, however, until after the lady
herself entreated him with tears in her eyes to
do so, as it would save her from death. This
mysterious occurrence is explained as follows:
The young lady, Mathilde A., was the
daughter of French general, who was the
possessor of celebrity and glory, but not OF
riches. He was the friend of the duchess de
N, and both had once vowed that their
children should marry each other. But very
soon they repented OF their bargain, when 1t
came to light that the young Due de N was
penniless. The young people, however, loved
each other passonately, and in order to gain
fitting position, the young man entered dip
lomatic career and became secretary OF the
French legation in distant capital. Before
his departure he put ring on the niger OF ms
beloved, saying, "Never forget that you are
betrothed to me, and that this hand belongs to
me!' Mathilde vowed eternal fidelity; but
hardly had the Due de N departed, when
her father and the duchess moved heaven ana
earth to persuade her to another marriage.
Her father laid particular stress on the scanti-
ness of his means, fears for her future, and in
timated that her only escape from lie OF
poverty lay in marrying the young Count dc
l., who had asked for her hand. Out OF
flial love and with bleeding heart Mathilde
consented, and the marriage took place, as
which, however. she would not allow the wed
ding ring to be placed on her left hand, but in
sisted that it be placed on her right hand The
count was Jealous, and demanded that ms
young wife should give him up the ring ON her
left: but she answered resolutely that she never
would take it off her finger. The suspicious ot
the count were strengthened by this refusal,
and he resolved to watch his wife. Soon
letter came from Mathilde's betrothed, who
knew nothing of the cruel sacrifice OF his De-
loved one, and the count opened the missive.
The duke wrote about his love and his pros
poets, and reminded her that her hand had
been promised him, and that he would return
in month to claim it, With the letter IN ms
hand the count appeared before his young wife,
and said with lev calmness: "Now know all;
YOU have kept the truth from me. You have
sworn that your hand shall belong to him only
Very we'll, will see to it that your vow Is
kept" A month later the Due de n
arrived, but full of despair, for he had heard OF
his misfortune in the meantime. On the Day
after his arrival an ebony box was delivered
him, which had been brought by servant.
To his horror he found the bloody hand OIL
woman in it, on the index OF which was the
ring which he had once given to Mathilde.
At the side of the hand lay note with the
words: THUS the Countess of l. fulh!s
her vow" The operator (whom the duke dis,
covered later on, because he rightly suspected
that only the most clever surgeon would be
employed for the terrible operation) consoied
the young man. "She did not suffer much"
the surgeon told him, "a vertable exaitation
sustained her courage. When had termin-
ated the operation, she whispered to me, Tell
him to whom this hand belongs that my heart
accompanies it," The count left Paris with
his iIl-fated wife, and retired to a country seat;
the duke obtained a commission in Algeria, IN
order to find far from the scenes of his love
and despair that oblivion and tranquility
which all-healing Time can only bestow.