Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-07-22

L1mG!'
look at him in puzzled way, and he
scrutiniZes me.
"Where is the lady?" l ask, some
what impatiently.
"The ladyp Oh, your wife thought
it would be pleasanter for her not to see
you again just at present. After few
days, when you are at home and
calmer."
"Calmer! What the deuce do you
m ean?" | asked, turning fercely on
him.
There, there. Not the least use in
never fear; / have seldom seen more
cannot part with him." she said; it
wrings my heart"
See here, can't for the life of me
make out what you mean. Let me see
the doctor-Doctor Pierre Bernhoff."
The fat man shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, / am Doctor Pierre Bernhoff. -
"Where is your wifep"
He regarded me as one does a trouble
some child, then lifted his eyes with a
look above.
SIN heaven"
"Good gracious! Do you mean to
say that / did not drive up here with
your wife half-hour ago, and that she
did not show you a case containing ten
thousand rubles' worth of diamonds for
your decisionP"
s'Ah, diamonds" said he, indulgently.
Yes, yes-so you did. But you must
have patience. She's gone now to show
them to the Cham of Tartary, whose
daughter is to wed tomorrow the Bashi-
Bazook OF ShiraZ, and will wear your
jewels on her neck. Ha, hal Mashouka.
you must have help. This is no mild
case, as the lady represented"
saw the whole plot at a glance. My
imbecile fancy had led me straight into
it. cursed my own folly and began to
tell the doctor the truth as rapidly as
possible; but | saw it had no effect. l
begged him to send at once to Carnreis
& Shoveloff 8 for confirmation. knew
Alexis had not least idea of my where
abouts.
The doctor listened patiently, blandly
and assented to all. But felt horri-
bic certainty that he would do nothing.
Why should he trouble himself with the
vagaries of a lunaticp
9 If monsieur will be patient, it shall
all be done-to-morrow, I dare say"
Good God!" cried, sudden horror
striking terror to my heart. Il am
to be married tomorrow
The doctor evidently regarded this as
fresh outburst of insanity.
To be sure, to be sure" he said,
soothingly; but it will all come right.
It would have to be Iut off any way,
for Madame Snippski has not finished
the wedding dress"
"Oh, for heavens sakep' I cried, in
the most abject terror. do not talk to
me in that style, or you will drive me
mad in earnesti Can you not see that
this woman was an adventuress-that
this is a clever trick to rob us of ten
thousand rubles' worth of diamonds?''
1t reminds me of the case we had
last fall-squint-eyed party-who had
been robbed of the Robinson" MUIR
INJURED the doctor to the nurse.
And then | lost all command of N.Y.
self, and made mad effort to escape. 1
flung myself suddenly ags inst the doctor
and doubled him up; but he old woman
flew on me like tigress, and fought
tooth and nail. She was a powerful
creature, as were all the EMPLOYEES of
the place; and beneath the vast cush-
ions OF fat were muscles of steel and a
frame of iron. Then she never ceased
yelling for help, and, of course, was
overpowered in three moments, while
the doctor. recovering from his tempor-
ary collapse, glared at me rather vim
dictively, his face the color of rasp-
berry jam from rage and pain.
There was no hope of his listening to
anything after that, and / felt that nv
chance was gone. So I allowed myself
to be led to bare cell and locked in.
Then / had a chance for reflection.
The sun was going down. / knew that
| must spend the night there, and per-
haps many night. How was ever to
be foundP Carnreis & Shoveloff Nigh
publish the loss of the diamonds. There
was slight hope in that; but it would
take day or two to give the matter
publicity, and my wedding was to be
tomorrow! Then it was more likely
they would go to work in secret way,
which is more popular in Russia. and
not breathe word openly of the loss,
and what would become of me in the
meantimep They might even think 1
was in league with tbe handsome ad ).
ventures, and had gone off with her to
enjoy the ill-gotten gains!
All these things burned and seethed
in my brain, till it seemed as if I, too,
must break out into important raving,
or blood-curdling oaths, or passionate
prayers. such as re-echoed through
the long corridors about me; for l was
in that department OF the institution
marked 6 Violent" and / could hear all
night long the wails-the groans, the
gibberings, the mad outbreaks of yio-
lence, the sudden shrieks and crashes,
that seemed to torture the very echoes.
Morning at last-through barred
window that "slurred the sunshine
half mile"; yet / knew by even that
pale beam that the sun had risen upon
my wedding day!
My wedding day! Lisa was kneeling
perhaps at that moment breathing a
prayer for our future happiness. She
was pious little thing, knew. l pic
tured her lifted soft brown eyes, full of
tears and hopes; her pretty folded
hands.
I had never loved her enough, but
now-now that she seemed slipping
away from me, now that horrible
chance hap severed us-she grew sud-
denly dear and precious.
Lisa" | groaned ooh, my darling,
pray-pray as you have never done he
fore, tor my destiny hangs on that
prayer !"
Oh, how slowly the hours crept on !!
The little bar of dusty gold that lay
upon the floor of my cell grew broader
feebly. IL seemed thinner as it
broadened. I thought of its fading